Rugby:High-scoring on the cards at St Peter

Rugby:High-scoring on the cards at St Peter

For although their opponents have only won one of their three games, they have still scored 79 points this season; only 11 fewer than Jersey.

In the past there have been some high-scoring games as well, including a 55-33 win against Jersey a couple of seasons ago and, if Beckenham’s pivotal pairing of Ben Wood at scrum-half and Jack Hewitt at stand-off are selected, Jersey’s back row and their Nos 9 and 10 – James Cooper and Jon Swift respectively – will have to be at their best.

For Jersey coach, Barry George, however, any headaches on the pitch will all be Beckenham’s.

‘I don’t know much about them, other than they’ve been involved in a few high-scoring games,’ he said on Thursday, before training.

‘But we’ve been looking good, and with only one or two changes to make each week, we’re able to enjoy some continuity.

‘Jon Swift comes back into the side and he’s two good pairs of hands outside him at centre.

We’ve also been working on our rucking this week.

In last week’s game we stopped the ball too much.

I’d say we only played 35 minutes at our best.

‘We’re still looking to put a complete performance together, but I’m pleased by the way we’re shaping up.’ George also knows that his back three of Latu, Kern Yates and Graham Bell are, on their day, awesome.

Last week, for example, when Ryan Morgan scored an 80-yard breakaway try, the two players nearest him as he crossed the line were Bell and Yates.

‘It’ll take a pretty good club to put out a better back row than we’ve got, and I don’t have to work on their fitness,’ he said.

‘I’ve also told Kern (the Jersey captain) I only want him to be involved with his players on the pitch.

Any other matters to do with players now come through me.

These are only little changes, but I want him to lead by example – and that will mainly be in the game.

‘And everyone’s still talking about “raising our standards” which is how I want it to be.

At some stage this season I want a complete performance.’

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