Rugby:Dogged Jersey win the day

Rugby:Dogged Jersey win the day

On a day when conditions should have been perfect for open running rugby, both sides showed a cussedness in defence and a lack of penetration in attack that ensured that all these London South West Division III points were hard-earned.Jersey coach Dai Burton, who had demanded a show of passion from his players, was understandably pleased with the win: ‘The forwards continued their early season form and were very effective.

I was pleased that we had glimpses of the back play that I know we can play when the confidence returns.’Perhaps more telling was Burton’s overall view of the league this season: ‘There are no clear favourites and we proved that today.

We were caught cold without warm-up matches before the competition began but the coaches and players have always believed that we are capable of beating anyone in this league.’Jersey opened the scoring on three minutes when, after some promising three-quarter play they were awarded a penalty 40 metres out in front of the visitors’ posts.

Jon Swift struck the ball smoothly over.

Two minutes later, however it was 3-3 as the visitors’ fly-half Des Nangle kicked a 40m penalty after a Jersey infringement in the centre of the field.The impressive scrimmaging of the Jersey forwards gave the opposition difficulties but Old Wimbledonians took a 6-3 lead within minutes with another long-range Nangle penalty, 35 metres to the right.But Jersey dug deep and won decent possession and tried to put together some back play which was encouraging rather than effective.

They were guilty of kicking away possession in the vistors’ half, but were generally in the ascendancy and pressing for a score.From one such kick Old Wimbledonians ran out of defence and tried to chip the ball over the Jersey cover – only for skipper Ian Henderson to intercept and make good ground before off-loading to the ever-eager Andy Allan.

He darted down the left and looked like scoring until being bundled into touch a few metres short.Jersey kept play in the visitors’ final third and in the 18th-minute turned over ball at a ruck and Swift, finding more space at inside centre, grub kicked through a flat defence, reclaimed the ball and seemed to be past the last line of defence before referee Paul Berghouse called play back for a penalty to Jersey.Swift duly made it 6-6 from the penalty and the youngster was soon kicking Jersey into a 9-3 lead when a couple of determined forward drives forced the visitors to infringe at a ruck.Jersey were soon under the cosh and were hard-pressed to survive when the opposition at last showed why they are riding so high; good interplay between forwards and backs bringing them close to scoring – stopped only by the cussedness of the home defence who cleared their lines and advance to win a penalty award far out.Swift went for goal but although the ball fell short it enabled the Reds to sustain pressure and begin perhaps the most important phase of the game, when aggressive rucking combined with short passing between backs and the threes made them look likely to score.The move only broke down when an Old Wimbldonians’ defender was adjuged to have deliberately knocked the ball forward in the left-hand corner.

Referee Berghouse awarded a penalty try which Swift easily converted to make it 16-6 at half time.

Ten minutes of stalemate at the start of the second half was broken when left-winger Charlie Mowat pulled Wimbledonians back to 16-9 with a simple penalty.What looked like a certain try on the left was saved by Jersey’s Pat Dean who pulled off a superb tackle on the winger just inches short of the line.Both sides then slipped into kicking in the opposition half when moving the ball in hand might have been more fruitful but, finally, Jersey got a grip on the game and pumped the ball mercilessly into the opposition right-hand corner from where they were never able to escape until the last three of the massive 12 minutes of stoppage-time – added on for the many injuries in the late stages of this dour encounter.But Jersey were worthy winners of this evenly matched contest.Jersey RFC: Mark White, James Milner, Steve O’Brien, Jon Swift; Darren Toudic (rep Andy Whelan), Phil Walker, Paul Nayar, John Brennan, Bob Le Brocq, Marcus Nobes (rep Kenny Moore) , Roger Quirk, Danny McAllister, Andrew Allan, Ian Henderson, Pat Dean (rep Richie Griffiths).

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