Newcomers to this League and making their first appearance at Lightfoot Green, Peterborough Lions are the visitors this Saturday. ‘The Lions’ will become the eighty eighth club to play League Rugby against Preston Grasshoppers together with a grand total of three hundred and eighteen teams since Hoppers formation in 1869.
Peterborough Lions were promoted into this League at the end of last season after winning the play-off game against Hull, a club that had been Hoppers main rivals for automatic promotion. Hull had gone into the game strong favouritesbut not even home advantage could secure victory and the promotion that beckoned. ‘The Lions’ won the game by a comfortable margin and with it prized elevation to the National Leagues.
According to the Peterborough Lions website, the club was formed in 1944 by workers at the Baker Perkins factory who organiseda team to play against the Free French Air Force based at the Westwood aerodrome. In 2005 Baker Perkins RUFC changed their name to represent their home City and after promotion as Champions of Midlands 1 East in 2014 our visitors challenged for promotion each season in the Midlands Premier/Midlands 3 League before eventually gaining their due success at Hull back at the end of April.
Our visitors only scalp so far this season has been the unlikely one of high flying Chester whom they defeated on home soil early last month. They’ve had a lean time of things so far this season, but added to their impressive victory over Chester they lost narrowly at Sedgley Park, losing by just a couple of points.
Hoppers returned from the North East on their last outing (Sam Stott pictured in action at Tynedale) still not able to rid themselves of the‘final few minutes disease’. Having gone into the dressing room at half time with three glorious tries and a commanding lead under their belts, the turning point, and very probably the end result was sealed in the opening fifteen minutes of the second half when they conceded nineteen points. With the closing quarter of the game being reduced to uncontested scrums and Hoppers pressing hard for the win since regaining the lead, the final whistle blew after fifty minutes of play with Hoppers forwards pounding the home try line without success.
Team News
Hoppers side for Saturday sees Adam Howard return in the second row who is joined in the pack by impressive youngster Rouban Birch. The back line sees a first start for winger Matt Crow who joined the club this summer from Chester.
- Oga Mabaya
- PJ Millea (C)
- Peter Altham
- Luke Procter
- Adam Howard
- Alastair Murray
- Rouban Birch
- Matthew Lamprey
- James Gough
- Thomas Davidson
- Conor Trueman
- James Fitzpatrick
- Sam Stott
- Matt Crow
- Tyler Spence
- Noah Miller
- Oliver Trippier
- Paul Arnold
- Jake Squirrell
- Alex Ward
