Another bonus-point win keeps Raiders on top

A fifth win in a row, 31-7 away to Tring on Saturday, kept Guernsey at the top of London & South-East Premier and on track to achieve the goal of picking up bonus-point victories in all remaining games set after their early-January loss to Rochford Hundred, who remain level on 93 points with Jordan Reynolds’ men but second on points difference.

On a very blustery day in Aylesbury, where the game was moved to with Tring’s home ground waterlogged, Raiders blew hot-and-cold on the 4G pitch.

Their hosts had the elements at their backs in the first half, but Guernsey scored all the points in the first 40 minutes.

Scrum-half Jake O’Connor got the ball rolling with a sniping try after his forwards had parked themselves on the Tring line for a prolonged period.

On the half-hour, Doug Horrocks made a decisive break out of his half before releasing Luke Sayer, whose deft pass sent Anthony Armstrong over to score.

The other Armstrong brother – Matt – then took several defenders over the line with him when he added a third try before the break to make it 17-0 to Raiders at half-time.

In the second half, Raiders were without injury victims Tom Teasdale and Dom Rice, which forced a reshuffle and allowed Tring to exploit a hole in the green-and-white defence to narrow the deficit with a converted try.

But Guernsey started to take advantage of having the wind at their backs and eventually a sustained drive from the forwards resulted in the all-important fourth try, scored by Layton Batiste driving over from close range, to secure the bonus point.

Cameron Craine put the icing on the cake with a fifth try on a day when Owen Thomas converted three in tough conditions.