Post by Jamie Crawford on Oct 14, 2022 12:47:53 GMT
Posted early 'cos there are no games this weekend.
Jersey Reds Preview
sponsored by Twenty Four IT Services (www.twentyfourit.co.uk)
Round 6, Jersey Reds v Doncaster Knights @ Stade Santander International on Friday 21st October. KO 7.15pm
After a week off, the Knights play an undefeated team that has scored more tries this season than any other team except Ealing Trailfinders and it’s on their home ground on Friday 21st October.
In September Doncaster Director of Rugby Steve Boden (Bodes) said that Jersey had spent a ridiculous amount of money this year (as have Ealing Trailfinders). Bodes’ prediction was correct as Jersey went straight to the top of the Championship after the first game and stayed there until last Saturday when Ealing Trailfinders overtook them courtesy of them scoring a bonus point win from every game and the Reds not scoring one last week against the Cornish Pirates.
Doncaster Knights are fourth after winning three and losing two of their five games played,
Jersey Reds
In Harvey Biljon, the Reds have a consistent performer, he has been Director of Rugby since 2014.
Kern Yates and ex-Knight Latu Maka'afi were the first two professional players signed by the Reds in 2006. The team were fully professional in 2013.
The team was known as Jersey Rugby Football Club until the start of the 2016–17 season, when they changed their name to the Jersey Reds. To reflect this, the team also adopted an all-red kit – jersey, shorts and socks.
When Jersey beat the Cornish Pirates 21-10, each of the Reds’ three tries scored was a penalty try and so no conversion needed to be kicked as seven points were automatically awarded. This indicates a powerful set of Forwards.
New Signings
Bodes stated that Jersey had spent big over the Summer and there are 17 new players to don the Red jersey.
Recent head to head performances
15/01/22 Jersey Reds 19-35 Doncaster Knights
09/02/21 Doncaster Knights 27-24 Jersey Reds
10/04/21 Jersey Reds 10-22 Doncaster Knights
15/02/20 Doncaster Knights 38-10 Jersey Reds
25/10/19 Jersey Reds 27-0 Doncaster Knights
As can be seen the Knights have won the last four encounters but they were nilled by Jersey in 2019. The three matches before that were won by the Reds after they scored 41, 47 and 30 points in reverse date order.
Last time out
The Reds travelled to the Wirral to play Caldy and flew home19-34 winners after scoring six tries. Red try-scorers were Prop Huw Owen, Second Row Macauley Cook, Hooker Antonio 'TJ' Harris, Centre Jordan Holgate, Winger Tomi Lewis and finally Prop Sam Grahamslaw.
The Knights displayed an excellent performance in compensate to themselves for their ‘bad day at the office’ against Nottingham, when they beat Bedford Blues 50-19, scoring seven tries in the process.
After nine minutes Thom Smith got the Donny men well into the 22 before Alex Dolly whipped the ball over some heads out to the wing for Jared Cardew to run in the score. Then the Knights’ Forwards were dominant when John Kelly took matters into his own hands as he tore off the back to barge his way through and dot down one-handed. Just before half-time Thom Smith smashed down over the line with Bedford tacklers hanging off the back of his jersey. With a minute left of the first half Ehize Ehizode used brute strength to cross underneath the posts. This fourth try recorded the bonus point. It was ‘all hands on deck’ early in the second half for a driving maul deep into the Bedford half as backs charged in to add extra weight. This saw the Knights drive over with George Edgson the man to emerge from the bottom of the pile. Kelly scored his second try after he launched his body weight over the line for the score after the Backs had made territory in the attack through quick and accurate passing of the ball. Finally, whilst the clock was in the red replacement hooker Will Holling held the ball at the back of the driving maul and was the man to touch down.
Jersey danger men
Jersey Wingers William Brown and Tomi Lewis are their leading try-scorers, each have dotted down three times. The Reds obviously like to ship the ball out to their flying Wingers. That said Red Forwards scored four of their six tries against Caldy and two of the three penalty tries v Cornish Pirates were awarded to the Forwards for a combined effort.
Fly Half Russell Bennett has only scored 22 points fewer than our own Sam Olver, the second best points-scorer.
Team strengths and weaknesses
With 184 points and 29 tries, Jersey have scored the second most points and tries this season, just one try less than Ealing Trailfinders. The Knights have scored 157 points and 22 tries.
The Knights have therefore scored 5.4 points and 1.4 tries fewer per game.
The Reds’ defence of their try line is equally impressive because they also have the second strongest defence, they have only leaked 85 points including 13 tries. The Knights have leaked 118 points including 16 tries.
The Knights have therefore leaked 6.6 points or less than one try more per game.
Highly impressive by the Reds but the Knights are within touching distance.
Red Forwards are collectively a strength as mentioned above.
The rest of the Championship this Weekend
Friday 21st October
Nottingham (3) v Richmond (10)
Saturday 22nd October
Ampthill (9) v Caldy (11)
Bedford Blues (5) v Hartpury RFC (8)
Coventry (6) v Cornish Pirates (7)
London Scottish (12) v Ealing Trailfinders (1)
A Knight win on Friday would see them rise tosecond third if ninth-placed Richmond beat third-placed Nottingham.
A Knight loss could see them drop to sixth if Bedford beat Hartpury and Coventry beat the Pirates. Even if Bedford and/or Cov score a bonus point that the Knights don’t score a league point, they would leapfrog us. The Pirates must beat Coventry and the Knights cannot score any bonus points for them to advance above us.
Although there are three teams that could leapfrog the Knights if we lost, two of them play each other therefore only two teams could potentially rise above us, even if they drew.
DRFC announced the signing of Prop Kai Owen the day before the Knights welcomed Bedford Blues. Kai arrives in Doncaster from Premiership side Worcester Warriors and he has experience of playing for the Knights when he came for a short time on loan. Kai can list playing England U20 on his CV in both the Six Nations and the U20 World Cup.
Can Bodes’ boys upset the form book and overwhelm high-spending Jersey in their own back yard?
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
Jersey Reds Preview
sponsored by Twenty Four IT Services (www.twentyfourit.co.uk)
Round 6, Jersey Reds v Doncaster Knights @ Stade Santander International on Friday 21st October. KO 7.15pm
After a week off, the Knights play an undefeated team that has scored more tries this season than any other team except Ealing Trailfinders and it’s on their home ground on Friday 21st October.
In September Doncaster Director of Rugby Steve Boden (Bodes) said that Jersey had spent a ridiculous amount of money this year (as have Ealing Trailfinders). Bodes’ prediction was correct as Jersey went straight to the top of the Championship after the first game and stayed there until last Saturday when Ealing Trailfinders overtook them courtesy of them scoring a bonus point win from every game and the Reds not scoring one last week against the Cornish Pirates.
Doncaster Knights are fourth after winning three and losing two of their five games played,
Jersey Reds
In Harvey Biljon, the Reds have a consistent performer, he has been Director of Rugby since 2014.
Kern Yates and ex-Knight Latu Maka'afi were the first two professional players signed by the Reds in 2006. The team were fully professional in 2013.
The team was known as Jersey Rugby Football Club until the start of the 2016–17 season, when they changed their name to the Jersey Reds. To reflect this, the team also adopted an all-red kit – jersey, shorts and socks.
When Jersey beat the Cornish Pirates 21-10, each of the Reds’ three tries scored was a penalty try and so no conversion needed to be kicked as seven points were automatically awarded. This indicates a powerful set of Forwards.
New Signings
Bodes stated that Jersey had spent big over the Summer and there are 17 new players to don the Red jersey.
Recent head to head performances
15/01/22 Jersey Reds 19-35 Doncaster Knights
09/02/21 Doncaster Knights 27-24 Jersey Reds
10/04/21 Jersey Reds 10-22 Doncaster Knights
15/02/20 Doncaster Knights 38-10 Jersey Reds
25/10/19 Jersey Reds 27-0 Doncaster Knights
As can be seen the Knights have won the last four encounters but they were nilled by Jersey in 2019. The three matches before that were won by the Reds after they scored 41, 47 and 30 points in reverse date order.
Last time out
The Reds travelled to the Wirral to play Caldy and flew home19-34 winners after scoring six tries. Red try-scorers were Prop Huw Owen, Second Row Macauley Cook, Hooker Antonio 'TJ' Harris, Centre Jordan Holgate, Winger Tomi Lewis and finally Prop Sam Grahamslaw.
The Knights displayed an excellent performance in compensate to themselves for their ‘bad day at the office’ against Nottingham, when they beat Bedford Blues 50-19, scoring seven tries in the process.
After nine minutes Thom Smith got the Donny men well into the 22 before Alex Dolly whipped the ball over some heads out to the wing for Jared Cardew to run in the score. Then the Knights’ Forwards were dominant when John Kelly took matters into his own hands as he tore off the back to barge his way through and dot down one-handed. Just before half-time Thom Smith smashed down over the line with Bedford tacklers hanging off the back of his jersey. With a minute left of the first half Ehize Ehizode used brute strength to cross underneath the posts. This fourth try recorded the bonus point. It was ‘all hands on deck’ early in the second half for a driving maul deep into the Bedford half as backs charged in to add extra weight. This saw the Knights drive over with George Edgson the man to emerge from the bottom of the pile. Kelly scored his second try after he launched his body weight over the line for the score after the Backs had made territory in the attack through quick and accurate passing of the ball. Finally, whilst the clock was in the red replacement hooker Will Holling held the ball at the back of the driving maul and was the man to touch down.
Jersey danger men
Jersey Wingers William Brown and Tomi Lewis are their leading try-scorers, each have dotted down three times. The Reds obviously like to ship the ball out to their flying Wingers. That said Red Forwards scored four of their six tries against Caldy and two of the three penalty tries v Cornish Pirates were awarded to the Forwards for a combined effort.
Fly Half Russell Bennett has only scored 22 points fewer than our own Sam Olver, the second best points-scorer.
Team strengths and weaknesses
With 184 points and 29 tries, Jersey have scored the second most points and tries this season, just one try less than Ealing Trailfinders. The Knights have scored 157 points and 22 tries.
The Knights have therefore scored 5.4 points and 1.4 tries fewer per game.
The Reds’ defence of their try line is equally impressive because they also have the second strongest defence, they have only leaked 85 points including 13 tries. The Knights have leaked 118 points including 16 tries.
The Knights have therefore leaked 6.6 points or less than one try more per game.
Highly impressive by the Reds but the Knights are within touching distance.
Red Forwards are collectively a strength as mentioned above.
The rest of the Championship this Weekend
Friday 21st October
Nottingham (3) v Richmond (10)
Saturday 22nd October
Ampthill (9) v Caldy (11)
Bedford Blues (5) v Hartpury RFC (8)
Coventry (6) v Cornish Pirates (7)
London Scottish (12) v Ealing Trailfinders (1)
A Knight win on Friday would see them rise to
A Knight loss could see them drop to sixth if Bedford beat Hartpury and Coventry beat the Pirates. Even if Bedford and/or Cov score a bonus point that the Knights don’t score a league point, they would leapfrog us. The Pirates must beat Coventry and the Knights cannot score any bonus points for them to advance above us.
Although there are three teams that could leapfrog the Knights if we lost, two of them play each other therefore only two teams could potentially rise above us, even if they drew.
DRFC announced the signing of Prop Kai Owen the day before the Knights welcomed Bedford Blues. Kai arrives in Doncaster from Premiership side Worcester Warriors and he has experience of playing for the Knights when he came for a short time on loan. Kai can list playing England U20 on his CV in both the Six Nations and the U20 World Cup.
Can Bodes’ boys upset the form book and overwhelm high-spending Jersey in their own back yard?
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
