Seconds thankful to Gardner for reviving Bachmann Cup

ST JACQUES were the first winners of the Bachmann Christmas Cup 15 years ago in the distant days when the all-blacks could give the Guernsey first XV a run for their money and occasionally beat them. But a bit like St Jacques, the Bachmann Cup has lost its gloss to the extent that it was not even contested for three seasons until Nico Gardner revived it this festive period.

That the St Jacques Veterans were in the final at all was something of a surprise.

Yet, they managed to draw with their first team and by the rules of the competition the away side - the Vets - went through to the final to meet a far more youthful and spritely Guernsey 2nds, who had beaten their own veterans.

To add to the blacks' already mammoth task the Guernsey camp chose to give a number of first-team regulars a run-out, albeit from the replacement bench in the case of the likes of Andy Bailey, who ran in the last of 10 tries, and Paul Livesey.

St Jacques did well enough in the forwards, but they had no answer to the pace of the Guernsey backs.

It took less than minute for the home side to score, Will Wyatt flying over on the right flank for the first try.

Alec Bailey's first conversion attempt struck an upright on a morning when his kicking was strangely inconsistent: kick the hard ones and miss the easy.

By half-time Mark Stone, Bailey, prop Russ Roberts, Rob Deweson and Stone again had added further tries for a 36-0 lead and at that point one feared for the blacks.

Would 100 points be recorded?

To their credit, the blacks dug in and restricted the home side to just four more scores, all the result of good handling across the backs and vital pace on the wings.

Among the scorers was colt Mark Salisbury, who went over twice in the one-sided contest ended with an Andy Bailey score just after Lee James had forced his way over for a consolation try.