Said George: ‘Yes, I was talking to the Maidstone coach last week, after the game’ (Jersey narrowly won a cliff-hanger, 20-18), ‘and he told me that talking to the other coaches they believed we could be beaten because we’re slow on the turn,’ he said on Wednesday night before tomorrow’s away game to Beckenham.
‘They’d all come to the summation that they needed to kick the ball behind us to beat us.
I don’t agree, but we’ve put Swifty at full-back and he should counter that.
He’s got vision and wants to open up a game.
At full-back he should be given the time he needs and he’s a beautiful passer of the ball.
We definitely want to spread the ball wide.
In recent weeks our wingers have been virtually redundant.
‘We need to regain our confidence which is why I’m looking forward to seeing Graham (Bell) back in the team.
He knows how to run off people in broken play and he gives us that extra maturity.
‘Ben (Harvey)’s a good organizer at No 10 and in our first game against them our back row had a field day.
They all scored, with Kern (Yates) helping himself to a hat-trick, but looking at it again on video we didn’t play that well (Jersey won 69-8) and they had a few of their boys missing.
It won’t be an easy game (Beckenham are currently sixth in the table) but at the moment I’ll just take each one as it comes.
That, and I’d like to see more enjoyment on our players’ faces, as they run the ball forward.’
With Sam Tuia out Steve O’Brien again partners Keiaho Bloomfield in midfield with Ryan Morgan and Jim Milner on the wings and James Cooper at scrum-half.
However, a great deal will depend on Jersey’s formidable back row of Latu Maka’afi, captain Kern Yates and Bell.
That, and Jon Swift at full-back who, on his day, can open up defences.
Meanwhile nearest rivals Hayward’s Heath have what looks like an easy home tie to lowly-placed Dorking.
Collins Stewart squad: Marcus Nobes, Peter O’Connor, Jon Brennan, Talite Vaioleti, John Allo, Latu Mak’afi, Kern Yates, Graham Bell, James Cooper, Ben Harvey, James Milner, Keiaho Bloomfield, Steve O’Brien, Ryan Morgan, Jon Swift.
Replacements: Toby Clyde-Smith, Josh Chamier, Christian Weald, Jim Brimelow.
