VICTORY over a higher-ranked club has given Jersey RFC hope ahead of their upcoming return to the mainstream RFU league ladder, although Myles Landick says nobody is getting carried away.
Tries from Scott McClurg (two) and George Willmott and four points from Michael Harman’s boot steered the Caesareans to a two-point friendly victory over Oxford Quins – a side which will be playing two divisions above them in 2022/23.
Following their split from Jersey Reds and readoption of the club’s historic name, the Island’s top amateurs will play in the seventh tier of English rugby this term, in Counties One Hampshire. They had previously played in the Raging Bull Shield – a second-string league with no promotion or relegation.
‘We didn’t know what level we’re at, because our league was so inconsistent, so it was really interesting to see how we did against a side from Regional One [the old National Three],’ said head coach Landick. ‘But we can’t take the result as gospel, because we don’t know if they had players missing.
‘We knew it would be unstructured at times but overall it was pleasing. It’s all about making sure that when we start the league campaign we hit the ground running.’
A line break and offload released Willmott for the opening score at St Peter but Oxford hit back through a rolling maul and a fortunate run for home after Charlie Hubert slipped under a high ball. The visitors led 12-5 at the break, before McClurg and Harman both struck twice in the second half.
‘We didn’t really close the game out well,’ Landick added. ‘But the most important thing was getting a good hit out.
‘Our goal is definitely promotion this season and if we’re competing with level-five sides I’d like to think we’d do well in that league. But I say promotion with caution … we certainly can’t get carried away because it was only a pre-season game, and it was a game we could easily have lost. Our discipline was really poor and we probably overplayed in our own 22.’
Jersey host Norwich RFC this coming weekend, with the 6pm kick-off immediately following Jersey Reds’ pre-season friendly against London Irish.
