Regnard and Patten give crowd plenty to cheer

Guernsey 13, KCS Old Boys 8

TWO moments of magic lit up Foote's Lane on Saturday afternoon. Although Guernsey's all-round team performance deserved the points, it was pieces of individual brilliance from James Regnard and Cameron Patten that won them the game against a stubborn KCS Old Boys outfit.

To be honest, Sarnian supporters have come to expect of the big number eight exactly what he produced.

There was concern in the third minute when Regnard required treatment to a knock to his shoulder and almost every time he rose from the floor, he seemed to do so gingerly.

But when called upon to carry the ball, he did so with typical relish and at no time more so than his fabulous score after 35 minutes.

At that point, the teams were locked at 3-3 after Nick Barton's penalty had cancelled out Richard Shakespeare's opening kick, with the KCS centre missing another shot at goal.

The try originated from a Guernsey line-out on their opponents' 22 with Laurence Hill-Tout finding Peter Miers in a combination that worked efficiently all afternoon.

However, the wayward pass from Rob Brazier eluded his half-back partner, Jordan Reynalds, and Regnard had to clean up the loose ball.

Once he had done that, he went on the rampage and his bulldozing run towards the left-hand corner left a trail of defenders in his wake as half-a-dozen visitors were emphatically handed off.

For a split second it looked as if Regnard would pass to the supporting Will Wyatt, but his look changed to one of 'why should you have the glory?' and he carried the covering fullback over the line with him.

If that was a try about sheer, unadulterated power, Patten's seven minutes later on the stroke of half-time was down to sublime skill.

It all started with the Hill-Tout-to-Miers line-out combination on halfway on Guernsey's right.

Brazier and Reynalds worked the ball to their inside centre, who executed a delightful show-and-go to open up a huge gap in the KCS defence.

With the covering defence to beat, Patten chipped over them and collected the ball, then galloped to the line.

It was a try worthy of winning any game and it turned out to be the decisive score.

The majority of the second half was an even contest played out almost exclusively between the 22m lines.

It was not until the 77th minute that the next points were put onto the board and they came totally out of the blue as, with Guernsey in possession, Shakespeare suddenly appeared with the ball having intercepted a pop pass and he had a clear run to the line. Unfortunately for him, he missed the relatively simple conversion.

In the dying moments, having just failed from 30 yards out, Barton had the chance to put the game beyond doubt with a penalty inside the KCS 22 after Simon Sharrott's awesome tackle put the visitors on the back foot. However, the flanker's kick drifted wide, although the crowd's groans soon turned to cheers as the final whistle was blown.

'In the first half we played some really controlled rugby and deserved to be leading,' said Guernsey captain Andy Bailey.

'It was a shame that we could not build on it in the second half, but fair play to KCS, they stuck at it and proved once again that there are no easy games in this league.

'But we won the game, which is what it is all about. The most pleasing aspect was our good defence. Their try was from an interception and that can happen. Otherwise, we did not really allow them close to our line.

'We have just got to put our attacking play together now. As long as the defence is there, you have the foundation to build on.'