Camberley RFC 22
Tries: Rossiter 23; Owen 32; Walker 41
Conv: Seers (2)Pen: Seers 54
Jersey RFC 38
Tries: Boarer 3, 17; Sexton 13; penalty try 47; Macfarlane 60 Conv: Van Breda (4)Pen: Van Breda 67HT: 12-21Attendance: 310Player of the match: Scott Van Breda
SCOTT Van Breda put in a masterclass of a performance on his injury return to lead Jersey RFC over the line in a gruelling ding-dong victory against fellow title rivals Camberley.
The 32-year-old South African playmaker didn’t miss a kick all afternoon, scoring 11 points from the tee and creating some smart attacking options with a back-line heavily changed from the side’s defeat to league leaders London Welsh the previous week.
Alongside Van Breda, returning full-back Mark Boarer scored two tries and the experienced hands of No.8 Jerry Sexton and hooker Jack Macfarlane both crossed the whitewash once, with the red shirts also being awarded a penalty try in their tremendous win.
Despite a thin grey cloud overhead, near perfect conditions welcomed Jersey RFC to the Watchetts Recreation Ground in the West Surrey suburbia.
A lovely even playing surface, no rain and little wind helped set up an enticing prospect as second met third in Regional 1 South Central for the first time.
Despite predictions of a close battle, Jersey started like a firecracker and commanded the early exchanges to ensure the action was at the clubhouse end of the ground.
Camberley suffered an early casualty with full-back Luke Outhwaite carried off with a leg injury in the second minute – giving Jacob Ham his debut at scrum-half, while Max McCarthy moved to 15 for the Surrey side.
After the pause, Jersey kicked to the corner, and a neat line-out move from 10-metres out led to a Van Breda pop pass to Boarer, who slipped in between two black and amber shirts to score left of the posts.
Camberley fought back, but Alex Seers saw his 40-metre penalty kick fall just short of the uprights.
The home-side went down to 14 men in the eighth minute when ex-Cornish Pirates hooker Marlen Walker was sin-binned for a dangerous clear-out.
Jersey immediately utilised the advantage, another left corner line-out led to a smart move between Sexton, scrum-half Liam Rhodes and Van Breda to set up the former London Irish forward who ran a superb line to dot down left of the posts.
Boarer got his second try in the yellow card period after a fantastic running break from Jacques de la Bat set the platform before the ball worked inside, with Van Breda unleashing the Jersey native to finish by the left post.
Van Breda’s conversion gave the Islanders a 21-0 lead after 18 minutes, but with parity in number restored, Cambo bounced back.
A Seers crossfield chip after a few phases was marked by Jersey wing Bevan Biggs, but two minutes later the 29-year-old went for a long looping pass to Jak Rossiter, and the ex-Richmond wing dashed down the right to get the home-side off the mark.
Jersey conceded several penalties and a Camberley scrum held up just enough to set up George Owen on the left; after a one-two with outside-centre Alex Young, the former Rams flyer found space to whip through the leaves to score just after the half-hour mark.
Jersey tighthead Tom Wilson was yellow carded in the 39th minute after not releasing at a ruck, although the sin-binning was for an accumulation of the Reds conceding five penalties in quick succession.
The visitors’ ill-discipline continued at the re-start, and Seers produced a superb kick to touch to set up a five-metre line-out in front of the clubhouse.
A good move saw Cambo’s second-phase maul drive to the line, and despite even a few Jersey backs lending a push, the black-and-ambers muscled over with 36-year-old Walker getting the dot down, making it 21-19.
With the game a real contest Jersey reverted to type, focusing on the set-piece dominance which has always served them well.
The forwards won two scrums and a line-out drive from 10-metres out proved unstoppable. It looked like blindside flanker Euan Spencer scored the bonus point try, but referee Harry Groves awarded a penalty try and sent Camborne lock Ben Lovell-Smith to the bin for illegally collapsing the maul.
Less than a minute later, home skipper Chris Bird also saw yellow for a high-tackle on Van Breda, and with Wilson returning, Jersey had a two-man advantage. But the visitors couldn’t capitalise, and a Biggs’ high tackle on Seers saw the pivot’s penalty slot over to narrow the game to 28-22.
On the hour-mark Jersey produced another imperious line-out move with Macfarlane and Sexton at the centre of the work before the former bulldozed over, as the maul turned into a melee.
It became very niggly, and Van Breda’s penalty extended Jersey’s lead as cow bells silenced the home fans.
Owen produced a fantastic 60-metre counter attacking run in the final minute, and looked to have scored to earn Camborne a point, but for a foot in touch.
Jersey’s five-metre line-out restart was controlled by Sexton with Rhodes kicking the ball out to seal the win.
Camberley RFC (15-9; 1-8): Luke Outhwaite, Jak Rossiter, Alex Young, Connor Hayhow, George Owen, Alex Seers, Max McCarthy; Sean McDonnell-Roberts, Marlen Walker, Nicholas Barry, Ben Harrison, Ben Lovell-Smith, Alex Hughes, Chris Bird (c), Ben Henderson. Replacements: Michael Clarke, Chris Lear, Jacob Ham
Jersey RFC (15-9; 1-8): Mark Boarer, Bevan Biggs, Tom Bulfin, Dylan Stocks, Jacques De La Bat, Scott van Breda, Liam Rhodes; Huw Owen, Jack Macfarlane, Tom Wilson, May Ayling, Cameron Keys, Euan Spencer, Evan Whitson (c), Jerry Sexton. Replacements: Joe Ridgway, Tom Tilstone, Callum Cuthbert
