Bloem and Smit put the SA into Sarnian victory

Jersey 24, Guernsey 28

WHAT a way to compensate for missing out on a league title. Winning London Four South-West at the first attempt would have been an amazing achievement, but lifting the Siam Cup undoubtedly ensures that this talented group will go down in the annals of Guernsey Rugby Club folklore. After all, it is only the 11th time in 65 contests that the club has tasted success.

A decade had past since Sarnians were last able to celebrate beating Jersey. The way the visiting supporters were rocking at 5pm at St Peter on Saturday suggested that the party could last all year.

Most of the current squad have not been in Guernsey for very long, certainly not since 1995, but they know just how important victory is to the island.

Matt Morgan, who has lived here for only a year, stood proudly holding the beautiful trophy and muttered, 'what a day. All the prestige this thing carries with it - superb'.

The victory was for Guernsey, but it was made in South Africa.

While all the 17 players who featured for the green-and-whites were heroes in their own right, the Springbok half-back combination of Willoughby Bloem and TJ Smit gave them the edge.

The scrum half had a first touch in Siam rugby that he will want to forget as he totally fluffed his kick-off, which barely advanced three yards into the Jersey half. Fortunately, it was not a sign of things to come.

The visitors managed to build some momentum in the opening exchanges, stealing Jersey's opening line-out and producing some good first-up tackling.

However, the scrum did not get off to the best of starts and when Guernsey were penalised for a collapsed set piece, Darren Toudic made the most of the opportunity to open the scoring with three points.

The green-and-whites were deservedly back on level terms within a few minutes, though, as Smit punished the Caesareans for being caught offside with a crisp right-foot strike from the Jersey 10m line.

They continued to enjoy more territorial advantage for the next quarter-of-an-hour but both sides' handling was erratic, with knock-ons frequently frustrating the supporters in another large Siam crowd.

On 26min. Jersey came into the ascendancy with the catalyst being Steve O'Brien's barnstorming run from the base of a scrum.

The hosts started powering their way down the left flank with Guernsey forced into conceding several penalties in quick succession.

The pressure finally told when, from another line-out, Matt Davenport-Brown came in from his wing on the crash ball and got to within a couple of metres of the line. It took three defenders to bring him to a halt, which left an inviting overlap to the right of which Brett Els took grateful advantage to barge over. Toudic added the conversion to make it 10-3.

Guernsey's response was encouraging and before half-time they had cut the deficit to four points thanks to Smit's second penalty.

However, the second half started ominously for the visitors as Jersey executed an immense catch and drive from their own line-out on Guernsey's 22 and when the maul finally went down a few metres from the line, the pass went right to hooker Doc Snook who reached over for the try. Toudic's superb touchline conversion extended the lead to 11 points.

But then came the match-defining moment.

James Regnard must have done something in the ruck to have incensed Roger Quirk to the extent which it did, but the Jersey lock should not have taken matters into his own hands in flattening the Guernsey back-rower from behind with the whistle having already gone.

International referee Donal Courtney was only a few paces from the incident and felt he had no option but to issue a red card to Quirk.

Smit successfully converted the resultant penalty but the hosts hit back strongly, despite being down to 14.

The Guernsey fly half sent a 22 drop-out straight into touch and from the following scrum, Jersey worked the ball both ways through several phases until a gap eventually opened up for Davenport-Brown to exploit.

The winger touched down underneath the posts to give Toudic a simple kick and Guernsey were staring another painful defeat in the face at 24-9.

However, the tide was about to turn and Jersey's ranks were about to be reduced further.

The Sarnians were back pressurising the Jersey line, keeping it tight in the forwards and driving on when the otherwise impressive O'Brien illegally stopped their progress. Courtney sent him to the sin-bin for his 'professional foul'.

Guernsey made their two-man advantage count almost immediately.

From the back of a five-metre scrum, Bloem and Morgan both made attempts for the line before the ball was spun left to skipper Carl Johnson and he crashed through a tackle and dived beneath the posts. Smit's conversion brought Guernsey to within eight points with 19 minutes remaining.

Only a wonderful covering tackle from fullback Gareth Jeffreys prevented another score seven minutes later after Bloem brilliantly disrupted opposite number Dave Miles at the base of a scrum just inside the Guernsey half and broke away with Smit in support. The fly half received the pass but was brought down just a few yards from the line.

The wait for the second try would be only a few more seconds, though, as Bloem repeated his scrum antics on Miles five metres out, snatched the ball and powered over.

The difficult conversion chance was missed but at 24-21, Guernsey were now within striking distance.

O'Brien's return and the introduction of the imposing Matt Banahan from the bench did nothing to stop the visitors' momentum.

With four minutes of regulation time left, the comeback was complete.

Bloem, who seemed to get quicker, sharper and stronger as the game went on, attacked from the base of another scrum. Showing his acute awareness of the smallest gap, he burst through the first line of Jersey defence and raced away.

As ever, Smit was on his shoulder to receive the pass and a delightful step off his left saw him beat the last man and leave him with a short jog to the posts. The conversion was simple but vital as it put a four-point margin between the teams.

Three tries had come in the space of 15 minutes. Guernsey were on the verge of a historic victory while Jersey were totally deflated.

Even though Courtney played a total of eight more minutes - four for injuries - the hosts never looked like being able to reply. This was not going to be their day and they knew it.

Guernsey were giants in defence, from the pack right through to the back three of Zac Ferbrache, Paul Livesey and Jim Elliott. Although not in the limelight for their try-scoring this time, their efforts were heroic.

Just momentarily, the final whistle was met with disbelief.

But the sudden swarm of green-and-white supporters who engulfed the team within seconds reassured the players that they were not dreaming.

They had made history.