As the Jersey captain, Marcus Nobes, said afterwards: ‘We deserved to win, because this was a good, all-round 80-minute performance.
I felt we were always in control, although we played our best rugby in the first 40 minutes.’ Sevenoaks’ head coach, Stuart Thresher, agreed.
‘We didn’t play well in the first half and, if you don’t make your first-time tackles, it’s a case of “goodnight Vienna”.
‘I had a few choice words to say to them at half-time, because to go 14 points behind, when Jersey were playing into the wind, was criminal.
‘Jersey are a good, physical side with decent runners but we simply didn’t make our tackles in a league where there isn’t that much difference between the top team and the bottom.
‘After a bad start to the season, this result means we’re looking over our shoulders again.’ Sevenoaks, despite conceding three tries in each half, are too good to go down.
And, in a pulsating game enjoyed by another 450-plus crowd, Jersey’s real strength in the first ten and last 20 minutes was their defence.
In a rampaging No 6, Kenny Pihema, Sevenoaks had a potential game-winner but the Jersey back row and centres kept him in check and their only scores came from their No 10, Guy Rowley, who scored two tries: crossed over the line for a third but failed to ground the ball; and converted his second try from underneath the posts.
By then, however, Jersey were good value for a 29-12 lead.
They went in front after 18 minutes following a period of intense forward pressure which saw No 8 Richie Griffiths ground the ball, only for the try to be disallowed .
.
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because the referee had blown for a penalty to Jersey.
Griffiths was soon back in the action, however, as his run for the line from the penalty allowed teenage winger Ryan Morgan to dart over.
Graham Smith converted.
Three minutes later sloppy tackling allowed enough space for Sevenoaks’ No 10 to score after the home side had perversely tried to run the ball from five yards short of their own line, and were easily dispossessed.
Thankfully, however, Jersey upped the tempo and deservedly went 14-5 in front following good work by the threes, a break from Smith and a weighted pass to No 13 Jason Hosty, who scored close to the posts.
Smith converted.
After that, and on the stroke of half-time, winger Jim Milner scored following the longest reverse pass by outside-half Smith seen at the clubhouse in many a year.
In hindsight the pass – and the try – were probably the turning point in the game.
For losing 19-5 at the break, and facing an uphill task into the wind, Sevenoaks already looked a beaten side.
Still, they didn’t give in; not even when hooker Nathan Kemp scored two quick tries on the right, side-stepping his way past two players for the first and handing off another three for his second.
Now losing 29-5, Sevenoaks knew the game was over but they deserved to score when No 8, Ali Cornish, galloped 70 yards, unchallenged, before full-back Richard Stevens brought him down seconds before he fed the ball to Rowley, who ran through behind the posts.
Following the conversion, the score was a more respectable 29-12, but Latu Maka’afi had the final say when he intercepted a Sevenoaks’ three’s move on the half-way line, bundled the ball under his arm and by sheer power pushed aside two or three half-hearted tackles before touching down.
After that, despite a late effort from a Sevenoaks’ team which never gave up, Jersey held on for the win.
‘We played well in the first half and I was pleased by our lines of running, especially from our backs,’ said JRFC director of coaching, Dai Burton.
‘Nathan (Kemp) had one of his best games this season – but make no mistake; they (Sevenoaks) are a good side, and the winning margin is a tribute to our players.’ Burton will be far less pleased with the knee injury to Richie Griffiths which could see him out for several weeks.
Jersey RFC: Marcus Nobes (captain), Nathan Kemp, Jim Brimelow, John Allo, Roger Quirk, Richie Griffiths, Kern Yates, Latu Maka’afi, Dave Miles, Graham Smith, Ryan Morgan, Anthony Hurford, Jason Hosty, Jim Milner, Richard Stevens.
Subs used: Josh Chamier, Marc Peters, Jim Milner, Mark White.
London South II: Andover 33, London Irish Amateur 15; Beckenham 25, Wimbledon 17; Old Colfeians 49, Lewes 10; Sutton and Epsom 34, Thanet Wanderers 9; Tunbridge Wells 26, Maidstone 21.
JRA League: Jersey 2nds 43, Les Quennevais 0.
Friendlies: Jersey Wanderers 12, Sevenoaks Veterans 12.
Jersey Youth 10, Towcestrians 12.
A disappointing weekend for the Jersey RFC Academy ended with three defeats in three matches.
A Youth Select lost 12-10 to visiting Towcesterians on Saturday, while both the U16s and U15s lost their respective Hampshire League fixtures yesterday.
The U16s missed the chance to top of Division II by losing to leaders Alton 19-5 and the U15s went down 36-15 in Division I against runaway leaders Winchester.
