After a week’s break in the schedule, Jersey RFC will resume their 2026/27 campaign with a trip to Molesey Road for the first-ever league meeting with Esher.
The visiting squad face a tough challenge as they bid for their second win of the season against a side lying second in the table and seeking to extend a six-game winning streak.
Head of Rugby Myles Landick has continued to contend with a lengthy list of injuries and non-availabilities among his Jersey squad, but nevertheless has a selection with a good mix of youth and experience.
Skipper Dan Barnes moves inside to fly-half, alongside young half-back partner John O’Sullivan, setting up a new centre partnership of George Willmott and Freddie Earnshaw, while Bevan Biggs, Rhys Thomas and Mark Boarer make up the back three.
There’s a new face at prop after 22-year-old Australian D’arcy Mulrooney made a loan move from Rotherham Titans to help bolster the Island side’s front row resources – he will pack down alongside Joe Ridgway and Jack Macfarlane.
The remainder of the starting pack is made up of familiar faces from the season to date, with Toby Osbourne and Euan Spencer paired in the second row and Matt West joining Kade Bord and Luke Bowles in the back row.
The Jersey bench includes Evan Whitson as the captain continues his comeback from injury, with extra forward cover from Jake Bates, Bryn Edwards and Josh Krysztofiak, while Deepinder Dyal taking the final spot.
It will be the first league meeting between the clubs after a near-miss in 2012. On Saturday April 21st of that year, after two years in the RFU Championship, Esher were relegated in spite of a narrow win at London Scottish, while on the exact same day Jersey won at Coventry to seal the National 1 title and promotion to the second tier.
The Island side went on to an 11-year stint in the Championship prior to the demise of the Jersey Reds professional outfit in 2023 and rebuilding through the progress of the amateur JRFC through the leagues. Meanwhile Esher have spent 14 seasons in the National Leagues, dividing their time between the third and fourth tiers.
After relegation from Nat 1 in 2025, last season was a tricky one for the Surrey club, who parted company with their Director of Rugby, former England flanker Peter Winterbottom, in December and eventually finished 11th in the table, just a point ahead of the relegation play-off slot occupied by Henley Hawks.
But this season has been a different proposition. It may have started with a 52-31 defeat at Oundle, but Esher have subsequently won six straight games, with bonus points, to move up to second in the table.
Perhaps the most notable result was the 29-24 win in Guernsey a fortnight ago, with prop Theo Skoumbourdis crossing for two crucial tries in the final 11 minutes of a tense encounter.
Winterbottom was replaced as DoR by another former Harlequin, the full-back Mike Brown, although further changes are ahead as Brown has agreed to take up a full-time role as Director of Rugby at Loughborough University from January 2027.
Although the 1st XVs have not previously met, there have been several previous encounters involving Esher’s 2nd XV, the Cardinals, as well as Esher Expendables being regular visitors to the annual Jersey Veterans Super 10s tournament.
While JRFC Men are on their travels this weekend, the women’s XV will be in action on home turf, entertaining Canterbury at CoinShares Park (kick-off 12.30pm). The following weekend, JRFC Men will host high-flying Oundle (k-o 3.15pm).
Jersey RFC squad v Esher (A) – 2026/27 National 2 East, game 8/26, Molesey Road, Saturday October 31st, k-o 2pm
Backs (15-9)
Mark Boarer; Bevan Biggs, Freddie Earnshaw, George Willmott, Rhys Thomas; Dan Barnes (capt), John O’Sullivan.
Forwards (1-8)
Joe Ridgway, Jack Macfarlane, D’arcy Mulrooney, Euan Spencer, Toby Osborne, Luke Bowles, Matt West, Kade Bird.
Replacements (16-20)
Jake Bates, Evan Whitson, Bryn Edwards, Josh Krysztofiak, Deepinder Dyal.
