And, on this display, he’s just about right.
Two or three more players in key positions, and he will have a team who can mount a challenge to any of the sides in London South-West, Division III.
For Jersey, bit by bit, are putting behind them the torrid time they had at the end of 2003 and, with one or two old heads returning, plus the ability of the youngsters coming through, they aren’t a bad side.Indeed, if Phil Walker had kicked the penalties and conversions offered to Jersey by half-time, the score would have been 25-3, not 15-3, and Chobham would have been thinking about post-match drinks in the bar rather than a second half which was largely forgettable, except for a tremendous Josh Chamier try and ten minutes of stout defence from Jersey towards the end of the match when the home side found itself under the Chobham cosh.All in all, though, from what we’ve seen this season, this was a much better performance from Jersey.The reappearance of Dave Miles at scrum half and Andy Whelan at centre gave the home side more options than they have enjoyed in past months, and although occasionally under pressure, Jersey never looked like losing.And it is no coincidence that in the same week that centre Ross Allan and hooker Josh Chamier have been called into the Hampshire under-20 side, both players scored tries either side of half-time, to push Jersey further up the table.So, even though Chobham scored the first three points, when their full-back, Steve Keywood, slotted over a penalty after 11 minutes from 40 yards out, Jersey were already in control of the game.Their pack were monstrous, pushing Chobham back time and time again, and making the visitors’ quick, young back-row look ordinary, after all the good things that have been written about them this season.And it was no surprise when Jersey took the lead in the 17th minute when Miles went blind, to feed the ball out to winger Gareth Jeffreys, who touched down in the corner.Equally, it was no surprise when the pack set up good ball, two minutes later, for stand-off Phil Walker to put in Ross Allan, who scored on the right to make it 10-3.Jersey deserved to be in front, but poor goal kicking meant that they weren’t home and dry yet, even when a forward drive on a Chobham put-in saw scrum-half Dave Miles touch down to the right of the posts.
A conversion at this point of the game, with six minutes of the first half remaining, and it would have been game over.Instead, Chobham and Jersey changed ends with the score at 15-3; and if Keywood had converted any of the three penalties he was given in the second half, the score, and the game, would have been a great deal closer.As it was, only one try was scored early on in the second half, when John Allo continued a sustained period of Jersey pressure to feed young hooker Josh Chamier who, from five yards out, was not going to be denied a try.The look on his face as he took on a ragged Chobham back row said it all, and having powered over, to make it 20-3 to Jersey, 22-3 after Walker’s successful conversion, the game was effectively won.True, there then followed a sustained period of Chobham pressure, including messy goings-on in the loose, which led to John Allo being sin-binned with five minutes remaining, but Jersey looked comfortable with their win.Two or three players more .
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that’s all they need, and with a full compliment of players, Jersey will be a force to reckon with again.As Burton said afterwards: ‘I was pleased by the way we played for the first hour.
We played to a pattern.
In the last 30 minutes the conditions were against us, which changed the structure of the game.’But it was a good game to win.’Even in the cold and rain he was smiling.
Jersey are very close to being a very good team again, although it will be interesting to see just how good they are against a Royal Navy side, next Saturday, kick-off 2.30 pm, at St Peter.Jersey: Marcus Nobes, Josh Chamier, Jon Brennan, Roger Quirk, Danny McAlister, John Allo, Andy Allan, Ian Henderson, Dave Miles (Arnou Helmholt-Kneisel), Phil Walker (Darren Toudic), Mark Le Mottée, Andy Whelan, Ross Allan, Gareth Jeffreys, Mark White.Chobham: John Beavis, Kevin Pearson, Shaun Matthew, Norman Barker, Karl Sharkey, Steve Eldred, Ryan Gregory, Mike Cox-Hill, Alex Wood, Andy Dunlop, Ben Roberts, John McGiven, Peter Walsh, Steve Keywood.
