HUNDREDS of pints were consumed in west London on Saturday night as Jersey RFC celebrated their eighth bonus point win in a row with some real pomp and swagger.
Myles Landick’s men scored nine tries as they fought back from a 19-7 deficit to defeat Hammersmith & Fulham 59-26 and go six points clear at the top of Regional 1 South Central.
Inside-centre George Willmott put in a two-try man of the match performance with winger Bevan Biggs and hooker Jack Macfarlane also crossing the whitewash twice.
The comeback victory was well timed ahead of Jersey’s annual night out in the capital, much to the relief of director of rugby Myles Landick.
Hammersmith & Fulham 26 – 59 Jersey RFC
Hammersmith & Fulham
Tries: Joshua Asafu-Adjaye 18, Tim Russell 21, 25, Joe Carolan 80
Conversions: Joe Carolan 19, 22, 80+1
Jersey Ruby Football Club
Tries: Bevan Biggs 7, 56, Matthew West 35, Jack Macfarlane 40, 50, Scott van Breda 59, George Willmott 62, 74, Tom Ellis 78
Conversions: Aaron Penberthy 8, 36, 51, 57, 63, 75, Scott van Breda 60
“The beers always taste sweeter after a win so that was a relief. We’ve had a dominant start to the season, it’s been excellent all round and it’s great that we have a chance for the guys to have a chance to relax and enjoy each other’s company with a few beers or more afterwards.
Hammersmith & Fulham really came at us all guns blazing in the first half, capitalised on our mistakes, which we had to temper it and find our own way back into the game.
“We got a couple of tries towards the end of the first-half which made the half-time talk a bit easier.
“We did make a couple of adjustment, and the second-half was a very dominant display. And that was pleasing given the number of people who had travelled over to watch us.”
Landick was particularly pleased after late injuries to fullback Mark Boarer and Lewis Evans on Friday, both with hamstring issues, meant Matt West was promoted from the bench and Lance Armstrong came into the team at short notice. It meant that Jersey RFC played without any backs’ replacements, but they survived the added test comfortably.
Landick told the JEP: “I’m really pleased with our dominate we were at our set-pieces and how we neatened up from our efforts.
“Cam Keys was outstanding running our line-out, and he was feisty in the loose so I’m pleased for him, and both our centres produced a number of good carriers helped give us a good platform.
“Due to our late injuries it meant we travelled with 13 forwards out of 18 players, it’s not ideal but it’s good to know that those guys can step into the fold if and when we need them too, and that’s really pleasing given how long the season can feel at times.”
With the late Autumn sun gleaming over the famous Hurlingham Park in West London, the all-black kitted Jersey RFC side kicked off and were immediately pinning Hammersmith & Fulham deep in their own territory while dominating the set-piece exchanges.
The islanders’ initial efforts were hamstrung by handling errors, but even when the red and navy coloured home-side had a scrum, such as the initial put-in on the third minute, Jersey’s
juggernaut pushed the Middlesex side back to ensure they were unable to get front-foot ball.
An intercept by returning playmaker Aaron Penberthy nearly set up winger Bevan Biggs down the right but for a cover defender. Two minutes later and a lovely line-out move saw Jack Macfarlane provide a deft offload to Biggs, who’s diagonal run back to the right corner saw him slice past half-a-dozen players before sidestepping Morgan Bryce, leaving the fullback on his buttocks, to open up the scoring.
Penberthy’s conversion made it 7-0 after eight minutes, and despite Hammersmith having a few attempts in open play to probe Jersey’s black line, the islanders seemed in full control.
A high tackle by inside-centre George Willmott on the 15th minute gave Hammersmith & Fulham their first line-out of the game from 13 metres out down the left. A long throw and a twisting, splintering driving maul saw several players bundle over left of the posts with blindside flanker Joshua Asafu-Adjaye getting the dot down.
Hammers’ inside-centre Joe Carolan converted to level the match, and it started a seven-minute purple-patch for the city side.
Jersey put together a series of phases in the home-side’s half, but a pass from fly-half Scott van Breda was intercepted by Carolan, who on his 103rd appearance sprinted 50 metres into the islanders 22-metre area, and just as van Breda was about to tap tackle, the centurion produced a long looping pass to Tim Russell for the winger to go round Macfarlane and over on the right.
Carolan converted, then it was a case of déjà vu. Jersey restarted, startling linked well together but a fumble between Penberthy and Willmott allowed Russell to hack the ball downfield and the head-band wearing flyer hacked it along several more times before gathering and going over down the right to score an impressed 75 metre solo try.
Carolan’s conversion was wide. Being 19-7 down, some choice words were said in the huddle and Myles Landick’s side remained unruffled as they battled back.
Jersey’s first scrum put-in on the 27th minute laid the platform before a line-out in front of Hammers left corner.
A wayward Macfarlane throw spoiled the chance, but a mark call and a 50-22 by van Breda gave Myles Landick’s side another chance in the other corner, which went wayward again.
Eventually Jersey started firing, and after half-a-dozen phases van Breda’s slight offload to Matt West saw the back-rower turned centre scythe through the Middlesex men to march over by the left post.
Jersey nearly got another try after some great running play, but for Hammers poor defending as their penalty count tallied up, which led to a right-sided line-out eight metres out and a route one maul try with Macfarlane scoring at its rear to make it 19-19 at half-time.
The grey clouds disappeared as the sun returned for the second-half, and the home-side started well, niggly at Jersey’s scrum dominance and gaining territory.
But it didn’t last, back-to-back penalties led to the islanders getting a line-out in the far corner before a training ground move saw Macfarlane dive over for the bonus-point try on the 50th minute.
Penberthy’s long-range conversion kick helped re-assert Jersey’s lead, and the islanders never looked back.
Hammers conceded several penalties for Jersey to have a line-out on the right, and after several passes the ball went back to Biggs who slid over into the left corner.
Three minutes later and some excellent work to keep the ball alive on the far side led to Willmott and van Breda breaking down the middle for the South African to power over between the sticks, and the player-coach converted his own score.
With the clocking ticking over the hour-mark, Willmott attacked from deep, and after some fantastically fast interplay between Penberthy, Huw Owen, Matt West and Macfarlane, Willmott was there to finish what he started as he dived between the sticks.
The onslaught continued, a 40-metre running break by Macfarlane led to Willmott being on hand to canter the last 20 metres for his second.
Hammers wing Max Dugdale was sin-binned for offside entry at the ruck on the 76th minute, which led to another Jersey line-out on the clubhouse side. A messy effort on the short -side was just about gathered before replacement Tom Ellis – wearing the wrong-coloured red socks – received the ball from Huw Owen to power over.
The home-side kept trying, and a quick tap-and-go saw Bryce run 50 metres to set up Carolan for their bonus point try by the left post in the final minute.
Jersey loosehead prop Jake Bates cut a delighted figure afterwards, and said: “The beers will take sweeter after that. It was interesting to go 19 points down, which was a bit of a shock and it was harder to deal with that when we’ve got such a mixed group of lads due to a couple of late injuries.
“But our second-half performance was so strong, six tries in the second 40 minutes, and that’s really pleasing. It sounds cliché but any team in the league can beat each other, so it doesn’t matter that Hammersmith are 11th in the table, and they showed what they can do.
“From my point of view we were clearly dominant at the set-pieces which was fantastic. It’s definitely one of those wins where you feel it was mind over matter, we had to work our way out of it when we weren’t at our best.
“And if we want to win the league and go unbeaten, this is the sort of result you look back on fondly, so I’m just really pleased for the guys.”
Squads
Hammersmith & Fulham: [15-9; 1-8] Morgan Bryce, Tim Russell, Ian MacLean, Joe Carolan, Max Dugdale, Geoffrey Mahon (Benjamin Dugdale 65’), Gregor Watson; Andrew Rogan, Daniel Hostetler (Ed Farrer 40’), Jacob Poulton, Daniel North, Charlie Lang, Joshua Asafu-Adjaye, Daniel Whitaker (Tom Yarwood 40’), Thomas Proctor (c)
Sin-bin: Max Dugdale 76’
Jersey RFC: [15-9; 1-8] Aaron Penberthy, Bevan Biggs, Matthew West, George Willmott, Lance Armstrong, Scott van Breda (c), Jacob Vautier; Jake Bates (Joe Ridgeway 65’), Jack Macfarlane, Huw Owen, Euan Spencer (Tom Ellis 70’), Cameron Keys, Tom Tilstone (Evan Whitson 50’), Lewis Wynne, Tim Grey
