2nds top the JRA after two wins

There were tries from John Berg, Naro Zimmerman and Dale Martin. Dave O’Hanlon notched two conversions and a penalty.

Mark Stone, the 2nds coach, was ecstatic about the win considering the problems in getting out a competitive side

‘We took a young side over with a few old boys thrown in in what turned out to be pretty horrendous conditions. The rain was non-stop from an hour before kick-off to about 10 mins after we finished.’

Similar to the Les Quennevais game three weeks ago, Beeches started the game with significant possession without really troubling the Guernsey line.

Due to the slippery conditions multiple knock-ons by Beeches allowed Guernsey to clear their lines through the boots of Dave O’Hanlon and Seoirse Lee playing and fly and scrum half respectively.

Guernsey’s first real attack was a driving maul from 10 metres into Beeches half.

Daniel De Kock throwing at hooker and Dale Martin jumping at 4 were rock solid in the lineout all day given the conditions, and a catch and drive set the Guernsey pack on their way to the 22.

The maul was illegally brought to a stop by Beeches and Dave O’Hanlon slotted the 3 points for a 0-3 lead 10 minutes in.

The score lifted Guernsey and experienced backs Jim Rowe and O’Hanlon kept the play tight by alternating between short balls to the backs and forwards to work into the Beeches territory.

From a ruck on edge of the Beeches 22 Guernsey created a try that you won’t see every week.

No. 8 and captain Russell Roberts received the ball from half back and a deft little grubber through found the on rushing tight head prop John Bergh to dot down the loose ball just to the right of the posts.

‘Not something we work on in training‘ laughed Stone.

O’Hanlon slotted the extras for a 0-10 lead on 15 mins.

By this time the rain was belting down and Guernsey, filled with confidence, were guilty of trying to overcomplicate things at times given the conditions and gifted the ball back to Beeches time and time again, only for the Jersey side to reciprocate in kind.

Strong defence from Cally Murdoch, De Kock and 17-year old 2nd rower Jacob Smith were forcing Beeches to try and play wider and wider which was always going to be a struggle given the conditions. This pattern repeated itself for the rest of the first half and much of the second half.

At 0-10 Beeches were always in it but Guernsey extended the lead with 15 left to play.

Shane Taylor who was reduced to defensive duties for much of the game made a break from 10 metres into the Jersey half and fed outside centre Callum Gladstone.

He beat the first man and fed the ball out to another debutant Naro Zimmeramn on the left wing who didn’t miss one of the few chances he had all game and stepped inside the last man to score 10 yards in from the left touch line.

O’Hanlon’s conversion just drifted wide. 0-15

Guernsey forwards continued to work the hard yards and retained possession well for the next 5 mins and when man of the match Dale Martin picked up the ball from the base of a ruck and slipped through the first tackle, no one was home to stop him scoring under the posts from 30 yards out and make the game safe. O’Hanlon added the extras to make it 0-22 with five minutes to play.

Credit to Beeches, they never gave up and had by far the better of the last moments.

The Jersey forwards battered at the Guernsey pack on the 5 metre line time and time again only to be knocked back just as often. Nico Ashplant, De Kock and replacement winger Diogo De Freitas made some particularly big hits.

Guernsey were playing right on the edge of the law, and often beyond it to keep Beeches at bay and were lucky not to lose a player to the sin bin for repeated penalties at the break down. Beeches finally managed to breach the line when from a penalty a quick tap and long pass out to the left wing found the Jersey winger in space to score in the corner.

The conversion was missed for a final score of 5-22.

‘Given the club’s injury situation it was an achievement just to get a team out over to Jersey, but we didn’t want to be using that as an excuse after 80 minutes,’ said the coach. ‘Every single man in green dug deep to put the kind of performance required to get results away from home.'

‘I knew on paper we had the ability to win, its whether we had the heart and desire to come away with an unfamiliar team and dig deep in horrible conditions.'

'I couldn’t have asked for any more from the boys whether they were the young lads stepping up of the old hands called in to help. It’s a result the whole club can be proud of.'

‘There will hopefully be a number of players back next week for the home game with Banks and there will be some tough selection calls to make.’