Rugby reaction: ‘Reds could have had more at Bristol’ – Biljon

The Islanders played a full part in an entertaining nine-try encounter before fading in the closing stages to lose Friday night’s Championship encounter at Ashton Gate by 40-29. Biljon was rightfully proud of his players’ efforts, but also frustrated by what might have been.

Bristol

Tries: Amesbury 2, 49, Morgan 23, Lam 62, Henson 77.

Conversions: Henson 23, 49, 77.

Penalties: Henson 15, 68, 80.

Jersey

Tries: Otto 4, 29, Kaho 26, Penalty try 78.

Conversions: Penberthy 26, 29, 78.

Drop-goal: Penberthy 52.

‘The whole squad showed oustanding character,’ he said. ‘In the second-to-last game of the season, away from home against the league leaders, people might have thought there wasn’t much to play for, but they wore their hearts on their sleeves and did the Island proud.’

The decision not to penalise the home side for apparently dragging down a Jersey maul close to their line just after the hour mark, with the scores level at 22-all, was the key moment identified by Biljon.

‘It was definitely a turning point – I’m not saying we would have gone on to win but we would have been very well-placed,’ he said. ‘Instead they went up the other end and scored and you had a 14-point turn-around.’

P W D L BP Pts
Bristol 21 20 0 1 19 99
Worcester 21 19 0 2 20 96
London Scottish 21 12 2 7 12 64
Rotherham 21 12 1 8 8 57
Nottingham 21 11 0 10 8 52
Yorkshire Carnegie 21 9 1 11 12 50
Cornish Pirates 21 9 0 12 9 45
Jersey 21 7 2 12 11 43
Doncaster 21 7 1 13 9 39
Bedford 21 7 0 14 10 38
Moseley 21 5 1 15 9 31
Plymouth Albion 21 3 2 16 4 20

Jersey have reached the tail-end of the season with a serious injury list, particularly in the back row, with another player limping off, a knee injury to Joe Buckle looking likely to end his season.

After troubling high-flying Bristol for the second time in four months, Jersey’s efforts were once again scarcely-acknowledged by their opponents. Director of rugby Andy Robinson delegated media duties to forwards coach Danny Wilson, who conceded that his side had a tendency to be involved in high-scoring games. He said Jersey were one of the sides who took on Bristol hoping to score four tries and gain a bonus a point, overlooking the fact that the home side only managed one more try and had taken until the closing stages to seal the win.

Captain Ross McMillan said his team had showed character to battle back after a poor first half.

‘We went off-script for a while, but I wasn’t worried – I knew it was in our hands,’ he said.

Bristol temporarily moved eight points clear of promotion rivals Worcester, but the Warriors closed the gap on Saturday with a resounding 8-69 win at Cornish Pirates. The final regular season rankings will be decided when Worcester host Bristol next Saturday.

Tua Otto came close to a hat-trick of tries against his former club

Saturday’s results also confirmed that Plymouth Albion will be relegated from the Championship having won just three of their 21 league games so far. Albion’s survival hopes kept flickering up to Saturday’s showdown against Moseley, but the Birmingham side – who visit Jersey this week – registered an emphatic 29-0 win to end the debate prior to their visit to St Peter this Saturday.

Jonny Bentley was a lively force at No 10 against Bristol's star-studded side

Albion will be replaced by Ealing Trailfinders, who were confirmed as winners of National One in spite of a 15-19 defeat to nearest rivals Rosslyn Park. The West London side have already been recruiting for another tilt at the Championship in 2015/16, with former Jersey captain Nathan Hannay among the players recruited after leaving Yorkshire Carnegie.

Carnegie delivered a thumping 46-7 win against an under-strength London Scottish side yesterday to move into sixth place ahead of the Cornish Pirates. Pirates, two points ahead of Jersey, visit Headingley next Saturday, and Biljon will hope to see his current club move above his former employer into seventh place with the right combination of results this weekend.

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