Crouse control

Guernsey 34, Romsey 3

GUERNSEY answered their coach's call for entertainment by running in six tries against the league's bottom side at a parky Foote's Lane. Just as importantly, they found themselves a new South African starlet in scrum-half Divan Crouse and two more points which takes the green-and-whites ever nearer the title and promotion.

Guernsey were ahead inside five minutes - Crouse making an instant impression - and coach Rob Box knew from that moment his team were not going to struggle this time around.

'I knew from the first five minutes we were going to win,' said Box, who could scarely hide his delight at unearthing a potential new star in the diminutive Crouse.

'He's only a little guy but he gave as good as he got. He's got a great pass and Stuart Lloyd-Jones enjoys getting good ball like he provided. Straight away he wanted to keep the game going. He's a great little find.'

Crouse had two fellow Springboks on the field by the end.

Louw Brand, the man who scored the winning try against Old Paulines last week, played his first full game in a Guernsey shirt and impressed at full-back.

So, too, did replacement G. H. Smid, who looked comfortable at inside centre.

Meanwhile, rumours abounded that another young South African, perhaps the best yet to appear on these shores and already making his mark for St Jacques, may soon be wearing the green and white colours.

Guernsey, though, would do well not to get too carried away.

Romsey looked every inch a bottom-of-the-table outfit and the Sarnians were not overly impressive in the front five.

Box, though, said he was happy with the performance of his forwards.

'We wanted to work off a platform created by the front five and I think they did a good job. We had good quick ruck ball and we're starting to pull the backs and the forwards together,' added the coach.

Right from the off, the impish Crouse was causing problems, working off the back of a scrum and nearly scoring in the corner.

In Guernsey's next attack, Crouse was involved in some neat passing and Lloyd-Jones provided the decisive pass to Iain Johnston to score in the left corner.

The fly half slotted a superb conversion from distance and Guernsey had just the sort of start they needed to settle the nerves.

It was soon 12-0.

Paul Livesey charged down an attempted touchline kick by full-back Alexander and, having kicked well ahead, outstripped Romsey's remaining cover to dive on the ball just before it ran dead.

Johnston soon bowed out with a troublesome hamstring but Guernsey added a third score.

James Regnard, back at No. 8 with Matt Morgan injured, finished off a great backs' move initiated by Andy Bailey's jinking little run. For the second time in a few minutes, Lloyd-Jones was unlucky with his conversion attempt.

By the time Regnard added a fourth try with two dismissive hand-offs and a crash through the full-back's attempted tackle, Guernsey had introduced Lawrence Hill-Tout to the front row in place of an injured Russ Roberts.

This time the fly half converted for a 24-0 half-time lead.

Disappointingly, Guernsey were nowhere near as fluent after the resumption.

Alexander slotted a penalty, having already missed one, and Guernsey's backs were no longer getting the good ball they enjoyed in the first period.

But after 15min. of stop-start action, the home crowd were treated to the try of the match. Skipper Carl Johnson picked up the ball 15 metres inside his own half and spotting a hole, moved up two gears and hared through for a fantastic score in the corner.

But there was an even bigger cheer reserved for the final five-pointer of the afternoon, prop Dave McGall popping up on the left touchline to make the final few metres for a rare try.