JERSEY’S Royals RFC have begun their Harvey’s Brewery Counties 3 Sussex campaign with an impressive 21-10 away win over Barns Green.
Team manager Ollie De La Cloche said: “Overall, I’m really happy with the lads’ performance.
“They executed moves we have been practising in pre-season, and throughout the game their pure determination, fitness and strength really showed.”
“It was a performance from the whole squad.”
Despite conceding five points at the start of the game through a lineout, the Islanders picked themselves up and went on the attack.
Player of the match Billy Mullins was able to capitalise on his team’s forward momentum and put one down under the posts to give an easy conversion for Jersey RFC squad member Callum Cuthbert and take the Royals ahead in the game.
The Blues kept pressing forwards. However, they “weren’t clinical enough” to put any more scores on the board in the first half.
The beginning of the second 40 minutes proved no different to the first.
Pressure was firmly being placed on the home side and first to break through was Ben Pearson, who was given the chance to showcase his speed.
Leaving the Barns Green backs in the dust, Pearson grounded another ball inside the home team’s goal area.
It was another easy conversion for Cuthbert.
Rounding off the scoring for the visitors was another solid effort from full-back Mullins, converted yet again by Cuthbert.
This time, the prolonged attack and hard runs from the Royals forwards set a solid platform so the ball could be played out to Mullins on the wing.
He was comfortably able to breeze past the final defender, put another five down under the sticks for his team and taking his personal tally to ten.
Barns Green were able to scrape a last minute try at the death, however it was not enough to dampen the Royals’ parade taking the victory home.
After an uneventful middle-of-the-table finish last season Royals have started their 2024/25 season off on the right foot.
Having bolstered their coaching staff and adding a couple of JRFC players to their line-up, the boys in blue will be looking to keep up the positive momentum.
Royals RFC Squad: [1-15] Sam Dillon, Tristan Burn, Cam Spencer, Conor Bisson-Mercury, Harvey Evans, Lewis Ham-Howes, Curtis Stanier, JJ Le Feuvre (vc), Callum Cuthbert, Ben Pearson, Piers Brandie, Hugo Reid, Will Hodgson, Pearse Moloney (c), Billy Mullins. Replacements: Cam Haliwell, Conor Devenny, Ross Williamson, Zac La Marquand.
