Encouraging signs in defeat from depleted Raiders team

Despite having to deal with a lengthy injury list, Guernsey pushed their top-three visitors to the limit, but ultimately paid the price for a costly 10 minutes period at the start of the second half in a narrow 31-29 defeat.

However, in the circumstances, head coach Jordan Reynolds was proud of his patched-up team’s performance, which was rewarded with two bonus points.

‘Really good first half from us – I mean, really good all round from us for the game,’ he said.

‘Knowing that we were down a few players this week, we talked before the game about going on a journey together to rebuild our brand of rugby, and it all stemmed around having a big defensive display.

‘All these young guys that came on and played today, Tom Yarwood, guys like that, they all stepped up really well.

'And once we got on top of them in that first half, it just looked like one-way traffic, which was fantastic to see.

‘Second half, we talked about just being strong defensively and just staying on the right side of the referee, and in seven minutes we gave away eight penalties and a yellow card, and they got two tries in that time – and that was pretty much the difference of the game.

'After that we got back on top, but it was already two tries and then two points from there.’

Raiders led 15-5 at half-time before that turnaround at the start of the second half saw them playing catch-up.

In the end they fell just short, but two tries from Anthony Armstrong and one each for Martinas Dromantas and Niall McGann earned them the four-try bonus point as well as the one for finishing within seven of the opposition.

‘Dorking are a quality side,’ said Reynolds.

‘They had five Premiership guys playing in their outfit today and we’ve got a string of injuries that we’re dealing with, but that performance was really encouraging to me. We got two points out of it, which will always be really helpful towards the end.

‘But it’s about bigger things as well. I hate seeing this Raiders team where we lost to Colchester, games that we should walk through. Over the last 20-odd years, we’ve looked at this team to be a bit of an inspiration to achieve things that you possibly can’t and I think that was a bit of a let down for us. But today I think we’re back on that track, which is really positive.

‘I think honestly the biggest difference was probably the set-piece. We had a couple of penalties against us at scrum time where they got momentum, but we didn’t win a lot of line-out ball, and that was probably the difference of it. But I think through during phase play we were the far better side, which was so pleasing to see because it just means that after the last couple of weeks, we’re on the up.’

As well as the try-scorers, the coach also gave a special mention for the continuing excellence of their stalwart hooker.

‘Tom Ceillam at the moment, for me is just on a different planet, the way he’s playing. His 60 minutes made a huge difference to us, which was really great.’

Another big positive was the return to action of co-captain Dom Rice, who came off the bench to play the final quarter of the game having recovered from the dislocated ankle and fractured fibula he suffered in October.

‘Everything went okay, which is always good, and I think within about three minutes, he’d got into a scuffle with their seven so the old Dom’s back,’ Reynolds said.