For with the exception of Jersey, Dorking are the only other team to have beaten second-placed Hayward’s Heath in London South II and the conditions, and the home tie, will be very much to their liking.
‘This could be really tricky for us,’ said coach Barry George on Wednesday.
‘They’ve a decent-sized pack and although they’ve been a hit or miss side since they’ve come up, they seem to be a force to be reckoned with at home.
‘The conditions will also be a great leveller.
We trained last night in what was more of a bog than a pitch and I dare say they’ll have had even more rain in England than they have had here.
‘We’re going to have to hit the right lines all the time and this kind of weather doesn’t help what we’re trying to do in midfield.’
So the side which flies out on Friday night pretty much picks itself, with Richard Stevens (ankle) absent from the threes injured and Jon Brennan and Ian Henderson both off-Island.
Veteran prop Andy Mayo is on the bench, where he will be sitting alongside the 6 ft 5 in second row youngster, Toby Clyde-Smith.
Meanwhile fly-half Jon Swift, who has been coached by previously unattached former England sevens and Pertemps Bees backs coach Ben Harvey at training this week, is united with scrum-half James Cooper, who was unavailable for Jersey’s last game, an 8-0 win at home to Old Colfeians, again in the mud and rain.
Collins Stewart squad: Marcus Nobes, Josh Chamier, Jim Brimelow, John Allo, Talite Vaioleti, Latu Maka’afi, Kern Yates, Graham Bell, James Cooper, Jon Swift, Ryan Morgan, Keiaho Bloomfield, Sam Tuia, Jim Milner, Steve O’Brien.
Replacements from: Andy Mayo, Toby Clyde-Smith, Peter O’Connor and Mark Le Mott?e.
