JERSEY RFC return to CoinShares Park tomorrow with an exciting home clash with Hammersmith & Fulham, set for a 3pm kick-off.
Sat 17 points clear atop Regional 1 South Central with 17 consecutive wins, it’s fair to assume life is pretty rosy in Myles Landick’s dressing room. Skipper Evan Whitson and co have recorded the highest points scored, the fewest points conceded and boast the top two try scorers in the division.
Said leading try scorer, Jack Macfarlane, returns to the starting XV today in the hooker role in a powerhouse front row flanked by Joe Ridgway and Tom Wilson. Jersey’s scrum has always proved a bit of a cheat code and, despite the absence of usual props Morgan Brady and Huw Owen, the replacements show no sign of declining skill or strength.
The outstanding Dan Barnes also returns in the number 12 role alongside Fergus Ludlam, with Scott Van Breda wearing 10. Van Breda remains both the second highest try scorer (15) and second highest points scorer (139) in the division, just behind Toby Salmon of Farnham on 160.
After his clutch last-gasp penalty claimed full points away at CS Stags 1863 last time out, Aaron Penberthy continues his sensational form with the boot in the number 15 role.
Jersey were pushed all the way by an impressive Stags side, but class rose to the top once again as Landick’s men maintained their 100% win record.
Tomorrow’s return to home sees, on paper, a much easier test. Hammersmith & Fulham currently sit bottom of Regional 1 South Central with just two wins to their name. They are the division’s lowest points scorers and appear to have a steep challenge ahead of them.
The last time Jersey hosted tomorrow’s opponents was a thumping 68-10 win, which featured a Macfarlane hat-trick, back in December 2024. This season, the reverse fixture back in November saw a better showing from the hosts, but the Islanders still ran out comfortable 59-26 winners.
Head coach Landick is always generous in his words about teams travelling to the Island, regularly describing home games as “opposing teams’ cup finals when they come here”.
The facilities and ground ranks superior to many other in the division and a lot of sides tend to use the weekend as their season social also. An opportunity to try and topple the league giants on their own turf backed up by a weekend away appears an appealing prospect for all sides.
However, Hammersmith are staring down the barrel of the drop and will know it’s now or never time to start racking up some points.
Jersey on the other hand can potentially lift the league title tomorrow, assuming other results also go their way. A full bonus point win for Whitson and co, backed by defeats to zero for both London Scottish and Tunbridge Wells would see JRFC hit happy hour at 6pm as Regional 1 South Central champions and a deserved promotion achieved.
The JRFC 1st XV will take to the field at 3pm, but starting the day will be the 2nd XV in action from 12.30, skippered by Euan Spencer, against a Hammersmith & Fulham 2nd XV.
Squads to face Hammersmith & Fulham 1st and 2nd XV’s
JRFC Men’s 1st XV: [15-9] Aaron Penberthy, Mark Boarer, Dylan Stocks, Dan Barnes, Fergus Ludlam, Scott Van Breda, Liam Rhodes [1-8] Joe Ridgway, Jack Macfarlane, Tom Wilson, Cam Keys, Toby Osborne, Evan Whitson (c), Jerry Sexton, Tim Grey Replacements: Huw Owen, Tom Tilstone, Bevan Biggs
JRFC Men’s 2nd XV: [15-9] Harry Baty, Deepinder Dyal, Alex Neasham, George Willmott, Joe Munns, Archie Le Maistre, John O’Sullivan [1-8] Morgan Brady, Jake Bates, George Thomas, Nathan Thomas, Max Ayling, James Guyatt, Brian Njomba, Euan Spencer (c) Replacements: Danny Rodrigues, Quentin Fevrier, Dakaryi Sithole, Matthew Gradidge, Harry Cruickshank, Nathan Rogers
Other Fixtures
Camberley v Bracknell
Farnham v Tunbridge Wells
London Scottish Lions v Old Alleynians
Worthing v Maidenhead
Wimbledon v CS Stags 1863
Regional 1 South Central
