Jersey 12 Leeds Carnegie 27
British & Irish Cup, pool 5
by Tom Innes
Rory Clegg gave a master-class in fly-half play as he
orchestrated a comfortable win for his new club.
Leeds' cup success gave the Yorkshiremen a measure of revenge
for the league defeat suffered on the same ground three weeks
previously, and left each side with two wins apiece in this
season's four-match 'series'.
The visitors started at a high tempo and after Clegg's early
penalty, Dominic Barrow burst through Jersey's defence to set up a
try for Ryan Burrows as the skipper followed up intelligently.
The home side failed to take the few chances they were able to
carve out, with Clegg frequently clearing the danger with some
accurate kicking from hand, and almost engineering further scores
for his side thanks to deft cross-kicks. Eventually the fly-half's
long cut-out pass produced a try for Curtis Wilson, and another
score followed just before the break, Chris Walker crossing from a
straightforward catch-and-drive.
Wilson's second try early in the second period was a carbon copy
of his first, and was immediately followed by a triple substitution
among the home forwards. Previously second-best, the Jersey scrum
roared back into the game.
While the result was never seriously in doubt, the second half
saw Leeds concede 10 penalties, two penalty tries, yellow cards for
Barrow and Sam Lockwood, and the sending-off for Walker for foul
play.
Carnegie Head Coach Diccon Edwards praised his side's
motivation, saying: "We were determined to come here today and put
in a performance, rather than looking to make excuses."
Jersey were left to curse another bad start, and to prepare for
the final B&I match next weekend - the trip to Pontypridd. The
Welshmen had been in contention to qualify from pool 5,
but a 21-9 defeat to Leinster 'A' in Dublin earlier in the day
looks likely to propel the Irish province to the
quarter-finals.
Young Jersey winger Chris Levesley was stretchered off the pitch
after 25 minutes with a shoulder injury and subsequently went to
hospital, with the club hoping he was suffering a 'stinger' rather
than anything more serious.
Jersey: Le Bourgeois, Sanders, Bishop (capt),
Cooper, Levesley (Bryce 31), Broadfoot, Griffiths (McCormack 77);
Barrington (McCarthy 66), Clare (Felton 45), Gethings (Brennan 45),
Anderson (Hannay 45), Markham, Rodgers, Lang, Thompson (Bell
25).
Leeds: Georgiou, Clark (McColl 35), Goss (Ford
66), Lucock, Wilson, Clegg, Hampson; Harris (Lockwood 62), Graham
(Nilsen 77), Tussac, Smith, Phillips (Baldwin 21), Barrow (Rowan
62), Walker, Burrows. Replacement (not used): Doherty.
Referee: Andrew Jackson (RFU)
Attendance: 1,716
Star Man: Rory Clegg (Leeds)
Half-time: 0-22
Scorers
Jersey
Tries: penalty try 49, 70
Conversion: Broadfoot 70
Leeds
Tries: Burrows 14, Wilson 30, 44, Walker 39
Conversions: Clegg 14, 39
Penalty: Clegg 3
