JERSEY RFC Women are “embracing the pressure” that has come with leading Women’s NC 2 South East (South), according to their head coach.
The Islanders returned from the mainland with their second win in as many games to begin 2024, as they beat Beckenham Ladies II 17-5 after conceding the first points.
Victory extends Jersey’s advantage at the summit to eight points over Seaford Ladies, who have a game in hand on Simon Le Moignan’s side.
He said: “It sounds like a broken record, but if you get your defence right, it becomes very difficult for teams to take any points off us.
“We have done very well all season with reducing the opposition’s points each game.
“If we lay the foundations with our defence, it takes a lot of the scoring pressure off in attack and allows the girls to play flowing rugby.
Despite what looked like a comfortable victory in the end, it was Beckenham who opened the scoring.
The physical hosts asserted early and crossed the whitewash within the opening ten minutes.
Little did they know, it would be the only time during the contest they would score any points.
Jersey’s typically dominant scrum took hold, with Abbie Syvret the beneficiary of some stylish offloads.
The ball found Syvret ten metres out and the forward bulldozed her way through the heart of the Beckenham defence to level the score.
The Islanders continued to assert and after sustained pressure in the Beckenham half, they got their reward.
Bethan Hughes picked the ball out another successful scrum and found Kelly Bertram, via Ashling Magner.
The latter picked the ball from a ruck and found winger Georgina Ruellen, who put on the afterburners to score under the posts.
Magner added the extras to extend the lead to seven.
Despite the Caesareans’ dominance, the contest hung in the balance until the dying embers, when again the speed of Ruellen carved apart the Beckenham defence.
Her try added the finishing touches on another successful day for Le Moignan’s side.
He added: “Dan Barnes, who helps the team, made a really good point after the game, saying: ‘We are top of the log pile, everyone’s going to be gunning for us.’
“So naturally there is some added pressure that comes with being the hunted, rather than the hunters.
“But the whole group is embracing that tag. If anything they are rising to the occasion and seem to get better under the cosh.
“There is an attitude that we want to stay here. We want to cement this and really make a statement.
“Despite focusing on the job at hand this season, we really want to win convincingly with scoring well and also being defensively sound.
“As a group we want promotion and we are aware that it will be a harder proposition as we progress up the leagues.
“We will experience losses and some really tough games. The squad have taken it upon themselves to have the mentality that next season begins now.”
With Jersey RFC women’s and men’s teams both at the top of their respective league tables, there is every hope they can celebrate a double promotion success in what has been a tempestuous year for the St Peter-based club.
“Both the men and women’s sides are on the same page.
“We have our sights fixed on a double promotion and also trying to complete a clean sweep in the Siam Cup like last year.
“There is no doubt that the past few months have been really difficult for the club after losing the Reds, but we want to continue our amateur legacy and give the supporters of Jersey rugby a reason to celebrate.”
Jersey are back on the road again this coming Saturday, to face Beccehamian Ladies, who currently occupy fifth place.
Jersey RFC Women: Nicole Rodrigues-Ferreira, Hannah Le Moignan, Holly Bertram, Abbie Syvret, Emilie Langlands, Ella Vieira, Katie de la Cloche (c), Lucy Hart, Bethan Hughes, Ashling Magner, Tina Davies, Kerry Bisson-Mercury, Georgina Ruellan, Claudia McGuigan, Kimberley Hacquoil. Replacements: Beckie Vautier, Becka Hunter, Saskia Martins, Lisa Saout.
Women’s NC 2 South East (South)
P W D L PF PA Diff Pts Adj
Jersey RFC Women 7 6 0 1 226 49 177 31
Seaford Ladies 6 4 0 2 122 99 23 23
Worthing Warriors 7 3 0 4 89 252 -163 23
Sutton & Epsom Ladies II 7 3 0 4 233 203 30 20
Beccehamian Ladies 6 3 0 3 150 155 -5 20
Crawley Ladies 7 2 0 5 178 276 -98 19
Beckenham Ladies II 9 4 0 5 179 126 53 14 -10
East Grinstead Ladies 5 2 0 3 90 107 -17 8 -5
