NOTTINGHAM will start with a largely experimental team
in its opening pre-season match against London Irish tonight
(August, 10).
A squad of 27 will be rotated against the Premiership side in a
match split into 20 minute quarters.
Time to shine:
Former Leicester Tigers Academy player Rory Lynn will start for
Nottingahm against London Irish.
Green and Whites head coach Martin Haag, who takes charge of his
first match since assuming the reins late last month, will give a
band of youngsters a chance to impress from the outset.
Ashbourne teenager and Leicester Tigers Academy product Rory
Lynn will be given 80 minutes to shine, with Japan international
James Arlidge rested for the trip to the nation's capital.
The 19-year-old former Derby and Matlock protégé joins his old
Leicester halves partner Finlay Barnham in a youthful-looking
outfit at Sunbury-on-Thames.
Lynn, who is no stranger to Premiership opposition having made
his senior debut for Leicester as a 17-year-old in 2010, is eager
to make an impression.
"This is my chance to prove myself," Lynn said.
"I want to make a name for myself, and I hope this game is just
the start of it. This is where I get to see where I'm at.
"I've been dropped in the deep end, starting ahead of Jimmy, but
I'm just excited to get amongst it
"For eight weeks I've been looking forward to this... it's been
a long and pretty tough pre-season here."
After four years at the Tigers Academy, the move to the
Premiership club's East Midlands neighbour comes as a major
ground-shift in Lynn's young career.
But with Barnham, Joe and Jack Cobden among the Tiger cubs who
have gone on to establish themselves in Green and White, the
up-and-coming No. 10 has been quick to get used to his new
surrounds.
"It really helps knowing Fin and Joe inside out, having played
at No. 9, 10 and 12 at Academy level together," Lynn said.
With hooker Joe Duffey and the fast-rising Ollie Taylor both
staying put in Nottingham, Scott Wright will pack down alongside
Matt Parr, Michael Holford and Matt Shields in the front row.
The Mansfield duo Ryan Hough and James Stokes have been rewarded
for their pre-season commitment with a start against Irish, with
former Leeds Carnegie lock Joe Quinn among the host of fresh
faces.
The Nottingham University duo of David Priest and Alex Boggis,
who both impressed in this year's Varsity showdown against
Nottingham Trent University, are expected to make an appearance off
the bench.
Nottingham Rugby squad v
London Irish: 1 Parr 2 Wright 3 Holford 4 Quinn 5 Rouse 6
Eggleshaw 7 Wilson 8 Shaw 9 Barnham 10 Lynn 11 Crane 12 Munro 13
Streather 14 Hough 15 Stokes; Replacements: Shields, Cooper,
Romans, Todd, Montagu, Joe Cobden, Jack Cobden, Andy Savage,
Calladine, Priest, Boggis, Bradford.
London Irish v
Nottingham Rugby at Sunbury (Friday, August 10 kick-off
7pm)