Match Preview

RAIDERS RING THE CHANGES FOR RAMS MATCH

Against a side that have won five of six to sit proudly on top of the National Two South table, Raiders fully utilise their injury-hit squad as they travel to Reading on Saturday.
Jordan Reynolds makes a stack of changes to the squad, some due to further injuries, such as Elia Morisio who's shoulder knock from last week was worst than first thought; and also as he looks to rotate new players into the squad.

Although the two sides have never previously met Raiders and this week’s opponents have a couple of things in common.
One they are coached by someone named Reynolds and, two, they both won narrowly at Barnes this month.
And while we won by the seat of our muddied pants - five points - Rams triumphed there only a shade more more easily, 26-19, whilst resting two thirds of their squad.
It required two second half penalty to be the deciding factor for Rams at Barnes.
Perhaps too close for comfort for the visitors’ coach, Seb Reynolds admitted.
Afterwards he said: ‘I was pleased with the way we played for parts of the first half. We had discussed how we were going to play in these sorts of conditions, because we knew the rain was due, and to a large extent the boys executed that, but there were two moments where we didn’t and we handed Barnes two tries.
‘That’s what happens in these rainy conditions, you slip up in the middle of the park and the opposition come and score.
‘In the second half we were quite dominant. We had to play field position against a lively Barnes team who were really battling hard, so I give a lot of credit to them for staying in the game.’

At Rams on Saturday, the Raiders will hand starting debuts to fly-half Henry Greenhalgh and Harry Baron as several regulars, including captain Lewis Hillier and vice-captain Tom Ceillam, sit it out. The versatile back, new comer Chris Bolton will be pulling the shirt on for the firs time and should also get some some game time off the bench.

Our man Reynolds said something has to give in this tougher league with an incessant schedule.
‘We have had six weeks at this level now and a lot of those guys have been playing full games each week,’ he said, admitting he was looking longer term.
In Hillier’s absence Nick Merrien will captain the side and in the backs Nico Alexandre partners Greenhalgh at half-back with Malcolm Barnes shifting in one to partner the Exeter based Matt Armstrong in the centres.

TEAM
Sam Steventon, Harry Baron, Layton Batiste, Brad Webb, Nick Merrien (c), Dale Martin, Dom Rice, Matt Creber; Nico Alexandre, Harry Greenhalgh, Tom Teasdale, Malcolm Barnes, Matt Armstrong, Chris Ahne, Alex Gow.
Replacements: Dave Anderson, George Shannon, Robin Le Cocq, Callum Gladstone, Chris Bolton.