Premiership
London Irish Match Preview: Jersey Reds (A)
Fixture: Jersey Reds vs London Irish
Competition: Pre-season friendly
Date: 27th August 2022
Kick-off: 3pm
Stadium: Stade Santander International
Capacity: 5,000
Another fixture, another new season- London Irish are back in action this forthcoming Saturday for a trip to the Channel Islands to face Championship side Jersey Reds in the Club’s first pre-season friendly.
The Exiles return to St. Peter for the first time since a spell in the Championship in the 2018/19 season, where honours were even, each a home win, in a split of league meetings that campaign.
Having finished last season in fourth, Jersey achieved their highest league positioning since Irish’s departure from the second tier after back-to-back sixth-place finishes.
Reds amassed their highest points haul in the Championship (69 points) since their promotion to the division a decade ago, with their biggest winning margins coming against capital side London Scottish both in the league (40 points) and cup (47) competitions.
Harvey Biljon, coach in Jersey since midway through the 2013/14 season, recently committed to a seven-year deal at the Stade Santander International.
The island took on current Gallagher Premiership champions Leicester Tigers on home soil last weekend, and following on from a 7-17 loss last season, ran the Midlanders close in a 26-35 defeat.
The boss- Harvey Biljon:
Upon conclusion of the 2021/22 season, Biljon committed to the aforementioned lengthy deal to keep him at the Championship Club until the summer of 2029.
The 45-year-old, a previous attack coach at another second-tier outfit Cornish Pirates before his time in Jersey, led Reds to their best ever finish in the Championship last term and into the top four.
He navigated the Club past relegation relegation in the 2013/14 term with a 41-31 win over Bedford Blues, going on to attain 3 league and cup wins against Irish in the former’s two spells in the Championship in 2017 and 2018.
A South-African native, he was born in Kariega and represented Natal Sharks’ under-21 side as a youth player.
The former scrum-half spent time as a player in the Premiership as a member of Wasps’ squad, joining in the year 2000 and remaining for six years.
One to Watch- Eoghan Clarke:
Jersey Reds have a points-scoring hooker of their own at their disposal, with Irishman Eoghan Clarke aiding in his Club having the highest points amassed in the Championship outside of champions Ealing Trailfinders (+596).
Clarke touched down 17 times in the 2021/22 Championship, a league-high that was matched only by Championship veteran Mark Bright of Richmond.
The 24-year-old is a former member of the Munster Academy, and moved over when in 2021 upon TJ Harris’ injury but has made a significant impact at the Club since.
He represented his country at under-20 age-grade level and also made five appearances for the Red Army’s A-side.
Classic Encounter: London Irish 42-29 Jersey Reds – 27th November 2016 – Championship
The Exiles put their Channel Island opponents to the sword at the Madejski Stadium in a 42-29 win in Reading back in 2016, but it was former player Guy Armitage who registered the first score of the meeting.
Front-row physicality from David Paice and Richard Palframan via rolling mauls saw Irish reply swiftly, with Paice going on to add a second in the second-half.
An injection of influence from the backs meant wingers Ben Ransom and Tom Fowlie got in on the act for Irish but Jersey did not walk away empty handed, nonetheless.
Marc Thomas, Nick Haining and George Watkins all added to Armitage’s earlier score on to bag a try bonus point, with the result making it 10 league wins from an available 10 for Irish at that stage of the season.
London Irish
Tries: David Paice (2), Richard Palframan, Ben Ransom, Tom Fowlie
Conversions: Tommy Bell (4)
Pens: Tommy Bell (2)
Drop-goal: Tommy Bell
Jersey Reds
Tries: Guy Armitage, Marc Thomas, George Watkins, Nick Haining
Conversions: Sam Katz (3)
Penalties: Sam Katz
Pre-match patter:
Jersey Reds Head Coach Harvey Biljon was full of praise for both sets of players after his side showed plenty of character to regain a foothold in the second half of a 26-35 loss to Leicester Tigers last weekend.
“A huge amount of character and resilience was shown by all the players,” Biljon stated post-match.
“Although it’s game one, there’s headaches already for the coaches.”
Reds held their Premiership counterparts to one try in the second forty whilst Lewis Wynne, James Hadfield and Ben Woollett, the latter two both debutants, all touched down for the home side.
Biljon looked ahead to the remainder of his side’s pre-season billing, which includes games against the Exiles and also Bath Rugby, and how the schedule will benefit the Championship side ahead of their league campaign.
“It’s a happy camp, they’re working hard but we’ve a long way to go.
“We can’t get too excited but what an absolute privilege it was to host the Premiership champions here in Jersey and I think we will definitely take a huge amount out of it, and I think they will too.
“It puts us in a great position going into the season- we’re definitely going to be tested each week and it’s going to be tough again next week with London Irish a team definitely on the up in the Premiership.”
Content & Images from – London Irish Rugby
Sale Sharks can confirm that fly-half George Ford suffered a tear to his right quad during the early stages of the Gallagher Premiership round two game at Saracens on Saturday. Following a positive consultation with a specialist it was decided that George does not require surgery and he will now begin his rehab ahead of a busy period for club and country.
Images & Content from Sale Sharks Rugby
Alex Sanderson has made six changes to his starting XV to face Gloucester Rugby in the first game of the season under the Salford Stadium Friday night lights, while summer signing Le Roux Roets appears in a matchday squad for the first time (Discovery+, 7.45pm KO).
Josh Beaumont, Ernst van Rhyn and Rouban Birch come into the pack following the round two defeat at Saracens, while Sam Bedlow, Will Addison and Arron Reed are picked in the backs to face George Skivington’s men.
In total, 12 of the XV and 19 in the matchday 23 have come through or spent time in the Sharks Academy.
The Sharks front-row remains intact from the trip to the StoneX as England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie lines up once again between 20-year-old Asher Opoku-Fordjour and loosehead Si McIntyre.
Al has picked a towering second-row as Ben Bamber teams up with Josh Beaumont.
With Ben and Tom Curry as well as JL du Preez all missing as they undergo their return to play protocols following head injuries, Ernst van Rhyn returns alongside fellow flanker Sam Dugdale and Birch at number 8.
Gus Warr starts again at scrum-half but with George Ford injured (quad) he’ll have skipper Rob du Preez for company at half-back. After coming on as a replacement against Saracens, Bedlow starts alongside Addison, who makes his first start since re-joining the club in the summer.
Speedster Arron Reed makes his first appearance of the season alongside Tom Roebuck and full-back Joe Carpenter.
Hooker Ethan Caine, and props Tumy Onasanya and James Harper cover the front row from the replacements bench with England U20s lock Tom Burrow and summer signing Le Roux Roets covering the rest of the forwards. Nye Thomas, Tom Curtis and Waisea Nayacalevu cover the backs.
Sale Sharks starting XV:
15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Will Addison, 12. Sam Bedlow, 11. Arron Reed, 10. Rob du Preez, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Si McIntyre, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ben Bamber, 5. Josh Beaumont 6. Ernst van Rhyn, 7. Sam Dugdale, 8. Rouban Birch.
Replacements:
16. Ethan Caine, 17. Tumy Onasanya, 18. James Harper, 19. Tom Burrow, 20. Le Roux Roets, 21. Nye Thomas, 22. Tom Curtis, 23. Waisea Nayacalevu.
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Injuries have forced Alex Sanderson to make three changes to his starting XV to face Saracens at the StoneX on Saturday (3.05pm KO, Saturday 28th September, live on TNT Sports).
Si McIntyre replaces last week’s Player of the Match Bevan Rodd (hamstring), while Ben Bamber and Sam Dugdale come in for Ernst van Rhyn and Tom Curry who are both undergoing their return to play protocols after leaving the field during the round one win over Harlequins.
With Sam Bedlow returning to the bench to make a 5-3 split, the matchday squad features 16 players who have come through or been involved with the Sale Sharks Academy.
In the front-row, England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie lines up between 20-year-old Asher Opoku-Fordjour and returning loosehead McIntyre.
Al has picked a towering second-row as Bamber teams up with Hyron Andrews.
Openside flanker Ben Curry captains the side again and he and Dugdale will pack down either side of Jean-Luc du Preez at number 8.
The backs are unchanged from the narrow win over Quins, with Gus Warr starting again at scrum-half alongside fly-half George Ford, and Rob du Preez and Waisea Nayacalevu outside them in the centres.
Alex has picked a familiar back three once again with Tom O’Flaherty, Tom Roebuck and full-back Joe Carpenter hoping to provide the spark.
The replacements bench is an exclusively Sharks Academy affair with hooker Ethan Caine, and props Tumy Onasanya and James Harper covering the front row. Josh Beaumont and Rouban Birch make up the rest of the forwards, while Nye Thomas, Bedlow and Will Addison cover the backs.
Sale Sharks Starting lineup:
15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Waisea Nayacalevu, 12. Rob du Preez, 11. Tom O’Flaherty, 10. George Ford, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Si McIntyre, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ben Bamber, 5. Hyron Andrews, 6. Sam Dugdale, 7. Ben Curry ©, 8. Jean-Luc du Preez.
Replacements:
16. Ethan Caine, 17. Tumy Onasanya, 18. James Harper, 19. Josh Beaumont, 20. Rouban Birch, 21. Nye Thomas, 22. Sam Bedlow, 23. Will Addison.
Images & Content from Sale Sharks Rugby
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