National III surviours Guernsey gave their all at St Peter, but never looked likely to prevent a seventh successive victory for the Reds, with the 48-3 scoreline a predictable outcome as Jersey celebrated an excellent season in the Greene King IPA Championship, which is three divisions above the Sarnians and, of more pertinence, is fully professional.
Jersey’s side were someway off full-strength as players leaving the club and others retiring were given an opportunity to wave the fans goodbye. But it was still an eight tries to nil margin of victory.
Said Reynolds: ‘We’re always going to turn around and say we want to play the best Jersey have got. We’re a proud club. But the Siam has been a bit of a farce for the last six years, let’s be honest. Anyone who plays professionally shouldn’t really be playing. But that’s not Jersey’s fault, there’s nothing binding to say they can’t do that. So at the end of the day the two clubs just have to sort it out.
‘Back in the days, 2007, 2008, spectators loved to come and watch the sport because it was a contest. But it has become very difficult. We’ve done some really good stuff over the years and I’m really proud of the guys, but it has been difficult to get 22 out. Today we turned up with 21 . . . we just didn’t have enough players.
‘It is difficult. We’re trying to bump up young kids into the first team, then we have to say “you can’t play in the Siam” for safety issues against international players. It becomes a bit of a juggling thing for our first team. But again, that’s not Jersey’s fault, they are allowed to pick who they want.
‘Anyone who plays professionally shouldn’t really be playing. But that’s not Jersey’s fault, there’s nothing binding to say they can’t do that. So at the end of the day the two clubs just have to sort it out’
GRFC’s Jason Reynolds said: ‘I think the clubs probably need to be a little bit more sensible about it and try to negotiate something over the next couple of years.’
Jersey head coach Harvey Biljon: ‘There’s nothing wrong with going into the fixture relaxed, but no matter how hard you try you can’t help but get a little anxious . . . when you play in a contact sport you have to get yourself into a certain mind frame to play. I think it was a fantastic way to celebrate our season, but I want to take nothing away from Guernsey they battled well from minute one to minute eighty. We try to play the game in the right spirit, respecting the Siam Cup and Guernsey.
‘I was really chuffed with the way the players conducted themselves today, particularly the Jersey boys’.
JRFC chairman Bill Dempsey: ‘It’s been a fantastic day again, it just shows what the whole Siam thing is about, huge crowd despite the terrible weather.
‘I know what the scoreboard says, but I think Guernsey played some fantastic rugby and were only one or two passes from scoring some really good tries. They should hold their heads up for that. We were in a game that we should have won, and did, but Guernsey put up a great performance.
‘With Lord Jersey and Henry Cavill here its been a great occasion all round.’
On the future of the Siam and any change to the selection criteria, the chairman said: ‘The clubs will keep talking. It’s a difficult problem, but we have to keep talking. It’s certainly an on-going situation.’
Guernsey boss Reynolds: ‘We did some good stuff out there today. It didn’t go the way we wanted it to and the weather didn’t help. But it’s always hard going in against Jersey, their boys are professionals and ours are labourers and workers, so it’s quite difficult for us.
‘There were a couple of opportunities we could have scored from, but on the whole the boys did pretty well.
‘I don’t think people realise how much work goes into getting into those positions, so we’re pretty exhausted. But credit goes to Jersey, they played well today.
‘First half we matched their scrum, and put some pressure on their ball too, but second half, with our reserves on, they got on top. The difference is we’ve got to bring in a prop who plays at National III to play for the day, otherwise there’s a safety issue. We just don’t have five or six props.
‘We did really well today, I just feel there’s too big a league gap between what you can put out and what you achieve out there. And I think that’s a big issue for both clubs.’
Jersey 48
Tries: Hodson 13; Dawson 15, 17, 24; Pen try 55; Otto 63; Locke 67; Campbell 80
Cons: Penberthy, 13 15, 17; Bentley 55
Guernsey 3
Pen: Walters 51
HT: 26-0
Referee: Rob Warburton
Attendance: 3,102
Ipes Man of the Match: Ed Dawson (Jsy)
Jersey RFC (1-15): Nacho Lancuba, Nick Selway, Jon Brennan, Nick Campbell, Dave Markham, Alex Rae (c), Ryan Hodson, PK Kaho; Ryan Glynn, Aaron Penberthy; Ed Dawson, David Bishop, Tobias Hoskins, Tua Otto, Jack Burroughs.
Replacements: Sam Lockwood, Martin Garcia-Veiga, Harry Williams, Nick Trower, Joel Dudley, Drew Locke, Jonny Bentley, Ross Allan.
Guernsey RFC: Cameron Craine, Tom Ceillam, Layton Batiste, Lewis Hillier, Nick Merrien, Greg Smith, Matt Thomas, Nick Barton; Malcolm Barnes, Glen Walters, Dave Davison, Blair Campbell, Ned Brown, Matt Hema, Luke Sayer.
ANOTHER clear-cut victory in CI rugby’s grand finale for Jersey who scored eight tries without reply to lift the historic Siam Cup trophy for the seventh season in a row at St Peter on Saturday.
Three tries from Academy product Ed Dawson in a blistering nine first-half minutes put paid to any romantic thoughts Guernsey may have had about pulling off a shock. Indeed 48-3 was about the expected scoreline, give or take a try or two to either side.
Once Ryan Hodson, on his last appearance for Jersey, had followed his pack over to score the opener after 13 minutes of high-energy rugby from the visitors, the writing was writ large on the electronic scoreboard.
The Sarnians, who operate three divisions below Championship side Jersey, can again leave the arena with their heads held high. They never threw in the towel and for the most made their hosts knuckle down to work hard both in attack and defence. But despite Jersey using the opportunity to use the fixture as a vehicle to allow a host of players, either leaving the club or retiring, wave the fans goodbye this was never a match they were going to lose – that much was clear when Jersey’s strong (though not as strong as it could have been) line-up was announced on Friday.
Such is the gap between full-time professionals (and good ones at that) and amateurs, only a dreadfully unprofessional approach from the Reds would have given Jordan Reynolds’ game Guernsey side a prayer of victory.
And that was never going to happen -Jersey’s playing and coaching staff have created a culture that makes that scenario unthinkable.
If they were sloppy Jersey would not be employing them. And presence of dyed-in-the-wool Reds like Jon Brennan, who is retiring from first team rugby, Ross Allan and Nick Trower, plus younger pros like Dawson and Jack Burroughs is a safeguard against the Jersey side ever forgetting how important an inter-insular victory is for the fans.
Superman on show or not, a season’s best crowd of over 3,000, in truly filthy weather such as Saturday’s, is a huge public thumbs-up to the occasion.
But the clubs must strive to find a way to make this a real contest – the dialogue, which has been going on quietly for some time, must continue . . . this is simply too good an occasion not to tend and nurture.
There are no easy answers, of course. Jersey want to win, obviously. Little point in playing if you don’t. Guernsey want to play and beat the best that Jersey can turn out.
So while the gap between the clubs is so huge – and at the moment there is little sign of it closing even a little – the format clearly needs looking at, again and again.
JERSEY’S veteran side Wanderers retained the Nash Cup 12-10 a tight battle against Guernsey Vets and the elements.
Former first-team flyer Gareth Jefferies put them ahead in the first half, but Guernsey’s Paul Smith equalised before the break, with the visitors then going in front with a Dave McGall score. Crucially, when Jersey crossed the line through Alex Walker, that try was converted by Will Church. Those two points were the margin of victory at the end, although Guernsey will be rue two kickable penalty chances being spurned near the end. Danny Curzons picked up the trophy for the Jersey side.
Jersey Athletic were far too strong for Guernsey 2nds, despite being someway off full strength. With debut-making prop Carl Haitana in awesome form a strong platform was built for Jersey to score a pile of points. Fullback Sam Fuller got the scoreboard ticking early on and the pack forced a penalty try soon afterwards, both converted by Simon Johnson. Guernsey had plenty of possession and territory, but failed to take advantage with the elements in their favour. On the turnaround Jersey scored at regular intervals, with Dan Lezala and the impressive Charlie Hubert getting the next two. A yellow card for Jersey’s Bryn Edwards did little to stem the flow and replacement Dominic Mayo and No8 Kaisa Leota made it 36-0.
Lezala then fed in Mayo for his second, before grabbing the final try himself, a score converted by Johnson.
After captain for the day Jason Hosty collected the Fallaize Cup from Henry Cavill the following season’s awards for Athletic were presented: The Hatstone Lawyers Player of the Year went to the impressively consistent flanker Tim Corson; and the Ravenscroft Most Improved Player award was picked up by young prop Jacob Carter.
Guernsey Ladies provided the visitors only success of Siam Cup Day, coming from behind to beat Jersey 17-10 on pitch four at St Peter.
The weather hampered Jersey’s back division as handling proved difficult, but they deservedly took the lead through captain Rosie Corbett early in the half, a score converted by No8 Laura Poingdestre.
Guernsey full-back Carly Parrot reduced the half-time deficit to two points with a try near the end of a tight first session.
Guernsey made full use of the slope in the second half and Jersey were rarely in the game as an attacking force. Tries from scrum-half Justeen Baker and centre Chelsea Blondel, the latter score converted by fly-half Jemma Crouse, gave Guernsey the victory, with the final moments of the match being played on pitch five because of injured player.
