Having done the double over London Scottish in the B&I Cup this season, Jersey Reds will be looking to stop the Exiles from returning the favour when the two sides square up in the league this Saturday.
The Greene King IPA Championship match between the clubs at St Peter in October represented a low point in the Reds' campaign to date as they were thrashed 10-36 by a rampant Scottish side. The return league fixture at the Athletic Ground this weekend may be a closer affair, with both sides looking to push up towards the top four of the table. Currently the Exiles have 32 points, just one clear of their visitors.
Overall, the Scots have won six of the nine league encounters since Jersey arrived at level 2 in 2012; the Exiles claimed five victories in a row at one stage, but last season it was Jersey who claimed the spoils, successful by 5-20 at the RAG in November and 22-20 on home turf at Easter.
Back-to-back B&I Cup ties in December went Jersey's way - by 13-22 away from home and 23-19 back on the Island - helping the Reds qualify for the quarter-finals of the competition, where they will host Cornish Pirates under lights on the second Friday of March.
In their most recent outing, the Reds won 19-24 at Nottingham, but have since had a 20-day break, with a free weekend preceded by the cancellation of the scheduled home tie with London Welsh.
Head Coach Harvey Biljon makes three changes to his starting XV for the trip to south-west London. In the pack, loose-head prop Jake Woolmore will make his first league start of the season for the Reds, with Sean McCarthy dropping to the bench.
Sam Katz is selected to take Jack Cuthbert's place at full-back, while there's a debut at wing for former London Welsh player Nick Scott, with Ross Adair missing out. The Reds are also cheered by the likely return to action of Lewis Robling: the centre is named on the bench after a three-month absence recovering from injuries sustained against Rotherham in November.
There will be an intensive burst of home fixtures for the Reds at St Peter once they return from London, with the next game a Friday Night Lights encounter versus Yorkshire Carnegie on February 24th. After the league trip to Penzance to play the Cornish Pirates on March 5th, there will be a trio of home matches: Pirates again in the Cup on Friday March 10th; Rotherham Titans on Saturday March 18th; and current leaders London Irish on Saturday March 25th.
Jersey Reds squad v London Scottish (A) - Greene King IPA Championship, Saturday February 18th, The Athletic Ground, Richmond; k-o 2pm
Backs (15-9)
Sam Katz
George Watkins
Jordan Davies
Kuki Ma'afu
Nick Scott
Callum Sheedy
Kieran Hardy
Forwards (1-8)
Jake Woolmore
Joe Buckle
Simon Kerrod
Pierce Phillips
Dave McKern
James Freeman (capt)
Gary Graham
Nick Haining
Replacements
Jack Macfarlane, Sean McCarthy, Jake Armstrong, Uili Kolo'ofa'i, Max Argyle; Joel Dudley, Lewis Robling.
