Horny, Harvey and Headingley
This weekend, Jersey make their second-ever trip to the county
known as 'God's own' among its proud inhabitants (Like the famous
department store John Lewis, Yorkshire is never-knowingly
undersold).
Some of the Jersey players were a bit taken aback when they
arrived at Wharfedale in January for their only previous encounter
in White Rose territory: rolling snow-capped hills, sheep grazing
behind the dead-ball lines and an idiosyncratic announcer,
reminiscent of the legendary Stuart Hall, who was keen to remind
his captive audience what underdogs the home side were.
Fast forward seven months and it will be a different face of
Yorkshire that confronts the squad. The home-spun warmth of
Threshfield is replaced by the mighty rugby arena of Headingley,
home to both Leeds Carnegie and their Rugby League sister (but not
in a girly way) club Leeds Rhinos.
There are key differences between the sibling sides, not
restricted to the fewer numbers on the pitch, and the fact that
Carnegie don't play Horny by Mousse T when they score a try. The
Union side haven't had as much recent success as the Rhinos, but
then the same could be said for any club in either code, and the
pedigree of the Union game in Leeds should not be doubted. Read the
history section below if you don't believe me.
As well as coping with the realisation that not all rugby
grounds in Yorkshire are the same, the Jersey squad will also be
facing at least two firsts: their first kick-off in recent memory
outside the conventional Saturday afternoon slot, and the first
time for several years they have travelled to England on a
match-day.
The Friday slot is likely to reduce the size of the visiting
contingent of supporters, however those remaining behind in the
Channel Islands can console themselves with the dulcet tones of
Olympic torch-bearer Richard Collinson, who will be broadcasting
live on BBC Radio Jersey with co-commentator Tim Pryor.
News from the Jersey camp
Director of Rugby Ben Harvey makes three changes to his starting
XV from the opening weekend, when the Islanders were defeated by
Cornish Pirates by 20-6.
With Dai Bishop and Ed Dawson out through injury, a reshuffled
back line sees Tom Cooper brought into the centre, Glenn Bryce and
James Copsey on the wings, and Mike Le Bourgeois - a half-time
replacement against the Pirates - promoted to wear the 15
shirt.
Seven of last Saturday's starting pack will line up at
Headingley, the change coming at lock where Dave Markham earns a
starting berth alongside skipper Nathan Hannay, with Rob Anderson
moving to the replacements' bench.
Summer signing Fred Silcock, formerly of Loughborough Students,
is in line to make his Jersey debut from the bench. Silcock will be
one of five forwards among the Jersey subs, also including Kingsley
Lang, who has recovered from injury and is ready to play his first
game since March. Also called up to the squad is former Bristol
wing Ashley Maggs, who is ready to start his fifth season as a
Jersey player after being re-signed by Harvey in August.
"Leeds are a big club who have played at the top level, and
Headingley is a great place to play," stated Harvey. "I know my
squad will enjoy the experience of playing there, under lights, and
if they play to their potential then I firmly believe we can beat
anyone."
Jersey squad
1 Richard Barrington
2 Steve Boden
3 Ben Evans
4 Nathan Hannay (Capt)
5 Dave Markham
6 Talite Vaioleti
7 Guy Thompson
8 Nick Trower
9 Nicky Griffiths
10 Ross Broadfoot
11 James Copsey
12 Tom Cooper
13 Donovan Sanders
14 Glenn Bryce
15 Mike Le Bourgeois
Replacements
16 Dave Felton
17 Sean McCarthy
18 Rob Anderson
19 Kingsley Lang
20 Fred Silcock
21 Brendan O'Brien
22 Ashley Maggs
Leads about Leeds
Leeds Carnegie went through a summer of change after finishing
their 2011/12 campaign in late April. There were plenty of
departures from the club at the end of a disappointing season back
in May but perhaps the most significant change has come right at
the top of the club. Paul Caddick has handed over the reins to Sir
Ian McGeechan, the British and Irish Lions legend, as the new
Executive Chairman of the club. McGeechan has a hands-on role with
the club to spearhead a drive for new sponsorship, support and
development for the club in the years ahead, to try and establish
Leeds Carnegie amongst the elite sides in the country once
again.
There have also been changes in the coaching team. There will be
a very familiar face missing from the dug-out next season after
Team Manager John Carey left the club this summer after nearly 20
years outstanding service to the club. Chris Gibson was appointed
as Director of Rugby and Mark Luffman relinquished his first team
coaching duties to turn his focus back entirely to the crucial work
of developing the club's Academy. Former Manchester and England
Counties coach Dave Baldwin has been recruited as forwards coach,
whilst former player Jon Pendlebury has joined the Academy coaching
staff after being forced to retire this summer.
On the field the changes have also been far reaching. Senior
players such as Lee Blackett, Scott Barrow, Mike MacDonald and
Danny Paul have left the club whilst last year's Young Player of
the Year Tommy Bell opted to join London Wasps after his season
long loan from Sale Sharks last season. In total 27 players have
left the club from last season.
In their place come 14 players, the biggest contingent being
four from Championship runners up Cornish Pirates. Three of those
are Yorkshiremen, notably David Doherty returns to the club where
his career began before stop off points at Wasps, Sale, Jersey and
the Pirates. Ben Hooper is another with connections to the club as
the younger brother of former skipper Stuart.
Leeds have looked to inject pace into their backline with two
signings from Rugby League in the shape of Jamel Chisholm from
Leeds Rhinos and Josh Griffin from Castleford Tigers whilst there
is plenty of power up front with Lee Imiolek and Joe Graham joining
on loan for the season from Sale and Newcastle respectively along
with French powerhouse Damien Tussac from Toulon.
Ins: Fred Burdon (Doncaster), Jamel Chisholm
(Leeds Rhinos), David Doherty (Cornish Pirates), James Doherty
(Cornish Pirates), Oli Goss (Doncaster), Joe Graham (Newcastle),
Calum Green (Leicester), Josh Griffin (Castleford Tigers), Ben
Harris (Rotherham), Ben Hooper (Rotherham), Lee Imiolek (Sale
Sharks), Mike Myerscough (Cornish Pirates), Pearce Phillips
(Darlington Mowden Park), Matt Smith (Cornish Pirates), Damien
Tussac (Toulon).
Outs: Halani Aulika (London Irish), Tom Barrett
(Doncaster), Scott Barrow (Fylde), Tommy Bell (London Wasps), Lee
Blackett (Rotherham), Will Cliff (Sale Sharks), Jordan Davies (Sale
Sharks), Gareth Denman (Rotherham), Tom Denton (Leinster), Scott
Freer (Northampton on trial), Sean Hohneck (unattached), Mike
MacDonald (unattached), Lachlan MacKay (Retired), Danny Paul
(Retired), Jonathan Pendlebury (Retired), Ollie Richards
(Newcastle), Alex Rieder (Rotherham), Robbie Shaw (unattached),
Michael Stephenson (Percy Park), Phil Swainston (London Wasps),
Iain Thornley (Wigan Warriors), James Tincknell (Doncaster), Andy
Titterrell (Edinburgh), Dan White (Hull), Ed Williamson (London
Welsh), Dave Young (Zebre), Cameron Zeiss (Esher).
Leeds played pre-season games against Wasps and Newcastle
Falcons, losing 23-50 and 19-52 respectively, before their opening
weekend clash at Nottingham.
The Yorkshire side, who apparently have the youngest squad in
the Championship, took an early 20-3 lead thanks to tries by
full-back Steve McColl and captain/ open-side Jacob Rowan. However
the home side narrowed the deficit to 17-23 at the break and then
pushed on in the second half to lead 34-26. Joe Ford's late penalty
gained a bonus point for his side, although this would have been
snatched away had James Arlidge landed a last-gasp effort of his
own.
Leeds Head Coach Diccon Edwards, 39, is a former player (76
appearances) and Academy Manager at the club, appointed to his
current role after the departure of Neil Back in summer 2011.
Edwards has made two changes to his side to face Jersey: the
first comes in the backline with Josh Griffin coming in for his
debut after signing last week from Super League club Castleford
Tigers. The Oxford born centre has only played professionally in
Rugby League but has joined Leeds Carnegie on a two-year contract.
He scored 14 tries in 21 appearances this season for Castleford. He
starts at centre with Pete Lucock replacing Curtis Wilson on the
wing.
The other change comes in the forwards with Mike Myerscough
swapping places with Calum Green after coming on as a replacement
in last week's narrow defeat at Nottingham.
The Leeds' bench includes the pacy Jamel Chisholm, hooker Joe
Graham, recently signed on a year's loan from Newcastle Falcons,
and 19-year-old back-five forward Dominic Barrow, one of three
Championship players in the current England Under 20 squad.
Leeds squad
15. Stevie McColl
14. Pete Lucock
13. Josh Griffin
12. Freddie Burdon
11. David Doherty
10. Joe Ford
9. James Doherty
1. Lee Imiolek
2. Phil Nilsen
3. Ben Hooper
4. Mike Myerscough
5. Dan Hemingway
6. Richard Beck
7. Jacob Rowan (capt)
8. Ryan Burrows
Replacements
16. Joe Graham
17. Ben Harris
18. Damien Tussac
19. Calum Green
20. Dominic Barrow
21. Craig Hampson
22. Jamel Chisholm
What's up, Doc?
Jersey will face former winger David Doherty. The Yorkshireman
began his career with Leeds in 2004 before moving on to Sale and
Wasps. He spent seven months on the Island in 2010/11, making 19
appearances and scoring 19 tries. He even had a few pops at goal,
landing three conversions and a penalty. His last touch of the ball
in a red shirt was the final try against Loughborough in the
National Two play-off, before he moved to Cornish Pirates in summer
2011.
'Doc' spoke this week in the build-up to the game against his
former club. The winger commented, "I am really looking forward to
playing at Headingley Carnegie again under the lights on a Friday
night. It was good to get a game under our belts last week at
Nottingham but everyone is frustrated that we didn't get the win,
we are determined to make amends for that on Friday.
"I have been to lots of Leeds Rhinos games on Friday nights and
there is a special atmosphere at Headingley for night matches. I am
sure the Leeds Carnegie fans will be in good voice to cheer the
lads on as we kick off our home season. It is important that we
perform well because history shows that it is vital to win your
home games in this division," added Doherty.
Whilst Jersey are playing their first away game since promotion
to the second tier of English club rugby, Doherty says that they
will not be overawed by the occasion. He added, "Jersey are a great
club and they will relish the challenge. They have a great coach
and terrific group of players who have achieved a lot together. I
have had some banter with the guys via text messages this week and
they will see the chance to play at Headingley Carnegie as a great
opportunity. We need to match that enthusiasm and make sure that we
take the chances that we create."
Leeds Rugby Union: a historical cocktail
The history of Leeds Carnegie is a cocktail of different aged
components, matured separately before being combined during more
recent times and blended into a series of modern
interpretations.
Headingley Football Club were founded in 1878 and played games
on Cardigan Fields, site of the current ground. The club withstood
a lean spell for rugby in Yorkshire during the early part of the
20th Century, and after the Great War, but in the 1930s was
prospering with excellent facilities, impressive results and
representative honours.
Two notable names from the 1960s were Ian McGeechan and John
Spencer. The latter was last encountered by Jersey in the club's
only previous trip to Yorkshire, when they played the Wharfedale
club of which he is now President last January, while McGeechan's
career has gone full circle and he is now back at Leeds as
Executive Chairman.
In the 1980s Peter Winterbottom was the most notable Headingley
player of his era, winning 58 caps for England and seven for the
Lions. His father John, a member since 1950, also played a key role
in the history of Leeds, brokering the merger with Roundhay that
led to the formation of Leeds RUFC in 1992.
Roundhay were formed in 1924 and had a golden era in the 1950s
which included a first-ever appearance in the Yorkshire Cup Final.
The loss to the Royal Signals was finally avenged in 1975 when
England internationals Richard Cardus and Keith Smith helped
Roundhay defeat Headingley 20-16 in a replay which followed a
13-all draw.
Merger discussions were initiated by John Winterbottom with a
view to forming a single, much larger club from Headingley,
Roundhay and Morley. Morley subsequently withdrew, but the merger
was finalised in July 1992 with the first game played two months
later.
The new club climbed the leagues and appointed professionals
Colin Stephens (Youth Development Officer) and Phil Davies
(Director of Rugby) in 1995 and 1996, as well as moving to
Headingley Stadium. In 1998 the modern era truly arrived when rugby
union in Leeds became a brand, namely Leeds Tykes, in partnership
with the city's league brethren the Rhinos under the ownership of
Leeds Rugby Limited, and by September 2001 the Tykes had reached
the Premiership, then sponsored by Zurich.
The highlights of a five-season stint in the top flight were
finishing fifth in 2002/03, earning qualification for the Heineken
Cup, and lifting the Powergen Cup in 2005. But the cup success was
followed by relegation 12 months later, inspite of the presence of
star names like Justin Marshall and Gordon Bulloch in the
squad.
The most recent incarnation of the club saw Leeds Carnegie
formed in 2007 after the club returned to the Premiership and
formed a partnership with Leeds Metropolitan University, who
acquired a 51% share in the club. The Carnegie names came from the
Scottish entrepreneur and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie whose
Carnegie Trust funded the establishment of a PE teaching training
college in 1933. Carnegie College is now the Carnegie Faculty of
Sport and Education within Leeds Metropolitan University.
Current England Coach Stuart Lancaster was involved with the
club for 16 years, serving as Director of Rugby before leaving in
2008 to join the England set-up. He was replaced by Andy Key, while
England flanker Neil Back became Head Coach. The yo-yo existence
continued with two seasons at the top level, attracting home crowds
of between 4,000 and 10,000, followed by relegation in 2011 and a
mid-table performance in 2011/12 (6th in the league, 3rd in
promotion pool B). Last season's crowds dropped to an average
figure of 2,314, third highest behind Bristol and Bedford and just
ahead of Cornish Pirates.
In May 2009 it was announced that the club was re-structuring
with former Wales and British Lion international Gareth Davies
joining a new board of Directors, and Leeds Rugby taking control of
the club once again.
In order to attract further financial support for the club,
Leeds Met has returned its 51% stake in the club to Leeds Rugby and
agreed a revised strategic partnership arrangement, which includes
sponsorship. The name of the club remained as Leeds Carnegie
RUFC.
Davies, who is a former Chief Executive of Cardiff RFC and BBC
Wales Head of Sport, is the new Dean of the Carnegie Faculty of
Sport & Education at Leeds Met and he will represent the
university on a new board, which is headed up by Paul Caddick, the
property and construction entrepreneur and former Headingley lock,
as Chairman.
Following the game
Don't forget that you can keep up-to-speed with news from Leeds v
Jersey through the following channels:
• Live commentary on BBC Jersey, available online and on your
transistor-wireless device, with the show starting at 7pm
• Preview in Friday's JEP, and full match coverage on
Saturday - paper in the shops first thing - in spite of fiendishly
tight deadlines
• Scoreflashes on @jerseyrfc Twitter and the 'Rolling Maul' rugby
forum
The Championship this weekend
Friday - Doncaster v Bristol
Saturday - London Scottish v Newcastle; Moseley v Nottingham
Sunday - Cornish Pirates v Plymouth Albion; Rotherham v
Bedford
And finally
Other rugby attractions this weekend include the resumption of the
other Championship, the one that used to call itself the
Tri-Nations until Argentina barged their way in, and the physical
encounter that is wheelchair rugby at the London Paralympics with
Team GB hoping to 'medal' (to utilise one of the verbs of the
moment).
Here in Jersey the final of the Doug Tranter Cup will take place
at St Peter on Saturday, with Banks playing Jersey Athletic in a
match held over from last season. The occasion will have added
poignancy after the death last month of Sheila Tranter, who
presented the trophy annually in memory of her late husband Doug, a
former President of JRFC who died while running touch at a 1st XV
game in 1999. Fittingly for an occasion devoted to two
members of the old school, the game kicks off at 3pm.
Enjoy your weekend's rugby
Tom Innes
