Barnes 36
Tries: Nicholson, Henry, Branfield, Glover, Birch, Musa
Conversions: Nicholson 3
Guernsey Raiders 14
Tries: Dromantas, C McGann
Conversions: C McGann 2
With one eye on next month’s big match with Jersey, and with National Two East status confirmed for another year, the Guernsey director of rugby fielded a much-changed team from the one that narrowly lost to Canterbury the previous weekend.
Raiders were also carrying a number of injuries, prompting Reynolds to play Jonathon Dawe and Niall McGann in the back row.
‘It was a little bit of a case of giving some boys a run out,’ said Reynolds.
‘We also had a few guys with niggles from last week. Niall plays in the centres and that was his first time at flanker. We played Dawesy at eight as well.
‘I think they all stepped up well. They were physical and we had to be too. Obviously, these games are important, but we’ve got Siam Cup coming at the moment, and what we’re trying to do is build maximum game time into everyone so we can make the right selections come 16 May.’
In glorious sunshine and with something of an end-of-season feel, the green-and-whites were soon 7-0 down through a defensive lapse in their own 22 when a quickly taken penalty by William Nicholson resulted in the Barnes fly-half going over for an easy try, which he duly converted.
However, when Barnes shortly afterwards found themselves down to 13 players due to two separate deliberate knock-ons in quick succession, Raiders took advantage to level things.
With several phases of play near their opponents’ try line, prop Martinas Dromantas eventually bundled the ball over and Ciaran McGann neatly took care of the conversion.
But when the home side returned to full strength, they began to assert some control over the proceedings, especially at the line-out.
And it was from a well-worked line-out that Barnes scored their second try when their marauding centre Joseph Henry burst through the Raiders lines to score in the corner.
Barnes added a third try when winger Matthew Branfield ran in from distance, to see the visitors go in at half-time 19-7 down.
Reynolds made wholesale changes at the break, swapping the entire front row and bringing on Charlie Wilkinson for Niall McGann at flanker.
It was Wilkinson’s first appearance since rupturing his ACL earlier in the league campaign.
‘Great to see him back on the park,’ said Reynolds.
‘No one ever likes to see these major injuries at the start of the season. He’s a good player, so hopefully we can give him some more minutes next week.’
Barnes added a fourth try shortly after the restart, through winger Jacques Birch.
And when Raiders’ Matt Armstrong was yellow-carded and Ciaran McGann followed him to the sin bin a couple of minutes later, both for late tackles, the Londoners exploited the space with a cross-field kick at a penalty to Jack Glover on the flank to notch up another five points.
With the clock ticking down and back at full strength, another quickly taken penalty and deft grubber kick from substitute scrum half Samuel Boyland, saw Ciaran McGann pick up the bouncing ball for a well-deserved try for the Sarnians.
What looked like a consolation try was soon dashed when Barnes scored on the stroke of the final whistle, when Adam Musa got on the end of a high ball.
‘It was a game of two halves, wasn’t it?’ said a reflective Reynolds.
‘I think the pen count was against Barnes in the first half and that swung pretty quickly in the second half for us. But I don’t think the score reflected where the game was at.
‘It was a good battle between the two sides.
'Barnes deserved the win, but I think from where we were last week, where we weren’t physical enough, I think we delivered that today, which is good.
‘I’m proud of the boys’ effort today.’
The Barnes director of rugby Jack Heald felt his side deserved the win.
‘It was a really good game,’ he said.
‘It’s always a good game with Guernsey. You know you’re going to get a physical pack. You know they’re going to have a back line that’s got lots of carrying in it.
‘I thought our line-out was good and so was our line-out defence. And fundamentally, our defence was as well.
‘Guernsey had to really work for their tries. It was an important five points for us.’
TEAMS
Barnes: Munro, Robertshaw, Kane, Murphy, Mayor, Nimmo, Farquhar, Spencer-Jones, Crabtree, Nicholson, Branfield, Bromley-Martin, Henry, Birch. McDermott. Replacements: Musa, Roostan, Walton, Glover, Leonard.
Guernsey Raiders: Steventon, Ceillam, Dromantas. Poullett, Webb, N McGann, Rice, Dawe, Simmonds, Teasdale, Smith, M Armstrong, C McGann, A Armstrong, Roberts. Replacements: Cantle, Currie, Dunn, Wilkinson, Boyland.
