Jersey 51 Cambridge 14
Jersey maintained their narrow lead at the top of National One
with a comfortable victory over a plucky Cambridge side.
Keen to return to winning ways after defeat at Barking in their
previous match, Jersey started the match at a frenetic pace, but
were halted by some determined Cambridge defence.
Two Ross Broadfoot penalties opened the scoring for the hosts,
but Cambridge pressed strongly in response. The visitors almost
scored and forced Dave McCormack to prevent quick ball, which
earned the Jersey captain a yellow card.
The Islanders regrouped and began to break through first-up
tackles. This led to tries from Ed Dawson, Donovan Sanders and Guy
Thompson, while Patrick Tapley's fine run helped Cambridge reduce
the deficit on the stroke of half-time.
Jersey's priority after the resumption was a bonus point,
realised courtesy of a floated pass from Broadfoot to Sanders, the
centre cruising to the line. James Copsey then profited from a
Thompson-inspired turnover, McCormack poached one of his own and
finally Mike Le Bourgeois was put over in the corner.
Cambridge heads never went down; Tapley came very close to
another try, only to apparently lose the ball in crossing the line,
but as in the first half the visitors had the final word as Gareth
McComb intercepted and fed replacement Albert Portsmouth for an
unchallenged 40-metre run to the posts.
Attendance: 2,628
Half-time: 25-7
Star Man: Donovan Sanders (Jersey)
Jersey
Tries: Dawson 20, Sanders 35, 49, Thompson 31, Copsey 58, McCormack
70, Le Bourgeois 72
Conversions: Broadfoot 31, 35, 49, 58, 70
Penalties: Broadfoot 3, 9
Cambridge
Tries: Tapley 40, Portsmouth 80
Conversions: Bale 40, 80
Jersey: Bryce, Copsey, Sanders, Le Bourgeois,
Dawson, Broadfoot, McCormack (capt), Maddocks, Felton, Evans,
Hannay, Brownrigg, Lang, Thompson, Trower. Subs: Clyde-Smith C,
Gethings, Clyde-Smith T, Bishop, Rawling.
Cambridge: Veenendaal, Tapley, Lawson, Smith,
Ayrton, Bale, Hunter D, Kent, Hunter B, Cooper, Jubb, Jenkins,
McComb (capt), Mayhew, Hipwell. Subs: Stapleton, Hunter S, Robbins,
Portsmouth, Dougherty.
Referee: Andrew Jackson
