The Island side were matched and eventually beaten by a single point by a Plymouth Albion side who went into the match fighting to avoid relegation, their league points tally just half that of the 32 racked up by Jersey.
| P | W | D | L | BP | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester | 16 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 75 |
| Bristol | 16 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 74 |
| London Scottish | 16 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 53 |
| Nottingham | 16 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 41 |
| Rotherham | 16 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 39 |
| Cornish Pirates | 16 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 6 | 34 |
| Jersey | 16 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 33 |
| Bedford | 16 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 31 |
| Yorkshire Carnegie | 16 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 9 | 31 |
| Doncaster | 16 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 25 |
| Moseley | 16 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 5 | 23 |
| Plymouth Albion | 16 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 4 | 20 |
With relegation rivals Moseley and Doncaster facing tough assignments against London Scottish and Bristol respectively, the home side knew this was their chance – perhaps their last chance – and played accordingly.
The home side were prepared to do whatever it took to gain an extra edge, recruiting six-year-old England mascot Harry Westlake to lead them onto the field straight after some stirring words from newly-returned director of rugby Graham Dawe.
Looking to translate passion into points, Albion got the break they needed after failing to secure their opening lineout. Martin Garcia-Veiga snaffled the ball and Jersey spread it wide, but Sam Simmonds intercepted and fed winger Jack Arnott for a 40-metre run to the line.
Playing with the wind behind them on a reasonably firm surface, Jersey were seeking to gain territory through tactical kicking and then to use their powerful forwards from close range. A penalty paved the way for the equalising try after 14 minutes, lineout possession secured and the maul rumbling diagonally towards the posts for Ryan Hodson to touch down.
There was little between the sides until Jersey went down to 14 men when Nick Campbell was sin-binned for a high tackle on scrum-half Josh Davies. Albion attacked immediately, kicking the penalty from halfway towards the corner and attacking Jersey’s below-strength forwards from the maul. Rhys Oakley claimed the try, although Declan Cusack missed what looked a straightforward kick close to the uprights as the wind showed its teeth.
Restored to 15 men for the final five minutes of the half, the Reds looked for another score. There were chances for a penalty kick at goal, but the decision was taken to push for an attacking lineout and a try. On the first occasion the lineout was lost, but a further penalty came with just enough time for a successful lineout and another rumble towards the line. It looked a certain try, but Albion managed to hold Hodson out just short of the line. Jersey’s coaching staff and referee Luke Pearce disagreed as to whether the home side’s tactics were illegal, and the half-time whistle blew.
Albion began the second half with the wind now behind them, and an early up-and-under saw Drew Locke adjudged to be blocking his opposite number Ben Woods. Locke was close enough to the falling ball to avoid any further sanction, but the penalty was converted with ease from 45 metres by Cusack to extend his side’s advantage to eight points.
Jersey’s pack earned the visitors a second try in the 48th minute, although it was scrum-half Sami Fisilau, whose older brother Keni played for Albion for 12 years until 2013, who claimed the try, his first in Jersey colours. Aaron Penberthy had a conversion that looked just as easy as Cusack’s; or perhaps that should be just as hard, as the ball again drifted across in front of the uprights.
Around the hour mark Jersey faced some sustained pressure from the home side, a work-out that required some committed tackling, showcasing a defence that has conceded fewer league tries than any side bar leaders Worcester. After passing the defensive test, the visitors switched to attack; another powerful maul drove 30 metres towards the line and then quick ball was spun right allowing Penberthy to finish. The tricky conversion was missed, but the Islanders were ahead for the first time with 15 minutes left.
Unfortunately the lead was short-lived as Jersey were punished again by the boot of Cusack, after conceding another penalty around 45 metres out, and the scoreboard tilted to a point’s advantage for the hosts.
There was still time for a further score to seize victory and continue Jersey’s unbeaten run, but the visitors encountered a resolute home defence. The throw-in to a five-metre lineout was adjudged not straight and try as they might Jersey could not engineer the score they needed.
While Jersey weren’t lacking in desire and performed strongly in defence, head coach Harvey Biljon was struggling to explain his side’s errors and the failure to turn periods of pressure into more than 17 points.
‘It was very frustrating that we failed to manage the game as we set out,’ he said. ‘We knew we’d be turning round into the wind after half-time, but we didn’t make the right adjustments for this and Plymouth played the conditions better than we did.’
Biljon defended the decision to seek a try at the end of the first half rather than kick for goal. ‘We had already shown what we could do with our maul, and on another day it could have been a yellow card and a penalty try,’ he said. ‘Things may have gone our way in recent weeks, but that didn’t happen today and we didn’t help ourselves.’
Jersey’s forward power drew praise from Albion’s Director of Rugby, former Bath and England hooker Graham Dawe.
‘Jersey’s maul is as good as I’ve seen,’ he said.
‘We beat a very good side today with a big and well-organised pack and good control from fly-half.
‘I think most people in the ground were pretty anxious at the end, but our defence was superb – if we can play with that heart and determination in March and April we’ll give ourselves a good chance of staying up.’
Albion’s win reduced their deficit behind 11th-placed Moseley to three points, with Doncaster one place and two points further ahead in the table. While Plymouth must travel to Worcester for their next game, their rivals meet in a pivotal encounter at Billesley Common.
Defeats for Bedford and Yorkshire Carnegie helped Jersey stay in seventh place in the Championship after being bumped down from sixth on Friday as a result of Cornish Pirates’ surprise away win at Nottingham. Biljon’s men have a weekend off at the end of this week, but will be seeking to raise their levels when third-placed London Scottish visit St Peter on Saturday week.
Plymouth Albion 18
Tries: Arnott 5 Oakley 27
Con: Cusack 6
Pens: Cusack 43, 71
Jersey RFC 17
Tries: Hodson 14, Fisilau 48, Penberthy 65
Con: Penberthy 14
Plymouth Albion (1-15): Tom Fidler, Tom Cowan-Dickie, Andy Tiedemann, Neale Patrick, Tom Hicks, Eoghan Grace, Sam Simmonds, Rhys Oakley, Josh Davies, Declan Cusack (capt), Josh Watkins, Toby Howley-Berridge, Ben Woods, Jack Arnott, Lawrence Rayner.
Jersey (1-15): Ignacio Lancuba, Joe Buckle, Harry Williams, Nick Campbell (YC 25), Pierce Phillips, Alex Rae (capt), Ryan Hodson, Michael Noone, Sami Fisilau, Jonny Bentley, Mark McCrea, Lewis Robling, Drew Locke, Mark Foster, Aaron Penberthy.
Replacements: Dave Markham for Phillips 40, Joe Buckle for Garcia-Veiga 51; Sam Lockwood for Lancuba 51.
Not used: Danny Herriott, Gary Graham, Ryan Glynn, David Bishop
