MATCH PREVIEW | LONDON SCOTTISH v PLYMOUTH ALBION
Saturday 26 September | National 1 | 1500 kick-off
Plymouth Albion head to the capital this Saturday looking to maintain their unbeaten start to the National 1 season as they take on recently relegated London Scottish.
Ryan Lamb’s side have enjoyed an outstanding opening three rounds, collecting maximum points from victories over Rosslyn Park, Camborne and Sheffield.
After two impressive away wins, Albion returned to Brickfields last weekend and continued their winning run with a 47-5 victory over newly promoted Sheffield, securing another try bonus point in front of the home crowd.
The result takes Albion to 15 points from a possible 15, with 140 points scored and just 43 conceded across their opening three fixtures.
Perhaps equally impressive is that Albion have yet to trail in a match this season, while no opposition has managed to collect a bonus point against them.
This weekend, however, presents another significant challenge.
London Scottish arrive in National 1 following relegation from the Championship, bringing a squad packed with experience from the division above and a determination to establish themselves following a difficult start to the campaign.
London Scottish: A New Challenge
London Scottish have experienced a mixed opening to their National 1 campaign.
Their season began with an impressive 53-27 victory away at Bury St Edmunds before a narrow 39-38 home defeat against unbeaten Tonbridge.
However, their most recent outing proved considerably more difficult, with Leeds Tykes recording a commanding 57-10 victory.
Those results highlight the challenge of assessing London Scottish at this early stage of the season. Their attacking ability has already been evident, but consistency has proved harder to find.
Following relegation from the Championship, the London club have undergone significant changes to their playing squad.
Seventeen new signings were announced over the summer, alongside 18 players who re-signed from the previous campaign.
Among the arrivals are Callum Torpey and Conrad Burne from Richmond, Will Butler from Gloucester Rugby and Ted Johnson from Chinnor.
Alex Earnshaw and Oliver Burgess have joined from newly promoted Blackheath, while Will Rigelsford arrived from Cornish Pirates.
The additions provide London Scottish with a considerable amount of Championship experience and quality across their squad.
Earnshaw has already made an impact in the opening rounds, scoring three tries, a tally matched by teammate Joseph Harman.
Despite their recent defeat at Leeds, London Scottish possess the experience and attacking quality to provide Albion with a difficult afternoon.
Albion Strengthened by Exeter Chiefs Arrivals
Albion head into Saturday’s contest with two new faces available following the arrival of Exeter Chiefs duo Ben Coen and Nick Lilley on loan.
Both players bring exciting credentials and provide Ryan Lamb with additional options as Albion look to build on their opening three victories.
For Lilley, the move represents a return to familiar surroundings.
The Plymouth-born centre featured for Albion last season and has continued his development within the Chiefs setup.
In May 2025, Lilley made his first-team Premiership debut against Northampton Saints at Sandy Park, becoming Exeter Chiefs’ youngest professional try-scorer.
Having previously attended Ivybridge College and Exeter College, Lilley has also represented England U20s.
Coen arrives with an equally impressive background.
The young fly-half has been part of the Exeter Chiefs Academy since the age of 15 and was a member of the England U20 squad that won the 2024 World Rugby U20 Championship.
He has also impressed for Exeter University, playing an influential role in their BUCS Super Rugby success.
With Iwan Jenkins unavailable, Coen comes straight into the starting XV at fly-half, while Lilley is named among the replacements.
Both players are sponsored by HiQ Tyres & Autocare Plymouth during their loan spells with Albion.
Changes to the Starting XV
Ryan Lamb has made several changes to his side following last weekend’s victory over Sheffield.
Dan Pullinger returns to the starting line-up at tighthead prop, joining James Kenny and Harry Wilkinson in the front row.
Captain Huw Taylor and Morgan Eames continue their partnership in the second row, while Jake Clemson, Jarrard Hayler and Sam Daly retain their places in the back row.
Co-captain Jack Oulton continues at scrum-half, partnering new arrival Ben Coen at fly-half.
There is also a welcome return for Chris Preen, who comes back into the starting XV following injury.
Preen joins Archie Hill in midfield, with Noah Fenton and Oscar Stewart occupying the wings.
Frankie Dart continues at full-back after making his first start of the season against Sheffield.
Among the replacements, Bobby Wigginton returns to the matchday squad following his recent absence.
Rhys Williams, Cameron Doak and Angus Hodges provide forward cover, while Nick Lilley completes the bench.
Albion’s Attacking Form Continues
One of the standout features of Albion’s opening three fixtures has been the number of players contributing to the scoreboard.
Harry Wilkinson and Sam Daly lead the club’s try-scoring charts with five apiece, while Albion have demonstrated their ability to score through both their forwards and backs.
Wilkinson’s early-season form has been particularly impressive, with the hooker scoring a hat-trick at Rosslyn Park before adding another two tries against Camborne.
Daly, meanwhile, produced an outstanding individual display against Sheffield, crossing four times as Albion secured a convincing home victory.
With 140 points already on the board, Albion have shown their attacking capabilities, but their defensive performances have been equally important.
The side have conceded just 43 points across three fixtures, including only five against Sheffield last weekend.
Maintaining those standards will be important against a London Scottish side that has already demonstrated its ability to score heavily.
Another Test on the Road
Saturday marks Albion’s third away fixture in the opening four rounds of the National 1 campaign.
The victories at Rosslyn Park and Camborne provided two very different tests, while last weekend’s return to Brickfields offered another opportunity for Ryan Lamb’s side to build momentum.
London Scottish now present a different challenge again.
Despite their mixed opening results, the hosts have a squad with considerable Championship experience and will be determined to respond following their defeat at Leeds.
For Albion, the focus will be on maintaining the standards established during the opening three weeks and continuing their positive start to the season.
With maximum points already secured and two exciting Exeter Chiefs additions strengthening the squad, Albion head to the capital with plenty of confidence.
Plymouth Albion Team
Starting XV
- James Kenny
- Harry Wilkinson
- Dan Pullinger (CC)
- Morgan Eames
- Huw Taylor (C)
- Jake Clemson
- Jarrard Hayler
- Sam Daly
- Jack Oulton (CC)
- Ben Coen
- Noah Fenton
- Archie Hill
- Chris Preen
- Oscar Stewart
- Frankie Dart
Replacements
- Rhys Williams
- Cameron Doak
- Angus Hodges
- Nick Lilley
- Bobby Wigginton
London Scottish v Plymouth Albion Saturday 26 September 1500 kick-off
