That was made abundantly clear on Sunday when the Island’s red-shirted under-18 team beat a game Guernsey XV 60-0 by playing the kind of rugby – for 80 per cent of the match – the senior side would do well to emulate.This was largely a team performance, although the first two tries came from moments of individual magic, the first when Guernsey dropped the ball 40 yards out, allowing Karl Hayes to pick up and run over, the second when, from the kick-off, Nick Trower caught the ball under the posts, set off towards the half-way line and passed out to Matt Banahan who stretched his legs to run 70 yards to score, again under the posts.Phil Lance converted both tries.Guernsey, who never gave up throughout the game, tried to move the ball wide but Jersey were constantly quicker in thought and deed.The next try was made by the pack and scored by David Meacock, again converted by Lane.Trower then scored a similar pack-made try, five minutes later and from ten yards out as he burrowed over for Lane again to convert.Within 22 minutes Jersey had gone 28 points ahead, and were easily in control.At this stage, and for ten minutes either side of the break, the Island side played their brightest rugby.They were passing the ball left and right, from pack to the threes and back to the pack again, and from a tremendous interplay which saw the ball move out wide to Hayes again, he had the easiest of tasks to collect the ball and make the most of the overlap.That was on the left-hand side of the pitch.
The next try, similar in deed and execution was on the right, as Luc Mathew took the ball over the line.So, at half-time, the Island side were 38-0 in front.By now two of the Guernsey side had retired through injury, one – their No 5 – needing treatment in hospital for a damaged shoulder.
However, it was never a dirty game and Dave Harrison, the referee, not only kept tight control, he also talked to both teams throughout.So to the second-half and again it was business as usual as livewire scrum-half Ryan Morgan saw a gap and ran through.
Six minutes later the same player made a break with a neat sidestep and dummy, to bring the score to 48-0.Guernsey had no answer to the strength of the Jersey forwards or to the quick hands of the threes although for a long period in this half too many of the Jersey side forgot this was a team game, and tried to run in tries ignoring the support all around them.Full credit, therefore, to Guernsey and to some heroic tackling, especially in the threes where their No 9, No 10 and No 15 made some big hits despite being considerably smaller and lighter than the players they were having to bring down.For a while they stemmed the flood of red shirts against them, but another incisive break by Hayes saw full-back Lane run in an easy try on the right before forward pressure saw Jersey’s No 13, Lee Cornish, power his way through for the last try of the match.Lane converted to make it 60-0, which suggests that Guernsey were overwhelmed from start to finish.They weren’t, but Jersey have a big, strong team, who deserve more games, possibly against UK opposition, to see just how good they can be.As manager Mick Curzons said afterwards: ‘Karl Hayes had a big influence on the game, but this was an all-round, team performance.
The backs played well and when we passed the ball around, we looked like scoring.
There are some talented players out there.’Squad: Ross Kenwright, Phil Lane, Phil Matete, Matt Banahan, Karl Hayes, Jamie Allan, Lee Cornish, Ryan Morgan, Michael Soley, Nick Trower, Bruno Pirouet, David Meacock, Carl Gavey, Luc Mathew, Dominic Band, Jamie Halksworth, Ross Michalski.
