Fylde have faced and overcome a few of their devils this season. For instance, they have poor records at Blaydon, Tynedale and Sheffield Tigers yet have notched excellent victories at these grounds in the first half of this season. However, their worst record remains as they prepare to travel to Loughborough Students on Saturday (ko 14.00) for their first match of 2022.
Fylde and Loughborough University Rugby Club (formerly Loughborough College) have had regular matches over generations. There was a particularly important co-incidence in the last (2019-20) season that both clubs celebrated their 100th birthday.
Since the start of league games between the teams in 2008-9, Fylde have travelled on 10 occasions to the University Stadium and lost 9 times, often heavily and twice being ‘nilled’. In all, the Lancastrians have won 9 matches and lost 12, and haven’t completed a double in any season. The nadir was in 2017-18 in National One with a 21-0 defeat in Leicestershire and an extraordinary 33-81 beating at the Woodlands, the biggest defeat at home that anyone could remember. However, with a 29-17 victory at the Woodlands in September behind them, Fylde have another chance to change this gloomy pattern.
The conventional analysis of the Students’ season is that early on they struggle as they try to integrate the latest batch of players into the squad. Once this is sorted out they get stronger as the campaign progresses. Whilst this has often been proved by the statistics, this hasn’t worked out so far in 2021-22. They had a strong start with four wins in their first six matches, including at Blaydon (23-27) and Luctonians (22-28) and at home to Hull Ionians (29-24) and Chester (42-28). Three defeats followed – at Tynedale (36-19) and at home to Sheffield Tigers (31-33) and Stourbridge (22-38). Two victories – at home to Huddersfield (33-29) and away at Harrogate (15-24) – gave them confidence but successive home defeats v promotion chasing Rotherham Titans (5-71) and Sedgley Park (14-43) and a narrow setback at Wharfedale (15-14) in recent weeks have knocked them back somewhat. However, they are in a comfortable mid-table 7th spot in N2(N).
Loughborough has been a centre for high performance rugby for generations. They have superb physical and staffing infrastructure which is almost second to none, including excellent grass and artificial pitches, top quality coaching and medical support. They dominated university rugby for a long period but this scene has been much more competitive in recent years with the emergence of Hartpury College, Durham University, Leeds Beckett and one or two others. However, Loughborough remains a hugely impressive rugby development system which is able to attract some of the best young talent who want a university education.
One of the great strengths of Loughborough’s set-up is the depth of player resources they can call on. There are several squads for the BUCS (British Universities & College Sports) leagues as well as for their National Two (North) campaign, and players move fairly seamlessly between them.
However, even by Loughborough standards, the churn of players in their National League squad has been exceptional this season. Of their 20-man squad that visited Fylde on 11th September 2021, just two were in their ranks against Sedgley Park in their latest game on 11th December. Up to the 4th December they had called on 75 players in their 13 matches to that date. By comparison, Fylde had used 29 players in 14 games.
The Students’ Head Coach is Jamie Taylor and across his various squads he can call on some highly talented players. For instance, massive locks Tom Lockett (part of the Northampton Saints set-up), Alex Wardell (Saracens) and centre George Hendy (also Northampton Saints) have all been selected to represent England in the coming U20s 6 Nations.
Goalkicking playmaker fly-half Charlie Titcombe and scrum-half Tom Miles have both featured for Worcester Warriors recently. Regulars in N2N line-ups include prop Mink Scharink, hooker Isaac Bell, lock Harry Longworth, backrowers Nick Jennings and Nik Jakobsen (Wasps) and scrum-half Mateo Petrozzi (Saracens).
Club skipper is a former KGS student, flanker Teddy Leatherbarrow, who has been part of the Scotland development system as well as formerly with Sale Sharks and Sale FC. He has mainly featured in the Students’ BUCS1 squad this season.
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Fylde make two changes to their starting line-up for the trip to @LboroRugby in National Two (North) ko 14.00. Sam Kyle-Clay returns at prop and Ben O’Ryan is at flanker. Corey Bowker is named among the replacements.
