Post by Jamie Crawford on Apr 5, 2021 11:39:44 GMT
Jersey Reds preview
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Round 5, Castle Park Sat 10th April, 2021 – KO 2.30pm
After a fully deserved weekend off, the second-placed Knights welcome ninth-placed Jersey Reds to Castle Park for a Reds’ ‘home’ game. Nobody is allowed to travel to Jersey at the moment with the pandemic so Jersey must play their home games away. Currently 26th April is the date when the Reds can entertain visiting teams. “From 26 April, anyone arriving in Jersey from the UK or the other Crown Dependencies, will have to provide their travel history in advance, through the online portal, and undertake PCR tests on arrival and on days 5 and 10 after arriving. All other countries, including Ireland and mainland Europe, will remain under the red 10-day isolation regime.” (jersey.com, 04/04/21)
On Saturday 27th March the Knights managed to maintain their unbeaten record to four from four. This ended the Cornish Pirates unbeaten record in what was dubbed the Championship game of the day. It was a nail-biting end to very even contest when first the Knights had a penalty just before time to just overtake the Pirates to win. The Pirates then had a penalty to reverse to victory in their favour. Fortunately for the Knights the gusty wind pushed the kick wide. The Knights were top for 24 hours before Ealing Trailfinders thrashed Hartpury University
Jersey are ninth after winning one of their three games played but they started a week later than other Championship clubs because they were due to play London Scottish and so had a bye. Their first game back was a baptism of fire when they lost 45-13 to Saracens. On 20th March Richmond were allowed to travel to Jersey and returned 15-23 winners.
After the Reds lost their first two games, last week the 20-25 win against the Blues apparently showed a significant increase in form. The Reds are currently ninth after playing just three games but are beginning to find their form, I would expect higher in the league table. We can’t take their current league position as an indicator of prowess.
Two hours before the Knights welcomed the Pirates to Castle Park, Bedford Blues welcomed Jersey Reds to Goldington Road.
The Reds lost the toss and played down the Bedford slope with the strong wind behind them in the first half. The majority of the first half was Red territory and possession but the Blues defended well, unfortunately illegally at times and a Blue went to the sin bin after 20 minutes for illegally pulling the maul down. The Reds duly scored three minutes later when Red’s Prop Ciaran Parker touched down from a rolling maul against a weakened team with 14 players. The Red’s Hooker McFarlane scored another try from another rolling maul just before half time to leave the score 17-20. The game then stagnated in the third quarter when no tries were scored and nothing noteworthy happened. Another Blue was sin-binned aft but then confusion reigned. A Blue Forward was sin-binned after 61 mins for standing up in the scrum, then when he had about 5 ½ minutes left another Blue Forward (another Prop) was yellow-carded to leave the Blues with 13 players on the pitch. The ref. then asked another Blue to leave the pitch whilst an uncontested scrum was taken. Apparently it was in the rules that when there are no other players that could play in the scrum and it’s uncontested, another player must leave the pitch to take them down to 12 players? Confused? I was and I think everyone was! Red’s Back Three Darren Atkins scored a try after 64 minutes
The Red’s Fly Half Brendan Cope kicked very well in the strong wind, scoring four from six kicks. Other notable Red performances were Josh Bainbridge who was very strong in defence and attack and ex-Knight Jack Roberts played well. The Blues scored down the outsides, not through the centre, so perhaps the Knights should ship it out wide after the Reds have had to commit players centrally.
Jersey’s Fly Half Brendan Cope is the fourth top points scorer in the Championship and that is after playing 75% of the games that most other teams have played. Over 82% of the points scored by Cope have been in the first half. It’s unfair to compare stats when the Reds have played three games to the Knights’ four. The exception is Jersey’s tries scored and scored against percentages, not the amount. Twice as many Red’s tries have been scored by Forwards rather than Backs but only one try by has been scored against the Reds by a Forward compared to ten being scored by Backs. This indicates a stronger set of Red Forwards compared to Backs.
Two of the Red’s new players are ex-Knights from last season:
Centre Jack Roberts
Hooker George Edgson
Plus Matti Williams has just joined for the remainder of this campaign: “WARRIORS back-row forward Matti Williams is to join Jersey Reds on loan for the remainder of their Greene King IPA Championship season.
Williams will join the Channel Islands club ahead of their next match against Doncaster Knights on April 10 and will link up with his Warriors team-mate Scott van Breda who re-joined Jersey on a similar loan arrangement last week.
Williams, 29, joined Warriors in the summer of 2016 after three years with Northampton Saints and has made 28 appearances in is time at Sixways, the most recent at Pau in the European Rugby Challenge Cup in December.
With no Premiership Rugby Cup or Shield competitions this season, Williams’ loan spell with Jersey will provide him with valuable competitive action.” (Worcester Observer, 31/03/21. Printed on 1st Apr)
Half an hour before we kick off top-placed Ealing Trailfinders travel to Cornwall to play third-placed Cornish Pirates. Will Trailfinders score over 50 points against the Pirates as they have done in every game played so far or will the Pirates take their scalp at The Mennaye like they did to Saracens? Or I reckon it’ll be a close game with the Trailfinders returning to London with four points.
Opinions?
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
sponsored by Twenty Four IT Services
Round 5, Castle Park Sat 10th April, 2021 – KO 2.30pm
After a fully deserved weekend off, the second-placed Knights welcome ninth-placed Jersey Reds to Castle Park for a Reds’ ‘home’ game. Nobody is allowed to travel to Jersey at the moment with the pandemic so Jersey must play their home games away. Currently 26th April is the date when the Reds can entertain visiting teams. “From 26 April, anyone arriving in Jersey from the UK or the other Crown Dependencies, will have to provide their travel history in advance, through the online portal, and undertake PCR tests on arrival and on days 5 and 10 after arriving. All other countries, including Ireland and mainland Europe, will remain under the red 10-day isolation regime.” (jersey.com, 04/04/21)
On Saturday 27th March the Knights managed to maintain their unbeaten record to four from four. This ended the Cornish Pirates unbeaten record in what was dubbed the Championship game of the day. It was a nail-biting end to very even contest when first the Knights had a penalty just before time to just overtake the Pirates to win. The Pirates then had a penalty to reverse to victory in their favour. Fortunately for the Knights the gusty wind pushed the kick wide. The Knights were top for 24 hours before Ealing Trailfinders thrashed Hartpury University
Jersey are ninth after winning one of their three games played but they started a week later than other Championship clubs because they were due to play London Scottish and so had a bye. Their first game back was a baptism of fire when they lost 45-13 to Saracens. On 20th March Richmond were allowed to travel to Jersey and returned 15-23 winners.
After the Reds lost their first two games, last week the 20-25 win against the Blues apparently showed a significant increase in form. The Reds are currently ninth after playing just three games but are beginning to find their form, I would expect higher in the league table. We can’t take their current league position as an indicator of prowess.
Two hours before the Knights welcomed the Pirates to Castle Park, Bedford Blues welcomed Jersey Reds to Goldington Road.
The Reds lost the toss and played down the Bedford slope with the strong wind behind them in the first half. The majority of the first half was Red territory and possession but the Blues defended well, unfortunately illegally at times and a Blue went to the sin bin after 20 minutes for illegally pulling the maul down. The Reds duly scored three minutes later when Red’s Prop Ciaran Parker touched down from a rolling maul against a weakened team with 14 players. The Red’s Hooker McFarlane scored another try from another rolling maul just before half time to leave the score 17-20. The game then stagnated in the third quarter when no tries were scored and nothing noteworthy happened. Another Blue was sin-binned aft but then confusion reigned. A Blue Forward was sin-binned after 61 mins for standing up in the scrum, then when he had about 5 ½ minutes left another Blue Forward (another Prop) was yellow-carded to leave the Blues with 13 players on the pitch. The ref. then asked another Blue to leave the pitch whilst an uncontested scrum was taken. Apparently it was in the rules that when there are no other players that could play in the scrum and it’s uncontested, another player must leave the pitch to take them down to 12 players? Confused? I was and I think everyone was! Red’s Back Three Darren Atkins scored a try after 64 minutes
The Red’s Fly Half Brendan Cope kicked very well in the strong wind, scoring four from six kicks. Other notable Red performances were Josh Bainbridge who was very strong in defence and attack and ex-Knight Jack Roberts played well. The Blues scored down the outsides, not through the centre, so perhaps the Knights should ship it out wide after the Reds have had to commit players centrally.
Jersey’s Fly Half Brendan Cope is the fourth top points scorer in the Championship and that is after playing 75% of the games that most other teams have played. Over 82% of the points scored by Cope have been in the first half. It’s unfair to compare stats when the Reds have played three games to the Knights’ four. The exception is Jersey’s tries scored and scored against percentages, not the amount. Twice as many Red’s tries have been scored by Forwards rather than Backs but only one try by has been scored against the Reds by a Forward compared to ten being scored by Backs. This indicates a stronger set of Red Forwards compared to Backs.
Two of the Red’s new players are ex-Knights from last season:
Centre Jack Roberts
Hooker George Edgson
Plus Matti Williams has just joined for the remainder of this campaign: “WARRIORS back-row forward Matti Williams is to join Jersey Reds on loan for the remainder of their Greene King IPA Championship season.
Williams will join the Channel Islands club ahead of their next match against Doncaster Knights on April 10 and will link up with his Warriors team-mate Scott van Breda who re-joined Jersey on a similar loan arrangement last week.
Williams, 29, joined Warriors in the summer of 2016 after three years with Northampton Saints and has made 28 appearances in is time at Sixways, the most recent at Pau in the European Rugby Challenge Cup in December.
With no Premiership Rugby Cup or Shield competitions this season, Williams’ loan spell with Jersey will provide him with valuable competitive action.” (Worcester Observer, 31/03/21. Printed on 1st Apr)
Half an hour before we kick off top-placed Ealing Trailfinders travel to Cornwall to play third-placed Cornish Pirates. Will Trailfinders score over 50 points against the Pirates as they have done in every game played so far or will the Pirates take their scalp at The Mennaye like they did to Saracens? Or I reckon it’ll be a close game with the Trailfinders returning to London with four points.
Opinions?
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
