DODGING a bullet can be a cause for relief rather than celebration – hence the air of subdued satisfaction after Jersey Reds extended their near-perfect start to the league season.
Doncaster Knights had the chance to end the winning run as fly-half Sam Olver lined up a conversion with the final kick of the game.
Success from the normally reliable kicker would have left the match drawn, but the ball went wide, and the Reds’ sixth straight win was in the record books.
After a 19-point half-time advantage was pegged back to just two, the feeling in the home camp was summed up by senior player Macauley Cook, accompanied by a ‘must do better’ directive from director of rugby Harvey Biljon.
Cook said: ‘It’s a bit of a strange feeling with what happened at the end. We’re pretty disappointed that we lost some of our control in the second half. We need to learn to close games out.
‘I thought at the end it was going to be a draw – he [Olver] is a good player and on an individual level, I feel sorry for him.
‘It shows we’ve come a long way when we are disappointed to get a win at home over a good side like Doncaster.’
Biljon showed that there was likely to be little back-slapping when the squad reported back for training this morning and began preparing for an away game at Hartpury on Saturday.
‘We failed to build on a good first half, with inaccuracy and disciplinary issues allowing them back into the game,’ he said. ‘It’s a win, but we need to make sure we don’t repeat that second-half display.’
The impressive first 40 minutes from the Reds saw the home side dominate territory and possession, forcing their opponents into penalty concessions and other errors.
Although the wet and windy conditions meant it should be a night for the forwards, the Reds were still trying to vary their play.
TJ Harris struck first from a maul, before a second try when the ball was spun quickly out of a ruck to Scott Van Breda, who ran a powerful direct line and forced the ball down. The South African then turned provider, receiving a flat pass from Russell Bennett, drawing two defenders and then slipping a perfectly timed pass to Will Brown, enabling the wing to slide over for his third try of the season.
Bennett’s conversion, the last kick of the half, hit the inside of the post and did not go over but, importantly, the fly-half had landed his first two conversions on a night when no kicks were easy.
Olver had one shot at goal during the first 40 minutes, but a makeable penalty from 30 metres out slipped past the posts.
The visitors made the perfect start after the break, converting an attacking lineout within two minutes. Olver was the scorer after the Knights sent back-line reinforcements into the maul, and also added the conversion.
Disappointment in the home camp about the eventual ‘near-miss’ stemmed from a below-par display in the third quarter when they were unable to take advantage of two yellow cards for their opponents: centre Joe Margetts for a dangerous tackle and number 8 John Kelly after a fracas between the forwards.
After working well in the first half, the Jersey lineout malfunctioned on several occasions, and the most promising scoring opportunity saw a maul taken down amid claims from the home side that ball-carrier Harris had been illegally tackled.
As the game moved into the closing stages, the Reds were on the back foot, with a mounting tally of penalties eventually seeing the departure of replacement prop Adam Nicol to the sin-bin.
After a number of near-misses, full-back Harry Davey crossed for his side’s second try with four minutes remaining, but Olver’s conversion from 15 to 20 metres left of the posts blew across the target, leaving his side 19-12 adrift.
Bennett’s restart went dead to boost the visitors’ prospects of another score, which eventually came as prop Mark Wilson burrowed over.
Olver’s kick was around five metres closer to the posts than his previous attempt but, as home defenders charged out, the ball was hooked wide, and that was that.
