In brief: Jersey RFC suffered a 57-24 defeat away at Old Albanians on Saturday but showed considerable grit to claim a bonus try point. Head coach Myles Landick was forced to pull on his boots late in the match as injuries mounted, while two 18-year-old debutants impressed throughout.
A Scoreline That Flatters to Deceive
There are defeats, and then there are defeats that tell only half the story. Jersey RFC’s trip to Old Albanians on Saturday fell firmly into the latter category. The final scoreline of 57-24 looks brutal on paper, but as the Jersey Evening Post reports, the men in red returned home with something tangible: a fourth try bonus point that head coach Myles Landick believes could prove crucial as the season develops.
The hosts set the tone early, scoring twice in the opening nine minutes through their wings before adding a third try on 21 minutes to establish a 15-0 lead. A fourth score from centre Max Westcombe-Evans threatened to turn the match into a rout, but Jersey refused to fold. Skipper Dan Barnes intercepted an overly ambitious pass to touch down, with debutant Noah Smalley converting his first points for the club. Toby Osborne then added a second try to send Jersey into the break at 22-12, very much still in the contest.
Second Half Surge and a Coaching Cameo
The second half, however, belonged to the hosts. Old Albanians scored four times in a devastating 20-minute spell, with lock Cameron Gray, centre Alex Noot, flanker Rafferty Hewitt and fullback Elliot McPhun all crossing to push the score past 50 with time still remaining. It was, by any measure, a difficult watch.
Yet Jersey kept pushing. Jack Macfarlane and Deepinder Dyal scored in the final 15 minutes to secure that all-important fourth try, before the hosts added a late intercept score to close out the match. Landick was admirably candid about the circumstances, noting that injuries to three players in the first half, including Bevan Biggs and Mark Boarer, severely disrupted his squad. So depleted were Jersey’s resources that Landick himself came off the bench for a stint in the closing stages, describing it as something that “just had to be done” after further concussions late on.
Two 18-year-olds, Josh Krysztofiak and Max Sayers, both made their senior debuts during the match, and Landick was full of praise for their contributions. “Our debutantes, especially the two 18-year-olds, were fantastic I thought,” he told the Jersey Evening Post.
Landick Puts the Result in Context
Landick was keen to remind supporters of the level at which his squad is competing. “It’s not level 7 or 8 stuff anymore,” he said. “One level separates us from the Championship. That really shows what standard these guys are playing at.” He added that the bonus point secured “could prove extremely important” and that the squad would regroup ahead of their home fixture against Dorking.
Elsewhere in the division on Saturday, Guernsey were beaten 26-19 by Dorking, Barnes defeated Havant 44-29, Canterbury edged Leicester Lions 34-31, Colchester beat Henley 26-17, and Esher put 52 points past London Welsh.
Source: Jersey Evening Post
