Fylde Welcome 'Club' to the Woodlands for Season Opener

Fylde is delighted to welcome old friends & rivals Blackheath to the Woodlands for a splendid opening to the 2014/15 National One season on Saturday (ko 3pm). Prior to the establishment of national league rugby in 1992, Fylde & Blackheath always met in the opening game of each new season so this is a fine return to an old tradition.

With no local football distractions, Fylde officials are hoping for a large crowd and fine weather for the day's biggest North West rugby union fixture outside the Premiership. And what better way to begin the new campaign than to play Blackheath, perhaps the most famous of all English clubs and certainly the oldest club in the world?

This is a meeting of last season's National One 3rd placed club, Fylde, v 8th placed Blackheath, who rescued a very poor 1st half of the season which threatened relegation with an excellent run of eight wins & two draws in 14 matches after Christmas. There's no doubt that the London club will pose a serious threat to the home side's ambition to maintain their 'Fortress Fylde' record of recent seasons. Winning 13 out of 15 games at the Woodlands last season, including beating the clubs who finished top & 2nd, was a superb effort.

It's been particularly heartening in recent seasons to see the restoration of a long run of fixtures between the two clubs following a 13 year gap between 1998 & 2011. These fixtures began 33 years ago and became the traditional opening game of the season before league contests took over in 1992/3. Fylde suffered seven straight defeats between 1981 and 1987 but turned the tables somewhat in the early 1990s when they were regular victors. However, Blackheath then enjoyed a period of dominance but Fylde have come back with double victories in the last two season. Overall, Blackheath have won 14, Fylde 12 and there has been one draw.

Blackheath RFC was established in 1858 as the world's first club that was open to all. They became known by the nickname 'The Club' in recognition of this and they have carried this sobriquet ever since. They have produced an astonishing list of international players numbering over 120 and in the late 19th century their Rectory Fields ground was the location for numerous England international matches before the foundation of Twickenham in 1910.

Like so many famous old clubs, Blackheath suffered somewhat since the inception of professionalism in the mid-1990s but, nevertheless, have maintained their status in National One (level 3 in the RFU league hierarchy) for the last ten seasons. Their last relegation was at the end of the 1998/9 season when they dropped out of the Allied Dunbar Premiership 2 division along with Fylde.

The Club is a successful and stable community club in South London and has performed consistently in recent seasons in N1 finishing with 8th, 10th & 8th in the last three seasons. Their Director of Rugby is loyal former prop Simon Legg who has been trying to strike a balance between the envied continuity of players at the Rectory Field and improving the squad to enable a serious promotion challenge.

This summer they announced the recruitment of no fewer than 34 newcomers joining the core of last season's squad who remain.

Forwards: prop Aston Croall (Sale Sharks, previously Harlequins); prop Steven Taylor (Gordon Hylanders Sydney); prop Jack Lloyd (Canterbury); prop Will Stuart (on loan from Wasps); hooker Sam James (on loan from Wasps); hooker Tom Pool (Guernsey); hooker Ryan Wilkins (Thurrock); hooker Mahécor Touré (Toulon); hooker Ted Lang (Bromsgrove); lock Freddie Owen (RGS High Wycombe); lock Devin Montgomery (TBC) (Northern Freestate Griffons); flanker Isaac Ajaayi (Ealing T.); flanker George Baker (Medway); flanker Ollie Spanswick (Greeton Marist NZ); flanker Niklaus Pass (Tynedale); flanker Felix Maddison (Saracens); flanker Lennie Bush (Blackheath Juniors); flanker Ollie Lyons (on loan from Wasps); no 8 David Kehazelnuty (Ealing T.);

Backs: scrum-half Tom Trotter (London Scottish); scrum-half James Morgan; scrum-half Tom Bliss (on loan from Wasps); fly-half Tom Carlisle (Worcester Warriors); fly-half Harry Shepherd (on loan from Wasps); fly-half Alex Gallegher (NZ); centre Oli Evans (on loan from Wasps); centre Martin Olima (Ealing T.); wing Tom Chapman (Worcester Warriors); wing Joel Harvey (on loan from Wasps); wing Tom Dowding (Exeter Chiefs); wing Michael Mvelase (Bath Rugby); wing Jake Lloyd (Nottingham); wing Mark Odejobi (TBC) (England 7s); wing Dan Caprice (TBC) (Northland NZ, previously Biarritz, Blackheath & Saracens); wing Max Reddrick (unattached); full-back Ryan Squires (Manly).

It remains to be seen how many of these players will be 1st team regulars. One who is most likely to feature on Saturday is perhaps their biggest capture of the summer, loosehead prop Aston Croall who arrives from Sale Sharks with substantial Premiership experience. His clash on Saturday with Adam Lewis and Simon Griffiths will be fascinating.  

The Club have had a strong pack in recent seasons based on a solid frontrow including the legendary prop Des Brett, and front row colleagues James Cleverly & hooker Gavin O'Meera (ex-Plymouth & London Welsh). The side has been skippered by lock forward Tom Bason and has included the outstanding England Counties flanker Dave Allen (formerly with Wasps & Ulster) who has been the Club's top try scorer for a number of seasons, finishing off many powerful driving mauls by his pack, a signature tactic which has proved hugely productive.

Amongst their backline, they have dangerous strike runners such as fullback Mike Canty and wing/centre Geoff Griffiths (formerly Plymouth, Rotherham & Bedford Blues). As well as their established squad members Club have used dual registered players from London-based Premiership neighbours with great effect.

----------------------------------------

Fylde will be looking to field high profile newcomers Gareth & Scott Rawlings, Royal Marine David Fairbrother and the returning Tommy Banks in their 20-man squad. SkipperEvan Stewart is also back after missing the Sharks game due to an overseas school trip. Sam Beaumont has been working hard to recover fitness after a nasty ankle injury towards the end of last season and may be included in the match day squad