Midhurst V Jersey U14 Boys

Against the stunning backdrop of the ruins of Cowdray House, Jersey kicked off their season against Midhurst RFC.

 A lively start from Jersey with good spells of pressure, both on and off the ball, paying off early on. A well-constructed driving maul from Jersey forced its way across the line to open the scoring. A cool head stepped up, kicking towards the ruins and over the posts to extend the lead. This was soon followed by a tremendous break away try in the corner following a spell of attacking and defensive dominance.

 A spirited Midhurst fight back was on the cards, relentless pressure from the determined Midhurst pack probed Jersey’s defensive and eventually found a way through.

 Jersey, stung by their opponents bravery and persistence, mounted a period of solid possession with some excellent handling spreading the play across the pitch, left to right to left, probing Midhurst for a weakness. A clever series of passes stretched the defenders and allowed Jersey to run in for a well-deserved third try.

 With the sound of the referee’s whistle a buoyant Jersey gathered to catch their breath and regroup after an energetic first half.

 A scorned Midhurst exploded out of the gates for the start of the second half. Jersey matching them with strong shoulders and determined rucking keeping the hosts off the scoreboard. Capitalising from the frustration and growing fatigue of a spirited Midhurst side, Jersey were happy to feed on the scraps as three tries were scored by Jersey in quick succession.

 First, a loose ball gathered by Jersey was fed quickly out wide, leading to a foot race that only had one outcome (buoyed by vociferous support from the travelling contingent). The second was a beautiful piece of opportunistic forward play. A determined run followed by, beating a number of tackles to create an inviting gap between the posts, scored with a flourish. The third of the spell came again from persistence and awareness, a loose spell of play bounced kindly for Jersey leaving a pitch that opened up with each stride, a third score under the posts in four minutes.

 A deft display from the boot had been at the core of the Jersey display throughout the game, getting its reward with the three consecutive conversions.

 Midhurst weren’t done yet however, a regrouped side with some choice words ringing in their ears, pushed Jersey over and over again. A sustained spell of pressure in the Jersey 22 got its reward and ensured that Midhurst had the final say on this thrilling contest that was an exemplary example of the spirit of the game.

Starting XV

K Cloete, J Vaughan, R Foster, J De Prey, A Crocker, O Militis, W Felton, J Lee [c], H Journeaux [vc], W Spry, A Abdelmoati, J Smith, F Murray, E Bosio, M Le Maistre

Subs:

R Philips, J Bayman, G Bakewell