Harry Trower of Jersey United Banks tries to escape the clutches of a St Jacques opponent at Grainville. (Picture by David Ferguson, 0675951)

ST JACQUES crashed out of the Hampshire Plate at the hands of Jersey United Banks on Sunday.

At a wet and dreary Grainville, the Sarnians suffered a crushing 41-3 defeat that sees Banks progress to the quarter-finals.

‘The truth is we don’t travel well away from home,’ said St Jacques captain Tom Chamberlain afterwards. ‘We also wanted to use our quick boys out wide, but the conditions wouldn’t allow that to happen.’

Although Banks centre Jim Milner deserves credit for a hat-trick of tries in the first half before he was substituted, the largest cheer of the afternoon was earned by the youngest and oldest Banks players who contrived to make and score the final try of an entertaining confrontation.

When teenage scrum half Dan McAviney passed to veteran prop Roger Trower, who crashed over from five yards out, there was a difference in age of nearly 40 years between them.

To St Jacques’ credit, however, for the full 80 minutes they never gave in and for the first 15 held the home side at bay until Milner was given an easy run in between the posts.