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TEAM NEWS: AXEL RETURNS AS RAMS HEAD TO ROTHERHAM

TEAM NEWS: AXEL RETURNS AS RAMS HEAD TO ROTHERHAM

Rich Ashton22 Nov 2024 - 12:15

Scrum-half Murray on the bench as side face third-placed rivals!

AXEL Kalling-Smith returns from international duty as the sole change for Rams as they seek an 11th straight National One success at third-placed Rotherham Titans tomorrow (2pm).

The Swedish captain, who helped his side make it three Rugby Europe Trophy victories from three in a 42-31 success in Croatia last Saturday, takes over on the right wing from Bath loanee Luke Graham, the South African teenager forced off early with a hamstring niggle against Blackheath.

Tomek Pozniak, with six tries to his name this season, remains on the left wing with Zach Clow – whose seventh score of the campaign last week has attracted more than 425,000 views and 13,000 likes on the England Rugby Instagram page – is again at full-back.

Ollie Cole and stand-off Fraser Honey will look to pull the strings at half-back for the third game on the spin, while it was the unchanged centre duo of Rowan Grundy and Solodrau Radianirova – who grabbed his first National One try versus Club – at the heart of Clow’s fabulous effort.

Hooker Max Hayman – knocked off the league’s top spot by Sedgley Park wing Rhys Henderson last Saturday – opened the scoring against Blackheath with his 11th of the campaign, and the captain remains part of the same front row with Ant Marris and tight-head prop Ryan Lomas.

Man-of-the-match Dan Swain and the imperious Nile Dacres were sensational in the victory against Club, and they once again form a back five alongside James McRae, open-side flanker Tom Vooght – who snaffled a remarkable five turnovers last week – and the incomparable Robbie Stapley, the No. 8 now with 105 tries to his name.

The forwards cover of props Paddy Harris and James Baker, plus the versatile hooker/back row Morgan MacRae, are once again the same, while there is a return from Harlequins duty for loanee scrum-half Jake Murray.

Andrew Lamb, who played well after replacing Graham early on during last week’s triumph, completes the squad as youngsters Ollie Hodgson and the powerful Harry Stone head to Clifton Lane as travelling reserves.

Rams Team @ Rotherham Titans

(15-9, 1-8) Clow, Kalling-Smith, Radianirova, Grundy, Pozniak, Honey, Cole; Marris, Hayman ©, Lomas, Dacres, Swain, McRae, Vooght, Stapley

Replacements: Harris, Baker, MacRae, Murray, Lamb

Travelling Reserves: Ollie Hodgson, Harry Stone

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