The Lambs have named their side to face Coventry Academy on Sunday, their second game of the season.
A week ago on Sunday they faced Irish Exiles in an epic clash, their first since 2020 due to the pandemic. It was a classic that could have gone either way but a late score from Irish Exiles gave them a 10-7 victory over the men in pink.
This Sunday the Lambs head to Butts Park Arena, an incredible venue for the game, aiming for a first victory of the season ahead of fixtures against Crawshay’s Welsh XV and Boys Club of Wales in the coming weeks.
Once again the Lambs are led by Millfield’s George Jones, who has been appointed captian for the 2022 season. He is one of just three starters against Irish Exiles to start again this weekend. Jones keeps his place on the blindside flank, but around him is an all new back row, St Peter’s York’s Freddie Wharton comes in on the openside, while Mount Kelly’s Antonio Suarez is promoted from the bench to the number 8 shirt.
In the second row AKS Lytham’s Toby Merrick and Grammar School at Leeds’ Jacob Grier both come in after last week’s second row pairing of Trinity pair Pierce Cummins and Joe Connolley had an exhausting day’s action at the Seaford 10s on Sunday.
Meanwhile in the front row it’s all change too, Merchant Taylors’ Crosby’s Adam Milnes comes in at loosehead, with Bedford’s Laurie Stredwick at hooker, and Rugby’s James Hill at tigthhead. Hill’s schoolmate Oliver Nilsson is on the bench, having started last week.
In the back line it is an all new half back pairing of Sir Thomas Rich’s William Loftus and Merchant Taylors’ Crosby’s Ted Church, Charlie Woodmansee of Berkhamsted reverts to the bench. His schoolmate Joe Pannese retains his spot at outside centre and will be the vice captain this week, while alongside him is Taunton School’s Thomas Houghton-King.
Mount Kelly’s Charles Warren is the final player to start having started against Irish Exiles, he is on the left wing, while on the right is Felsted’s Oliver Redman, and at full abck is Ampleforth College’s Joe Barrett.
Joining Nilsson and Woodmansee on the bench are Trinity’s Ross Sinclair, Bishop’s Stortford College’s James Sisterson, King’s Canterbury’s Kyan Cherwayko, and Millfield Max Ambrosini.
It should be a fantastic game of rugby, and in Coventry Academy the Lambs have picked superb hosts and an opposition that is getting stronger and stronger with each passing year as Coventry’s impressive building continues.
Speaking ahead of the game, the Lambs’ National Director, Alex Laybourne, said: “We are really looking forward to going back to Coventry this weekend, when we first picked up this fixture in 2020 and it was a very well matched and enjoyable contest, so we are expecting the same again this time around.”
“From our perspective, it will be brilliant to see some new players pulling on the Pink shirt this weekend, and hopefully they will come together as well as the group did ahead of the Irish Exiles game two weekends ago.”
Lambs XV v Coventry Rugby – Sunday 6th February, 3pm, Butts Park Arena
15 Joe Barrett (Ampleforth College), 14 Oliver Redman (Felsted), 13 Joe Pannese (Berkhamsted, vice captain), 12 Thomas Houghton-King (Taunton), 11 Charles Warren (Mount Kelly), 10 Ted Church (Merchant Taylors’, Crosby), 9 William Loftus (Sir Thomas Rich’s), 1 Adam Milnes (Merchant Taylors’, Crosby), 2 Laurie Stredwick (Bedford), 3 James Hill (Rugby), 4 Toby Merrick (AKS Lytham), 5 Jacob Grier (Grammar School at Leeds), 6 George Jones (Millfield, captain), 7 Freddie Wharton (St Peter’s, York), 8 Antonio Suarez (Mount Kelly).
Replacements: 16 Oliver Nilsson (Rugby), 17 Ross Sinclair (Trinity), 18 James Sisterson (Bishop’s Stortford College), 19 Charlie Woodmansee (Berkhamsted), 20 Kyan Cherwayko (King’s Canterbury), 21 Max Ambrosini(Millfield).
