Post by Jamie Crawford on Sept 30, 2019 13:57:14 GMT
Jersey Reds Championship Cup preview
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Castle Park Sat 5th Oct, 2019 - 2:30pm
The third and half-way group stage of Championship Cup games sees the Knights welcome Jersey Reds to Castle Park. The final three group stage games start on 30th November when we travel to Stade Santander International in the reverse fixture.
The Knights travel to Gilman’s Ground in Hartpury next week to start our league campaign.
The Rugby Paper’s Dream Team 2018/19
The Rugby Paper’s Championship Dream Team 2018/19 named the Reds’ Lock Jerry Sexton at No4, the Reds’ Scrum Half Will Homer at No.9 and the Reds’ Leroy van Dam on the Right Wing (14).
They said of Sexton, “Keen student of the game who gives the Reds an edge at lineout time. Stepped up to captain the side at the back end of the season. Will be playing in the PRO14 next season after signing a three-year deal with the Southern Kings.”
The Paper described Scrum Half Homer, “Has fine-tuned his core kicking and passing skills to become a more rounded nine, not just a running threat…”
Finally van Dam was selected as Right Wing because, “Equally comfortable on either wing or at full-back, van Dam has been a superb addition to the Reds’ squad. Works hard with and without the ball and has reaped the rewards.”
(www.therugbypaper.co.uk/)
Jersey finished fourth in the Championship this season, have now made 11 new signings for this season, to add to the 23 players retained from the current squad. (as of 23rd May). Amongst these is Back Row Josh Bainbridge from Carnegie. Bainbridge represented England at under 18 level, he graduated to the under 20 set-up and played in the Six Nations and Junior World Cup in both 2015 and 2016, with England lifting the World Cup in 2016.
The Red’s first two Championship Cup games against Newcastle Falcons (H) and Hartpury College (A) saw them lose 8-21 and win 13-24 Last week at Gilman’s Ground Hartpury was the first away venture for the Reds after playing three pre-season home games and their first Championship Cup games in Jersey.
In last season’s Championship Cup:
Jersey Red Hooker Jack Macfarlane was last season’s top try-scorer with eight tries from just five appearances.
The Reds appear twice in Wikipedia’s Championship Cup 2019/19 Season records, “Largest away win — 31 points
38 – 7 Jersey Reds away to Richmond on 1 December 2018…
…Most drop goals in a match — 1
England Aaron Penberthy for Jersey Reds at home to Ealing Trailfinders on 8 December 2018” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018%E2%80%9319_RFU_Championship_Cup)
The Knights suffered a 57-0 defeat last Sunday in Newcastle to the ex-Premiership Falcons. Apparently four first half-tries were followed by five after the break, despite Doncaster’s best effort to put some points on the board, the Knights left frustrated that they were left unrewarded for their endeavours.
A week previous the Falcons ran in two tries courtesy of Wing/Centre Wacokecoke.
Tom Hicks said after the game that he was keen to bounce back from the result against the Falcons and I’m sure that sentiment is echoed by the team. ‘They say’ that you can learn more from a defeat than a victory, hopefully the Knights have learnt their lessons to rectify them this Saturday against the Russia-beating Jersey Reds. (I bet most people heard that Jersey Reds beat Russia before they went to the World Cup.)
We don’t want to be reminded that Newcastle Falcons beat the Knights 57-0 the week after they beat Jersey Reds 8-21. However the Reds beat Hartpury 13-24 and we beat Hartpury 44-22. Perhaps home advantage is the key and we have this key on Saturday. A supporter reports that we ‘had a bad day at the office’ and underperformed, that should be rectified in front of their home supporters. Let’s support the team and be their metaphorical 16th player.
The Red’s (and Rugby Paper’s Championship Dream Team 2018/19) Scrum Half Homer scored against the Falcons and Back Three Williams scored a brace of tries at Hartpury.
The Knights’ nine-try defeat to the Falcons were scored predominantly by their forwards; Wing (2), Hooker 2?), Prop, Lock (2?), Centre, Hooker, No. 8.
(DRFC has Hooker Blamire scoring a brace and Second Row Robinson scoring one, Wikipedia has them the other way around).
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
