PREVIEW: SWINDON ROBINS v KING’S LYNN STARS

SWINDON ROBINS look set to finally get their first home league meeting of the season underway with the hosting of the King’s Lynn Stars on Thursday evening. TotalSport Swindon’s Ryan Walker previews the meeting ahead and gives his prediction on the eventual outcome.

Rewind one week and the Wiltshire outfit once again saw the bad weather postpone yet another meeting, with rain and mist deeming the track unsafe for riding. However with the sun now shining fans will flock to the Abbey Stadium to see the reigning champions finally take to the shale this season. 

The King’s Lynn Stars travel to the home of the Robins with a point to prove after suffering two defeats against Swindon last season, the latest being a 48-41 loss at the Abbey Stadium. But with a massively restructured side following the release of multiple riders from the 2017 squad, Alun Rossiter’s men will be in for a tough test against a formidable side. 

Young British sensation Robert Lambert leads the traveling team as the clubs new Captain, and with the likes of former World number three Niels-Kristian Iversen, Thomas Jorgensen, and former Swindon reserve Lewis Rose, tasked with more senior positions in the side, the Swindon Robins will need to re-create the title winning form that earned them so much success last season if they are to leave the Abbey Stadium with a win.

For the home side it will be a big opportunity for new Captain Nick Morris to silence any doubters, however all eyes will be set firmly on Australian ace Troy Batchelor as he prepares to take revenge on the side that axed him from the club mid-way through last season, stopping Batchelor riding in Britain for the remainder of the year.

David Bellego and Tobiasz Musielak will also be hungry to repay the faith shown in them by manager Rossiter, and the Swindon side will be determined to put on a show for the attending fans.

A tough track to ride has seen away riders regularly struggle against Swindon, and Stars rider Iversen has been vocal in his problems at the Abbey Stadium before so it will be interesting to see if the Danish star can put past woes behind him. His teammates will be focused on earning victory and the away side must be firing on all cylinders if they are to do so.

A difficult opening home fixture awaits the Swindon Robins on Thursday evening and home advantage will be key in securing all three points for the Wiltshire club. Alun Rossiter will expect nothing less than excellence from his riders and the home side will be determined to start this season as well as they finished the last. 

Outcome: Swindon win!