ST JACQUES continued their successful away form with a victory at Wanderers.
Their last away game saw the blacks defeat Les Quennevais 17-14 at the end of January, which was their first away win in the JRA League in seven years.
Last weekend then saw them hold on to just get the better of league basement boys Wanderers, 21-20.
‘It was a very warm afternoon and the players had given absolutely everything of themselves in the first 60 minutes and the legs just seemed to go in the last 15, which meant our hearts were in our mouths at the end when perhaps it should have been a more comfortable victory,’ said St Jacques coach Chris Griffiths.
‘However, I must give credit to all the players for hanging on in there for another important away win for the club. There were some outstanding team tries and for periods of the game it was the best I have seen us play all season.’
The game started off with Wanderers in the ascendancy for much of the first 10 minutes.
Having soaked up a lot of pressure, St Jacques managed to clear their lines only to shoot themselves in the foot.
After winning their own lineout, a loose tap down bounced awkwardly for scrum half David Sinnott and the Wanderers back row pounced and ran 30 yards to the line to score.
The conversion was missed.
The rest of the first half was all Saints and after 20 minutes of relentless attacking, good work from the Sarnian forwards led to them finally breaking through the line with fly half Tom Chamberlain diving over from a few yards out.
He converted his own try.
The half-time score was 7-5 but it could have been a more handsome lead for the visitors considering all the pressure inside their opponents’ 22.
The second half swung from one end to the other, but two great team tries from St Jacques, which were both run out from their own 22 and linking backs and forwards seamlessly in flowing moves, ended in Andy Shaw and Dan Le Prevost going over under the posts.
Chamberlain converted both.
These two tries were, though, punctuated with a try for Wanderers at the other end and the score with 15 minutes to go saw the visitors leading by 21-10.
As comfortable as this appeared, tired legs led to some sloppy tackling from St Jacques and Wanderers were given a lifeline with 10 minutes to go when a good passing move along their backline led to a try in the corner for the home side.
The conversion was again missed, which was to prove crucial.
As the minutes ticked down, somehow Wanderers pulled another try out of the bag.
With the Saints defence really stretched, a penalty was given away and the resulting tap and go led to one of their big forwards powering over the line almost untouched from 15 yards out.
With the scores at 21-20, Wanderers just needed to convert a pretty straightforward kick and the game was theirs but, amazingly, it was hooked across the face of goal and St Jacques held on for another away win.
There was one player who stood out for Griffiths.
‘It is hard to pick out one individual from a great team effort but openside flanker Dan Le Prevost, who won the man of the match, was simply brilliant and if ever the term “putting your body on the line” could be used then his sacrifices would sum this up superbly,’ he said.
Saints now look towards their final JRA League game with Beeches at the KGV the weekend after next.JProMail JRA League: Wanderers comeback falls short by one point in Jersey
Article posted on 18th March, 2009 - 2.30pm
Most Commented: