Match Preview

THOMAS BACK FOR TRIP TO WELLS

RAIDERS will have their fly-half back and a new stand-in captain as they head to newly promoted Tunbridge Wells in Kent this weekend.
More importantly, Raiders go in search of a third win on the bounce and hopefully stay top of the London & SE Premier table.
They will attempt that feat with an altogether strengthened backline from the patched-up version which did yeoman service in the narrow win over Sutton & Epsom.

Owen Thomas has passed a fitness test this evening and plays at 10.
Sam Whitehead who deputised so well last week, moves to the wing and in the centres Ned Brown and Jason Batiste are back together.
Anthony Armstrong moves to fullback and Chris Ahne keeps his place on the wing after some encouraging early season displays.
Meanwhile, young Kyle Brown makes his first full start and he admits he’s tingling already.
The boy from Paramatta, Sydney, played 40 minutes last week and on Saturday replaces Malcolm Barnes at 9, the old maestro being part of the squad although he is currently down in Sierra Leone.
‘I’m very excited, very nervous,’ admitted the 19-year-old ahead of Thursday training.
‘I absolutely loved it [last week] and absolutely love the rugby over here, playing with all the boys and some incredible rugby players as well. It’s good experience.’
The youngster kicked three vital points when pressed into action with the boot late on against Sutton & Epsom, but as he revealed he has done plenty of kicking back home.
‘Back at home I used to be the kicker for my team.
‘There’s always tension with your first kick for a team, but it was straight in front of the posts. I was pretty confident I could knock it over.’
Brown Minor - remember Brown Snr (no relation) is back in the centres - will be answerable to a new captain this week with Tom Ceillam taking over the skipper’s duties temporarily as Lewis Hillier takes a rest to nurse that sore knee he has been struggling with for a short while.
The head coach is happy to give Luke Skovronek 80 minutes after being unable to utilise him from the bench last week.
‘Luke started the first week and he was a standout and we had to make changes obviously last week because of our lineout.
‘It’s a good opportunity to rest Lewis, so we bring Luke back in and I’m really comfortable with that because maybe a season or two ago we would have struggled to make those big changes, but at the moment we are happy to do so.,’ said Reynolds.
As for the new captain, Reynolds explained.
‘He joins Owen as one of the vice-captains this season. Owen did a good job in Lewis' absence last season and really developed as a leader and this season we will look to take Tom Ceillam down a similar pathway.'
‘‘Tommy-Ray’’ captained at Guildford last year and he did an outstanding job and he also had the captaincy for one of the games at home, so I think it’s a good fit for him and he will do well.'

Guernsey Raiders team
Steventon, Ceillam, L. Batiste, Skovronek, Merrien, Hill, Martin, Horrocks, K. Brown, Thomas, N. Brown, J. Batiste, Ahne, Whitehead, Armstrong.
Replacements: Currie, Craine, Barnes.