Rams have rung the changes during the summer with 13 players set for debuts at Old Bath Road including props George Breese and Max Marshall, Army hooker Pete Austin, lock Patrick Jackson and the back row quartet of Max Brown, Aaron Tull, Willo Bicknell and Will Moss.
Among the three-quarters, scrum-half Louis Pereira starts the second half, with two new No. 10s – Mike Cooke and Harris Rutherford – both set for action along with wing Sam Bowen and Will Burrows.
Former stalwarts including Robbie Stapley, Tom Vooght, James McRae have all retired and Dan Swain, Nile Dacres, Fraser Honey and Solodrau Radianirova departed, but Seb revealed he is buzzing to see what happens.
‘Players have worked incredibly hard’
He said: “We’re looking forward to it – we’ve had an excellent pre-season with the weather being lovely.
“There are a lot of new faces, but the players have worked incredibly hard and it will be good to see what they can do.
“We’ve played Aberavon the past couple of years, and they’ve been fantastic games, so we’re looking forward to welcoming them again.”
He continued: “The previous squads have always been fantastic and did a wonderful job in National One but now we’ve got a big turnover of players and a few retirees, so we’re going with a more youthful side – you’ll get some great moments with them and probably also some frustration.
“There’s probably a different intensity, there’s a tenaciousness and youth to them – and the message to the guys is not to be burdened at all by previous sides’ successes, as a club we’ve always done a good job of trying to move forwards.
“This is a brand new group, it’s over to them, but we’re proud of what they’ve done so far with their work rate.
“The next phase is to see how they go in an 80-minute game and I’ve not been more excited for a pre-season game than I am to this one in a long time.”
Morgan moves to midfield
One eye-catching selection sees Morgan MacRae, who played at hooker and across the back row in his first campaign at Rams last term, starting the second half at inside centre with captain Ellis Jones alongside him in midfield.
Seb explained: “Morgan’s a wonderfully skilled rugby player who can play in multiple positions, but we had a little discussion with him about moving into the midfield and the opportunity has come this weekend.
“There’s no pressure on him, it will be good to get his skillset on the park, and we’ll see how he goes.
“With some of the retiring guys there are others who get opportunities for leadership roles and I’m so happy for Ellis.
“I remember his first game when we plucked him out of Reading Uni and he scored a try on debut against Canterbury – fast-forward six or seven years, he’s completed a wonderful recovery from his knee and now he’s skippering. It’s a testament to how hard he’s worked.”
With free entry and the sun set to shine again, a strong crowd is expected for a first home pre-season game since 2023, with Seb reiterating how good it will be to see the fans back at OBR.
‘Challenging the group’
He finished: “It’s going to be amazing to see all the supporters and I feel there’s a real buzz because of all the new faces.
“We didn’t have a home pre-season game last year so it will be nice to have one, and credit to the grounds team who’ve done a magnificent job with the pitch.
“Despite the hot weather the players will have a soft surface to play on, and we’ve focused on the fundamentals of the game – challenging the group to see what they can do.
“And without giving too much away, we’re looking forward to seeing them give it a bash tomorrow!”
