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Today's Team Update

Today's Team Update

Richard Parker2 Sep 2017 - 08:29
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The latest squad news from Jon Smith, Senior Chairman

This afternoon our 1st XV will start the season and our London North Division 1 campaign with a visit to North Walsham Vikings.

We are back to full strength and crucially we welcome back a number of key experienced players and introduce three new recruits; Joe Colcomb, Joe Cook and Will Brown, two of which are products of our massive youth section (Cook and Brown). Joe Macmillan will hook alongside the formidable prop paring of Joe Reid and James Mitchell; both experienced campaigners whose scrummaging and strength will be crucial this season.

Skipper Liam Pickett is joined in the second row by the 18-year-old Joe Colcomb. Joe has joined Colchester this season with the aim of developing his rugby before he goes onto university in 2018-19. Joe is one of a number of former St Joseph’s College students who are taking their first steps into senior rugby this year. In the back row another former St Joseph’s ‘old boy’ and Colchester Colt, Joe Cook, will join Oliver Pickett and Dan Whiteman. Joe Cook cemented his place in the side to face North Walsham with two strong defensive displays during preseason games.

The experienced and well established halfback pairing of Brett Cutbush and David Higgins will be looking to unleash a back line full of pace and creativity. The backline has been strengthened this season with the introduction of another product of the Colchester Youth rugby system, Will Brown. Will has impressed everyone with his sheer pace and ability to exploit space and flat defences. Will has collected a number of tries throughout our preseason games and his presence will provide add even more pace to an already rapid back three.

The starting centre partnership will be George Liversidge and David Brennan. Again, both Liversidge and Brennan are strong runners possessing power and speed and their preseason performances have earned them a starting place despite stiff competition from other players with National league experience such as Matt Barnes, Julian Chamberlain-Carter and Joe Flexman. On thing we all have to recognise is that rugby at Level 5 and 6 is a ‘squad game’ – statistics show that a team at the same level as Colchester will need 42 players (on average) to complete a season, and that an individual player can expect to feature in 18 games during a season. More than ever a rugby team must rely on the sum of its parts rather than the value of the individual.

This season the replacements will play a crucial role and the bench has been carefully selected to reflect the game plan carefully crafted by the 1st XV coaching team of Anthony O’Riordan (Director of Rugby), Ian Simpson (Backs Coach) and Lee Soper (Forwards Coach).

This week Colchester RFC also welcomed Shelford Meads (NZ) to the senior squad. Shelford is an experienced utility back and he is looking forward to his first season in the UK. Shelford has trained with the squad this week and has received international clearance; he will be available for selection in the very near future.

The Ravens will make their first competitive appearance of the season at Shelford Nomands. The Ravens will field a mix of youth and experience with graduating Colts Troy Palmer, Lewis Williams and Jack O’Sullivan making their competitive senior debuts. Our debuting Ravens will have plenty of experience alongside them when they face Shelford Nomads at the Davey Field with experienced campaigners Patrick Murphy, Andy Goodbourn, Eli Castle and Paul Summerson leading the way. The spirit of the senior squad has been exceptional and our experienced players have shown a superb attitude to training and our younger players are fortunate to have such positive rugby role models who lead selflessly from the front.

A point worthy of note is that 35 of the 40 players competing in last weeks 1s vs 2s preseason games were 'homegrown' through the Colchester RFC youth system. Once again, the new senior rugby approach of blooding developing players is succeeding in improving the strength and depth of the squad.

Looking ahead, next weekend will be an exceptional weekend of rugby, with all five Colchester teams taking to the field and the 1’s, 2’s and 3’s all in action at Mill Road. The 1st XV will be facing off against Diss, the Ravens hosting Bury Wolfhounds and the ‘A’ XV opening their season against Stowmarket 2’s. The Cavaliers will be visiting Thurston and the Roundheads travelling to Ipswich 3’s.

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