Jersey get desperate

GUERNSEY coach Colin McLatchie has called his Jersey counterpart Dai Burton 'desperate' after Jersey signed New Zealand rugby star Nathan Kemp in a bid to regain the Siam Cup. The 27-year-old 6ft tall, 16.5-stone hooker from Auckland, has represented his country at schoolboy level and was captain of the Manawatu provincial team that lost heavily to the British and Irish Lions in the summer.

He had been turning out for Bradford and Bingley in National League Three North this winter and he arrived in Jersey recently together with fly half Sam Cummins to play until the end of the season.

Cummins has more than 60 national league appearances to his name for Bingley's first team.

'I really don't know what to make of it,' said McLatchie.

'He's a desperate man. He's desperate to get hold of some more firepower.

'Kemp is a player everyone knows but I've never heard of this Cummins. My guys are pretty amused by it all.

'I don't know the ins and outs of it all, but at the end of the day, if they feel they need to get these players and they have got the money, then good luck to them.'

A Tongan under-21 flanker is another Bees player also reportedly on his way to Jersey.

Another Tongan, a scrum half, was also due to join up with his three former teammates, but his Jersey permit was refused on the grounds that he is still a student.

According to Burton, no money has changed hands between the club and the new players who were tapped up following a chat with a Jersey resident who has connections with the Yorkshire club.

All had become surplus to requirements at the national division club.

'The Tongans and the Kiwi are out of season in their countries anyway, so they'll be with us until May,' said the Jersey coach.

'We're not paying them and I expect they'll get part-time jobs while they're over here.'

Both Kemp and Cummins made their debut in Jersey's 24-26 defeat at the hands of Portsmouth in Saturday's London Two South match. Kemp showed himself to be a class act while Cummins looked rusty.

Guernsey took the Siam Cup out of Jersey's hands for the first time in a decade last year when they pulled off a sensational 28-24 victory at St Peter.

It could be coincidence that the new players have been brought in to bolster the side for the most important piece of silverware in the Channel Islands rugby calendar.

'The timing of it is funny: why didn't he bring them at the start of the season and not at Christmas?' said McLatchie.

'Also the positions he's picked are the positions that came under fire last year. The guys are looking forward to locking horns with them and are looking forward to the challenge.

'They have got to come and play on our patch this year.'

Not to be outdone by Jersey, McLatchie also announced Guernsey's own new signing in the form of Swansea's Shaun Crabb.

The 6ft fly half landed in the island yesterday and is a former Morriston Rugby Club teammate of the first team's front rowers, brothers Paul and Steve Thomas.

Hooker Paul claims that Crabb will be a worthy addition to the squad. 'Shaun's a nice little player,' said Thomas.

'He's lean, fit and can kick the ball a country mile.'

Thomas says he is up for the challenge which Kemp and the others will pose in the Siam.

'I take it as a big complement that Jersey have got these players in,' said the Welshman.

'Facing Kemp is another challenge. I'm looking forward to it.

'It puts fire in the belly.'