Guernsey scrum half Divon Crouse throws a pass from the back of a scrum. (Picture by Matthew Hotton, 0574155)
Guernsey 22, Jersey 13
THE 13-year wait for Guernsey fans to see the Siam Cup lifted at home came to a glorious end on Saturday.
Islanders turned out in their droves to see the hosts put in the sort of display they would have been dreaming of against the old enemy. The green-and-whites were immense, playing with plenty of passion but controlling it to ensure they executed their gameplan perfectly.
During the morning team meeting, assistant coach Jordan Reynalds, who was one of the stars of the win 12 months earlier but was ruled out of this match through injury, emphasised the two Ds – discipline and defence. His words were heeded. They weren’t bad in attack, either.
From the moment Jim Elliott opened the scoring in the eighth minute with a barnstorming 25-yard solo run, it had the air of being a very special day for the Sarnians.
The hosts had started much the brighter and the try was no more than they deserved.
The outside centre hit the line at pace and broke through two tackles before handing off the last covering defender to force his way over the line.
‘I expected to be absolutely smashed in the first tackle, but I looked up and their bigger players seemed to be standing off a bit so I just thought, “keep going”,’ said the try scorer.
It was a sensational score and it gave the crowd the belief that their team could win. The players had never been in any doubt.
Unfortunately, the score went unconverted on a frustrating day with the boot for Nick Barton, who struck most of his kicks sweetly but his radar was slightly off.
There were worrying times four minutes later when Elliott, after making a covering tackle to snuff out Jersey’s first real attack out on the left flank, left the action with a cut to his head.
Barry Goude took his place for nine minutes while he had it seen to and he returned to see Jon Swift narrow the gap to two points with a straightforward penalty after Guernsey had been caught offside.
Ten minutes before half-time, Guernsey produced a delightful set move, with Cameron Patten coming into the line to take a sublime reverse pass from Blair Campbell and make good ground, but it eventually resulted in a try for Jersey.
The ball was turned over in a tackle in the red-and-blacks’ 22 and the giant lock, Talite Viaoleti, went on a marauding run all the way into the Guernsey 22 before finally being brought down.
The ball was recycled quickly, spun out to the right where Nathan Kemp offloaded to fellow flanker Graham Bell, who touched down.
It was an 8-5 lead that Jersey did not warrant.
The response, though, was exemplary from Guernsey and they were ahead again within five minutes.
The try was all about the forwards once Campbell had kicked to touch just inside the Jersey 22 from a penalty.
Paul Thomas found Peter Miers, who was magnificent throughout, and the rolling maul that followed was irresistible. Jersey, for some reason, did not commit the necessary numbers to repel it.
Once over the line, it went down, referee Terry Hall confirmed the five points and then Thomas appeared with the ball and an enormous smile.
Guernsey took that 10-8 lead into half-time and they came out for the second period determined to add to it. They came close several times early on.
Barton had a penalty attempt fall just short of the posts into the wind in the opening minute of the half, Mark Elliott was bundled into touch by Ryan Morgan as he closed in on the line and Andy Bailey could not hold onto a long pass that bounced awkwardly just in front of him.
During a brief moment of respite, Swift also failed with a penalty attempt which would have put Jersey ahead, but that would have been an injustice.
On 57min. Guernsey finally got their next breakthrough and it was Thomas once again who touched down but it had been made by a typical sniping break from livewire Divon Crouse and fine support work by Barton, giving the Welshman the relatively simple task of getting over the line.
Jersey were to enjoy their best period of pressure immediately after that score.
Guernsey held them at bay for a considerable time with excellent defence, but with 13 minutes remaining the visitors narrowed the gap to two points as, for the first time, powerhouse centre Sam Tuia took the ball at pace and found a gap to score.
This was always going to be Guernsey’s day, though, and after Bell had been sent to the sin bin, apparently for a professional foul as the hosts pressurised the Jersey line, James Regnard applied the coup de grace.
It was Ben Le Huray’s sensible decision not to throw the ball out wide where Guernsey were outnumbered that made the chance.
Instead, he came back inside before Campbell spun it out to Regnard. The big No.8 had teammates outside him, but he only had eyes for the line and he took a couple of Jersey tacklers over with him. Barton took a mock bow after adding the two points – his one successful kick of the day – and Guernsey were out of sight.
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