/*UPDATE*/ This match was postponed as a result of Covid-19 cases in the Nottingham camp and later rescheduled for Friday February 4th 2022
A tight encounter is in prospect this Friday night as Jersey Reds renew their rivalry with Nottingham.
Although the Reds are currently higher in the Championship rankings than their hosts, recent history shows a series of close encounters when the two sides meet at Lady Bay.
The Green-and-Whites were victorious by 24-20 the last time they entertained the Reds at Easter 2019, while the previous encounter was drawn 19-19 on the first Friday of December in 2017. Prior to that meeting, the Reds won 19-24 in January 2017 and 15-22 in March 2016.
Overall the Reds have won 10 of the 16 Championship match-ups between the clubs, with five Nottingham victories and the one draw. The most recent encounter was at Stade Santander International last April, when the Reds celebrated their first home league match for 60 weeks by scoring nine tries and winning 55-12.
After a tough day at the office for his squad last Saturday, when they defeated second-placed Cornish Pirates 15-5 in atrocious weather conditions, Director of Rugby Harvey Biljon drafts five fresh faces into his starting XV.
New signing Tom Everard - see earlier announcement - will start in the second row as Macauley Cook switches to the bench, while in front of him Luke Yendle gets an opportunity at tight-head, with Steve Longwell joining the replacements.
In the back row, Max Argyle moves across to number eight in place of the injured Wesley White, with Alex Humfrey coming in at blind-side flanker.
James Elliott comes in at scrum-half, rotating with James Mitchell, while Jordan Holgate is back in the midfield with Dan Barnes moving to the bench.
The Jersey bench also includes 20-year-old Max Ayling, who is in line for a competitive debut after arriving on the Island this summer.
The fixture if one of just two of the Reds’ 20 league games not being staged on a Saturday this season, the other being the trip to Cornish Pirates on the final Sunday of February.
After their return from the east Midlands, the Reds will build up to Christmas with successive home games at the Stade, with Coventry and London Scottish the visitors on Saturday December 11th and Saturday December 18th.
Jersey Reds 1st XV squad v Nottingham Rugby (A) – RFU Championship match 9/20, Lady Bay Sportsground, Friday November 2nd, k-o 7.45pm (* competitive debut)
Backs (15-9)
Brendan Owen; Harry Simmons, Jack Roberts, Jordan Holgate, Will Brown; Sam Leeming, James Elliott.
Forwards (1-8)
James Flynn, Eoghan Clarke, Luke Yendle, Tom Everard*, Sean O’Connor, Alex Humfrey, Lewis Wynne (capt), Max Argyle.
Replacements (16-23)
Harry Doolan, Roy Godfrey, Steve Longwell, Max Ayling*, Macauley Cook; James Mitchell, Tom Pittman, Dan Barnes.
