Captain's profile: Mihlali Peter
Boasting 11 first XV players who have already had a taste of the Classic Clashes environment, Peter is hopeful of avenging a defeat to Dale from earlier in the season as they seek to prove a point.
"We went down 3-17 at Dale earlier in the season in a tightly contested match where we were our own worst enemies as our mistakes let us down. We will expect yet another highly physical match, especially seeing that we are hosting them at the Rec.
"It is definitely going to be an exciting match as both teams will have a point to prove. We will field 11 players who have been part of the first XV since 2015 while the remaining four starting players are in their first year.
"We are, however, missing three of our first choice players who are unfortunately missing the encounter due to injury," Peter said.
Queen's season got off to a good start with victory over Selborne College but they hit a mid-season slump as numerous injuries curtailed their momentum. However, they have been able to bounce back since then and head into the Classic Clash with a reasonable amount of momentum.
The 18-year-old flank believes his strengths as a player lies in his ball carrying while he is very patient with his teams in the heat of battle.
"It is a massive honour to captain this group of talented young men. As a captain, I believe that patience is key because it allows you to understand your players' needs on the field and what style of rugby they enjoy playing.
"On a personal note, I feel that I am a strong runner with the ball in hand and I enjoy imposing myself physically on the match." he added.
His message to his team is a fairly simple one.
"I just want my teammates to go out onto the field and enjoy themselves – a happy team is a better performing team. It is the last match for most of the players and they just have to express themselves," he stated.
