Early try raises false hopes

Jersey 52, Guernsey 5

GUERNSEY coach Rob Box was philosophical about the drubbing handed out to a select Guernsey XV in the annual inter-island clash at St Peter for players outside the main clubs' first XVs. 'Jersey were fitter than we were, they were better drilled and we just ran out of steam,' he said.

'I don't think the final score was a fair reflection of the game, but while Jersey seem to have a constant number of youngsters coming through, we've very few to choose from.'

Jersey coach Mark White added that he was impressed by the way his side had come together.

'Despite not having played as a team before, other than in training, I was surprised how quickly they gelled as a unit,' he said, adding that although neither side had the advantage in the first 15 minutes, the longer the game went on, the more it was Jersey's for the taking.

In fact, Guernsey scored the first try in the first quarter when a powerful run by Harry Le Masurier led to an unconverted try.

As Jersey were losing the ball too frequently at the lineout, the Guernsey No. 10, Alec Bailey, began to play a kicking game, using the wind and the slope to keep Jersey pinned back.

It wasn't to last, however, as Jersey's more organised and fitter team had taken control by the 25th minute and after that never looked back.

Their first try, by fullback Chris de Figueiredo, was made by fly half Tim de Gruchy, who broke clear before passing to Jason Hosty on the outside and his clinical pass was gathered by de Figueiredo who ran over.

Thereafter Guernsey were always on the back foot and three tries - two to Jersey United Banks' captain Ivan Murphy and another from Jon Brennan, with a solitary conversion by Tom Newman - made it 22-5 in Jersey's favour at half-time.

After that, Jersey had the wind and slope in their favour and although Guernsey kept them at bay for the first 10 minutes in the second half, once Owen Woolgar had barged his way through in the 50th minute to make it 27-5, the game was as good as over.

Woolgar was to score the last try of the match but, in the meantime, the backs helped themselves to 20 points with de Gruchy scoring twice, fellow three-quarter Matt Leech scoring in the corner and No. 12 Dan Ireland scoring just to the left of the posts.

Both Leech's try and Ireland's came about following slick handling followed by scrappy attempts to tackle by Guernsey.

But in truth the referee, James Gregory (Hampshire), could have ended the game at any time after 70 minutes, so dispirited were the Guernsey side by then.