WATCH: Raiders run riot and Vikings promoted on try-filled afternoon

There were close to 1,000 in the Garenne Stand as Guernsey Raiders beat Old Albanians 53-41 in a highly-entertaining game to climb above their visitors in National Two South after St Jacques Vikings had thumped Chichester Seconds 108-15 – a result that confirmed their promotion to Counties One Hampshire next season.

The two home sides were wearing their away colours, which represent each other as Raiders donned yellow-and-black after the Vikings had run out in green-and-white, as part of the initiative to show their close relationship – and it also allowed Jordan Reynolds to crack a joke afterwards, too.

‘I think having St Jacques colours, we took their discipline with us today,’ said a chuckling Guernsey director of rugby.

‘But no, it’s great to get the crowd today, it’s great to get the two wins, two big wins as well, and I think it just shows how connected the two clubs are at the moment.

‘Trying to now picture when St Jacques and us were separate, we had Seconds that were failing, they [St Jacques] were about to fold and now look at this. We’re two powerhouses and it’s really working well together, which is great.’

Reynolds saw his Raiders side score seven tries in their bonus-point victory that took them into the top 10 in National Two South.

‘Attack-wise it was good from us. I thought defensively we were good, but the last 10 minutes probably dropped off,’ he said.

‘If you look at the first half it wasn’t our defence that let them in for tries, it was the discipline... and they’re a good outfit.

‘We’re talking about trying to change certain parts of our game and we needed answers today, not questions, and I think we’ve probably gone 80% of the way there.

‘It’s hard to review a game like that because you turn around and say 80% of what we did was excellent. It’s just that 20% of those little blocks that we’ve got to put in now to make sure we’re building each week.’

• Read a full match report on Monday’s Press