The ISRFC Lambs have named their team for their opening game of the 2017 season.

They face the Irish Exiles U18 on Aylesbury RFC’s new 3G pitch on Sunday 22^nd January for a 3pm kick off.

The Lambs have enjoyed some thrilling encounters against the Irish Exiles in their time, and on the last two occasions the game has been won in the very last play of the game, a Sam Hudson penalty winning the game 15-13 for the Lambs last year, while a last play drop goal sealed the game for the Irish in 2015.

Tasked with playing the Lambs’ ‘fast and free’ style of play in this opening game are 23 players from nineteen different schools. Millfield are the only school with two players in the starting fifteen, with Ben Mallett and Tom Wood sharing the flanks of the scrum. Felsted’s Jack Rye starts in the second row, alongside Harrow’s William Heywood, with Rye’s schoolmate Hugo Brown on the bench.

Berkhamsted’s Matt Harris joins Mallett and Wood in the back row, with his schoolmate George Carter on the bench. Harris was also named as captain of the 2017 ISRFC Lambs, whose leadership group has also been announced for the season.

Harris will have five vice-captains for the season, which will encompass all seven domestic games, plus the four game tour of Canada. Harris’ back row colleague, Tom Wood, is one of the vice-captains, as is Rye in the second row. Kirkham Grammar School’s Matt Gallagher is the fourth of the leadership group in the pack, and he starts at hooker on Sunday, with Bishop’s Stortford College’s Didi Vidal Adegun and Hymers College’s Oscar Hardman propping either side of him.

Stamford’s James Peache is another vice-captain, he starts at inside centre, with Denstone College’s Joshua Hart his centre partner, Hart’s school colleague Tommie Collingwood is on the bench.

The final vice captain is Royal Hospital School’s Toby Buckland. He sits this game out, but his schoolmate Tobias Allday starts at scrum half, with Pocklington’s Elliot Adamson his half-back partner.

In the back three Uppingham Milo Linney and Rafe Yewdall of Sherborne are on the wings, with Queen Ethelburga’s Henry Wright at full back.

Speaking ahead of the game, Lambs National Director, Alex Laybourne, said:

“After a tough selection process we are looking forward to our first fixture against Irish Exiles. It is always a great season opener and fantastic game of rugby; both teams like to play running rugby so it will certainly be one for the neutral!”