Confidence boosted by wins

THERE was double success for the Guernsey Mini/ Youth Rugby Club when the under-13s and under-14s got their season under way in Jersey. The matches against their Caesarean counterparts were important warm-up fixtures for the forthcoming Hampshire Cup first round and proved to be confidence-boosters for both age groups.

For the first time, the under-13s were playing a full 15-a-side match and Guernsey ran out 22-5 winners.

'This is the first time we have beaten Jersey for three years and reflects the hard work the boys have put in during the early weeks of the season,' said coach Nigel Smith.

'The forwards, following a brief training session with their Jersey counterparts, performed particularly well and provided a solid platform to enable Rhys Beard to run in four tries in a 22-5 win.

'We have a Hampshire Cup game to look forward to now and hope to build on this excellent start to the season,' he added.

The under-14s picked up from where they left off at the end of last season when the beat Jersey in their annual Siam Cup fixture.

Callum Robilliard and Tom Godfrey scored a try apiece in the 12-5 victory with Rory Moriarty adding the other two points thanks to a conversion.

'It was a good start to the season and while being pleased with the team, there is a lot of work needed to be done before the first cup game in two weeks' time,' said coach John Wood.

'Our defence kept getting sucked in and, as a result, Jersey had overlaps on three or four occasions, which could have led to defeat if they had spun the ball wide. In addition, we are slow at getting to the breakdown and are losing too much ball in the rucks and mauls.

'But it was a good start to the season and I am confident we can sort these problems out quickly,' he added.

Wood, Smith and the other club coaches have new shirts this season for easy identification, sponsored by HSBC.