History was made yesterday, as Jersey RFC Women broke new ground to win the Siam Cup 19-20 in away territory for the first time after beating their Sarnian counterparts.
Although Guernsey made a perfect start to their campaign with a try in the first minute, as Mari De Freitas capped off an unstoppable Sarnian drive, from there on out it was all Jersey, as the ladies in red scored a sensational three tries on the bounce.
Star carrier Georgina Ruellan manoeuvred her way through to score Jersey’s first in the sixth minute, before speedster Laura Turpin showcased her pace to sprint over the line eight minutes later.
Emily Duncan then added the third try just before the interval, allowing Jersey to head into the break with a strong 15-5 lead.
Seren Coombs starred throughout the contest with a series of massive carries up the field, unafraid to bulldoze her way through the line.
This was on full display early on in the second half, as she was unstoppable to break through with a devastating stiff arm move before charging past the try line, making it 5-20.
It seemed to be a comfortable match for Jersey – but, nothing can be counted out in the Siam, as Guernsey had a fair few tricks up their sleeve.
Tries in quick succession from Tanya Scholtz and Daisy Travers, as well as a pair of conversions made by Tiegan Batiste, got the Sarnians right back into it, with the score now at 19-20.
With only one point in it this late in the game, worry struck around the ground – Jersey’s loss at the hands of their rivals on the last kick of the game in 2024 still well in the memory. But, Jersey managed to hold firm and maintain their lead until the final whistle.
This is a huge result for Jersey RFC Women, with it being the perfect swansong to Katie De La Cloche’s captaincy as well as being their first ever win in Guernsey.
See Monday’s JEP for a full match reaction.
