It is Siam Cup day tomorrow. The biggest day in Channel Island Rugby’s year!
Dan Andrade caught up with Jersey coach Myles Landick ahead of the big game!
The full interview is below!
How buzzing is everyone to have the Siam Cup back after so long away?
It is brilliant to have the Siam Cup back! We haven’t really focused on it too much until now due to having our league campaign going. This week we have turned our attention to the Siam and although we haven’t had the same preparation as we would normally have due to having a few knocks and injuries, the lads are ready to go tomorrow!
What are your personal favourite highlights of Siam’s you’ve been involved in?
It has been special to be involved in the Siam Cup both as a player and a coach. To play in it is a huge honour and achievement as it is the second oldest rugby trophy in the world. It is the game all of the players look forward to. As a coach it is so rewarding to see so many Jersey boys on the field knowing where they have come from and seeing where they are now. It used to be a full professional fixture but now the Jersey Reds Athletic boys get to step up and to see their smiles on their faces and their excitement to be apart of the match day squad, I think it is amazing.
You obviously played in the Siam, what is that feeling like?
The whole build up to the match is crazy. The mix of excitement and nerves. To see your name on the team sheet is great. The atmosphere from the biggest crowd of the year is immense. Seeing friends and family there and the crowd going crazy is such a special feeling. Not many players get to play in front of 3000 people playing rugby. You don’t take playing the sport for granted either because, as I know, one minute you are playing the sport you love and then it is taken away from you because of injury.
Now you coach, how do the feelings compare?
Coaching wise I can’t let the emotion of the occasion get to me too much. Perhaps when I started coaching I think I did but I feel I have improved on that front because myself and the rest of the coaches have to be focused on preparing the lads in the best possible way for the game. It is not just about getting the team hyped up for the game, but also making sure all tactical bits are understood and the basics are done well.
What kind of shape are the Jersey team in ahead of tomorrow?
We are definitely carrying a few knocks and we have had a few fitness tests to see who was available with our biggest worry being the front row, having a few injuries there. We feel we are taking the best squad we physically can from the amateur side. Regardless of result we have two more to try and win it back if we don’t win it but I believe we are taking a team which is very capable of winning.
Obviously it is away – how enjoyable is it to play in front of an away crowd?
It will be extremely tough going to Guernsey, I think we will have very little support there and probably can count the amount of support on two hands over there. It is quite a hostile environment over there so we know it will be a tough outing over there! When it comes to the game though, the boys will block it out and concentrate on working hard as a team and individually to try and get the job done.
How confident are you going into it? Can the boys bring the Siam home?
As I have mentioned, it is going to be a really tough fixture for us. Guernsey have done really well, they have recruited really well. They have been in National 2 before, been relegated and now they are back so have learnt from first time around. They are doing extremely well in that physical league, so fair-play to them. Saying all that, we are not focusing on Guernsey too much. For us we have to use these games to to build on our own league campaign so regardless of a win or loss we will come away with positives.
What time is kick off and how can we keep updated?
Kick off his 5pm and it is being live streamed on ITV Channel!
Good luck to Myles and the Jersey team tomorrow! The whole island are behind you!
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