Bees will be looking to make amends for last weekend's below par performance against Bury St Edmunds, by taking the spoils at Barnes RFC. This will be Bees first ever meeting with the Green & Golds, who currently sit in 9th place on 32 points. They have won 6 and lost 7 of their opening 13 games. Last weekend they lost 44-24 at Clifton.

In November 2005, John Inverdale penned an article for The Daily Telegraph which states that Barnes, more than likely, participated in a number of “mishmash” games of rugby from, as early as, 1839, but no results or documentary evidence were kept. However, it went on to say that Barnes did participate in the first ever rugby match, where records were maintained, when they played Richmond in November 1862. They were captained by one Ebenezer Cobb Morley, he sounds like a character out of a Dickens novel, and the game finished 0-0. Club records show the club was founded, officially, in 1920. With the advent of league rugby Barnes, then known as Old Harrodians, were placed in Surrey 3. Following the sale of the Harrods Sports Ground which was located in Lonsdale Road, Barnes, the club started the 1990/91 season with no clubhouse or ground! By the mid Nineties the club had changed its name to Barnes RFC and were playing at Barn Elms. In 2008/09, Barnes beat Bracknell in a play off for promotion to National League 2 South. However, they were relegated the following season, only to win National League 3 London & SE in 2010/11. Relegation followed at the end of the 2011/12 season. In 2014/15, they finished second in National 3 London & SE and narrowly won the promotion play off, 22-27 after extra time, at Exmouth. 2016/17, saw Barnes relegated to Tier 5, only for them to bounce back to National League 2 South by winning the London & SE Premier Division in 2017/18.

Over recent seasons, Barnes have highlighted just how difficult it is for clubs promoted from Tier 5 to remain in National League 2 South.

With regard to team news, Pete Glackin has made a number of changes for this week's game. Matt Probert starts at tight head, Danny Wright moves to the second row in place of the injured Andrew Weaver, and Ashley Scriven comes in wearing the No. 6 shirt. In the backs, Jack Jolly moves to scrum half, with Ben Phillips wearing the No. 10 shirt. Mike Ho moves to the left wing, with Luke Smith playing in the No. 14 shirt. J. Oliver, Jimmy not Jamie, is named in the match day squad for the first time this season. Come on you Bees!

Bees squad v Barnes RFC (Away, 2.00pm, KO):- 1. Joe Foreman, 2. Stewart Pearl,
3. Matt Probert, 4. Matt Spink, 5. Danny Wright, 6. Ashley Scriven, 7. Marcus Brown,
8. Umraan Jadwat, 9. Jack Jolly (c), 10. Ben Phillips, 11. Mike Ho, 12. Nathan Tilsley,
13. Adam Nunney, 14. Luke Smith, 15. Matt Dight, 16. Alex Willis, 17. Zane Raimondi,
18. Keanan Cooper, 19. Sean O'Sullivan, & 20. Jimmy Oliver, TRs: Ed Krawiecki & Jevon Hinds

Sat Nav – SW13 0DG