RAMPAGING Jersey RFC Women could get one step closer to sealing promotion tomorrow, with head coach Simon Le Moignan admitting they are already preparing for a much tougher season after this one.
Jersey are flying high at the top of NC 2 South East (South) with four matches left to play and a 17-point gap ahead of second place Seaford.
The next three of those four games are at home, meaning it is likely that the team will be celebrating in front of a potential full house of friends, family and fans.
First though, they need to take care of Beccehamian tomorrow.
“If we get two wins in the next two games, it should be pretty much done and dusted,” said Le Moignan.
“Next season starts now. We have to keep the foot down on the throttle and start implementing things now.
“We’re already being realistic about next season when we go up a league, which is encouraging. We know it’s not going to be as easy. They’ll be more structure, which will help, but we’re not expecting to win every game or win by such big margins.
“But it’s the same thing for the boys too and that makes it exciting for the whole club,” he added, with the men’s sides fortunes running parallel with the women, so much so that both sides could clinch promotion next weekend.
Jersey took Beccehamian apart when the two sides met in south-east London last month, winning 59-17. Georgina Ruellan was in fine fettle, scoring three of the eight tries, with another hat-trick scored by debutant Seren Coombs – however neither feature in tomorrow’s matchday squad.
“They were quite strong in the pack last time, so we’ll need to match them and then hope our back line can get the ball out to our pacier players on the wings and exploit them down the flanks,” continued Le Moignan.
“Kerry Bisson-Mercury will do her normal thing at 12 and chuck the ball up for us.
“Our back five of the pack always carry hard and then we’ve proven week in and week out how much fitter and stronger we are, so we’ve just got to make sure that we function and do what we need to do and not worry too much about the opposition.”
Jersey RFC Women [1-15]: Nicole Rodrigues-Ferreira, Lucy Hart, Kirsten Slatter, Willow Le Luan, Helen Papworth, Abbie Syvret, Kim Vallance, Andi Vaughan, Ashling Magner, Laura Turpin, Tina Davies, Kerry Bisson-Mercury, Bethan Hughes, Claudia McGuigan, Kim Hacquoil. Replacements: Hannah Le Moignan, Frankie Vautier, Beth Rosser, Emily Hart, Lisa Saout.
NC 2 South East (South)
P W D L F A Diff Pts
Jersey 10 9 0 1 344 78 266 47
Seaford 8 5 0 3 193 139 54 30
Worthing 9 4 0 5 94 311 -217 30
Sutton&Epsom II 9 5 0 4 287 237 50 29
Beccehamian 7 3 0 4 167 214 -47 22
Crawley 10 2 0 8 197 321 -124 18*
Beckenham II 10 4 0 6 184 156 28 17**
East Grinstead 7 3 0 4 135 145 -10 15*
*= -5 **= -10,
