ST JACQUES have been left wondering if they have done something to upset JRA League clubs in the sister isle. For the third time this season Guernsey’s All Blacks went without a game at the weekend because opposition from across the water, on this occasion Wanderers, pulled out of a scheduled fixture.

‘It is the third home game on the trot [this has happened] after both Beeches and Les Quennevais ducked out,’ said St Jacques chairman Stefan Bampton.

‘We had our suspicions during the week that [Wanderers] might not be able to come and over Thursday and Friday we were trying to sort something out, telling them that if they came, we could supply them with extra players if necessary.

‘Then on Friday we had an email saying that the game was back on because they could not get their money back on travel, but 10 minutes later they came back once more and said they just could not get enough players together.

‘It is unlike Wanderers because they would normally come over.’

St Jacques have enjoyed an improvement in playing number and standard this campaign, making the lack of matches all the more frustrating.

Chris Griffiths has made a big impact in his first season as head coach and reported that there remains a ‘very decent’ turnout at training.

‘We train for two weeks, some times, in the build-up for a game, only to be let down at the last minute and it is annoying,’ the coach said.

‘It does not do morale much good either. Despite that, the turn-out has not dwindled, but everyone is just dying to play rugby.

‘We had some really good momentum going with a win just before Christmas, but since then we have just been let down.

‘If we could have kept that going with three back-to-back home games, we would have fancied winning those. Instead, now when we do play a game, we are going to be a bit rusty.’

Bampton pointed out how Saints’ desire to play was shown in their Hampshire Plate quarter-final with Farnborough.

The Sarnian club paid for their opponents’ travel and also sorted out their accommodation to ensure the fixture went ahead.

‘We were willing to do it because we are wanting to play,’ he said.

‘I believe we get given the [JRA league] points, but we would rather play and lose a close game every time than be given walkovers.

‘It has left us slightly annoyed in that we are having a good season and we have fulfilled all our fixtures in Jersey, even when we have not been at full strength.

‘Those games were at the beginning of the season and now we are getting towards the end, it feels as if they cannot be bothered to come here.’

This weekend, though, Saints should be back in action.

‘We have got an away game with Jersey United Banks, which they kindly allowed us to rearrange because of our Farnborough match, so it will be good to get out and actually play,’ Griffiths said.

‘We also have Guernsey seconds coming up in a few weeks so that will be a bit of a crunch match.’