Jersey RFC – 40
Tries: Boarer 2, 12, 28; Tilstone 37; Spencer 60; Bates 81
Conv: Van Breda (5)
Maidenhead – 7
Tries: Keohane 53
Conv: Smith
HT: 26-0
Player of the match: Mark Boarer
Attendance: 751
IT was not only a still, dry winter’s day that the Jersey RFC faithful had to cheer about, after their side comprehensively dispatched visiting Maidenhead 40-7 at CoinShares Park.
For the first time this campaign, Myles Landick’s men limited the opposition to single digits, while piling on six tries of their own, during a game that in truth – only ever had one winner from the off.
Mark Boarer has been electric this season, and following a brief spell out of the team while on his travels in the United States, the full-back has not missed a beat.
The Islander was back for Jersey’s away win at Camberley, scoring a pair of tries within the opening 20 minutes in a fast start that Landick and his coaching staff craved.
Back on home soil, Boarer once again got his side off to a flyer.
The full-back broke the Maidenhead line and ate up the yards, finally brought down inside the ten.
A couple of gritty phases later, and quick work across the backs, Boarer finished the move he started, just two minutes into the contest.
Ten minutes later, Boarer was back for more, ultimately the beneficiary of silky play across the backs to spread the play wide.
Following a flurry of penalties, Jersey were characteristically potent at the set-piece, securing a line-out on the right.
Scrum-half Liam Rhodes used quick ball to find Scott Van Breda, who in turn picked out the returning Dan Barnes to miss a couple men with his sprayed pass left, which was plucked out the air by Boarer to canter through for his second.
The accurate boot of South African Van Breda added the conversion on both occasions.
In a sense of real déjà vu, Boarer completed a remarkable hat-trick within the half-hour. Once again, the backs were revelling in the dry conditions and with Barnes’ return, Maidenhead had precious answers for his service.
The ball was spread quick across the line and Barnes glanced up to duly find Boarer again in acres of space to burst through and score.
The full-back’s hat-trick now means he is Jersey’s highest point scorer this season, with a staggering 61, even with missing contests against London Welsh, Wimbledon and Horsham over a four-week spell.
Jersey’s lead was 19-0 and a smiling Landick had the explosive start he demanded.
The hosts would extend the advantage in the closing stages of the half courtesy of another player who has excelled this campaign.
Tom Tilstone has had to fight to retain his place in a pack containing an embarrassment of riches, but the flanker has repaid Landick’s faith in him.
After some gritty play up front and a smooth piece of handling from winger Eryk Swiech to keep the play alive, it was that man Barnes again to thread a pass to Tilstone in space to charge through and score under the posts.
The travelling boys from Berkshire showed some fight, however, and would get their reward early in the second period, grabbing what proved to be their only try of the game against a short-handed Jersey side, reduced to 14 men, after a Tilstone yellow.
In freak fashion, scrum-half Callum Cuthbert’s pass from the ruck, aimed for Van Breda to clear, cannoned off the back of a retreating Euan Spencer – falling kindly to Joe Keohane to bundle over the lkine.
A puzzled and disappointed Spencer immediately shelved those emotions to to score himself. Still a man light, those in red returned to their ‘bread and butter.’
Jersey walked a powerful maul post-scrum ten metres, before Spencer added the finishing touches to a bruising move.
A largely frustrating last 20 minutes ensued, but the final try was worth the wait.
Again the polished hands across the backs left Maidenhead scrambling to bring Swiech down on the left.
Just as they believed the panic was over, the winger played a remarkable no-look pass inside, over his shoulder to find replacement Jake Bates to score.
While there will be a sense of frustration at missed scoring opportunities in the second-half, picking holes in a 40-7 win just underscores how far this team has come and the high standard the players and coaching staff set themselves on a weekly basis.
Jersey travel to mid-table Old Alleynians this Saturday, with the hope that Regional 1 South Central leaders London Welsh may slip up against a stout Wimbledon side who have only dropped two games all season from ten played.
Jersey RFC [1-15]: Huw Owen, Jack Macfarlane, Tom Wilson, Max Ayling, Euan Spencer, Tom Tilstone, Evan Whitson (c), Jerry Sexton, Liam Rhodes, Scott Van Breda, Bevan Biggs, Dan Barnes, Nathan Rogers, Tom Bulfin, Mark Boarer. Replacements: Jake Bates, George Willmott, Callum Cuthbert
Maidenhead RFC [1-15]: Jason Koen, Max Keller, Daniel Barber, Phillip Wells Harry Jeavons, Joe Keohane, Shawn Ingle, Alexander French, Iwan Hughes, Benjamin Littlefair, Joshua Moscardini, Maximilian Thomas, Daneal Collins, Andrew Prince, Gregory Smith. Replacements: Jake Leach, Toby Pocock, Archie Dunnill
