Sharp greens confident of gaining revenge win

GUERNSEY are confident of causing an upset in Sunday's annual inter-insular clash. Jersey are the trophy-holders in the encounter for players from the JRA/ Emeraude Lines League but the Sarnians are out to avenge that defeat on home soil.

'We lost last year, but our preparations this time have probably been better. The lads are up for it and are looking sharp in training,' said Stef Bampton, who has organised the team alongside Nico Gardner and Steve Hale. The last-named has been the main coach to the squad.

'Steve is a very good motivator - he seems to know how to get the best out of everyone,' said Bampton, one of seven St Jacques players in the Guernsey 22.

'We should be strong in the scrum, line-out and set pieces. The key to the game will be defence.'

Although the Siam Cup is the biggest highlight of the Channel Islands rugby calendar, the inter-insular has a special significance for those involved.

It is the one game of the season when players from different clubs join forces to form an island XV and Bampton emphasised the importance in just four words: 'This is representative rugby.'

'We will probably start as slight underdogs because the JRUFC second team is very strong and United Banks are doing well in the Hampshire Plate.

'But we probably know each other a little bit better because we are picking from just a couple of sides; they are picking from four.

'If they have got a more disparate group of people coming together, it might be more difficult for them to gel,' Bampton added.

Guernsey v. Jersey will kick off at 12.30pm at either KGV or the Garenne Stand, depending on the weather. The Sarnians are hoping to play at the Foote's Lane venue.