Blues all set for Championship curtain-raiser

By
Tom Carr
-
216
Bedford Blues generic holding card

The Greene King IPA Championship kicks off this weekend with Bedford Blues heading up to Leeds on Sunday afternoon to face Yorkshire Carnegie at Emerald Headingley.

It’s been a tough start to the 2019/20 Blues campaign, suffering three defeats in a row last weekend against Ampthill in the Championship Cup, so Bedford will be looking to bounce back against Martyn Wood’s men.
Looking ahead to the game, Blues Backs Coach Paul Larkin said: “Emerald Headingley is always a tough place to visit, but we had a good result last season and we’ll be looking for much of the same this Sunday.”
The Blues make a number of changes from the team that lost to Ampthill last weekend.
Pat Tapley returns to the wing while Fraser Strachan starts at 12 and Lewis Robling moves to fly half.

Two changes in the pack see Oli Curry and Joe Atkinson starting at six and seven.

Saracens scrum half Alex Day is named on the Blues bench as cover for the injured James Lennon.

Starting Line-Up:

15. Rich Lane
14. Pat Tapley
13. Matt Worley
12. Fraser Strachan
11. Ryan Hutler
10. Lewis Robling
9. Grayson Hart
1. Sean McCarthy (c)
2. Robbie Smith
3. Henry Paul
4. Jordan Onojaife
5. Will Carrick Smith
6. Oli Curry
7. Joe Atkinson
8. Huw Worthington
Replacements:
16. Andrew Boye
17. Joe Wrafter
18. Karl Garside
19. Ed Taylor
20. Josh Buggea
21. Alex Day
22. Oskar Hirskyj-Douglas

23. Ed Coulson

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