Plymouth Albion against Jersey was called off at around 12noon
today due to a partially saturated pitch and the continuing adverse
weather in the UK, especially the South-West.
Both clubs had been keen to play the game, which is now likely to
take place on Saturday March 15 (subject to RFU approval). Jersey
have a free weekend next weekend (Feb 22/23) but Albion are already
playing a rearranged match at Bristol.
It is only the second time in 11 seasons since Albion moved to
Brickfields that a game has been lost to the weather - Jersey's
Harvey Biljon was involved that day too, as it was his former club
Cornish Pirates who were frozen off on Boxing Day 2010.
Jersey and Albion had been set to play their fifth Championship
contest of the past two seasons, with the score currently locked at
two-apiece.
The Islanders did the double over the men from Devon last season,
but had the favour returned by the time the current season was six
weeks old.
Albion's main concern this season has been home form, with no
league win at Brickfields all season until the final weekend of
January. That was the day it all clicked and high-flying London
Welsh were downed by 36-15.
Last weekend, Jersey were focusing on a thriller at St Peter, with
victory over Nottingham achieved by Jack Burroughs' try in the
final move of the game. Albion were at the RAG taking on London
Scottish in a game of three thirds: hosts go 19-0 up in 35 minutes;
visitors score four tries (Stevens, Mugford, Warner, Langley) to
take a 19-27 lead; Exiles hit back with three more tries to seal a
topsy-turvey 38-27 win.
Team News
Jersey would have lined up as follows:
Backs (15-9)
Jack Burroughs
Grant Pointer
Drew Locke
Mark McCrea
Mark Foster
Aaron Penberthy
Jimmy Williams
Forwards (1-8)
Sean McCarthy
Elvis Taione
Nick Selway
Nick Campbell
James Voss
Alex Rae (capt)
Joe Buckle
Latu Makaafi
Replacements
David Felton
Jon Brennan
Sam Lockwood
Dave Markham
Joel Dudley
Niall O'Connor
Ed Dawson
Plymouth would have lined up as follows, with new signing Jared
Saunders coming straight into the starting XV:
15 Dan Mugford, 14 Tom Bowen, 13 Toby Howley-Berridge, 12 Heath
Stevens, 11 Lewis Warner, 10 Declan Cusack, 9 Paul Rowley, 1 Martin
Rice, 2 Jared Saunders, 3 Lloyd Fairbrother, 4 Brett Beukeboom, 5
Ien Ascroft-Leigh, 6 Rob Langley, 7 Sam Matavesi, 8 Rhys Oakley
capt
Replacements: 16 Davy McGregor, 17 Dave Morton, 18 Tom Harrison,
19 Eoghan Grace, 20 Pale Nonu, 21 Richard Bolt, 22 Chris Elder
The Greene King IPA Championship this
weekend
Bottom side Ealing have yet to claim a point at home in the league
this season, and would have been desperate for a win and four
points against a Bedford side who've been somewhat erratic this
season. But the game has also fallen victim to the weather.
Rotherham will hope to bounce back from defeat to the league
leaders and pull clear of their opponents London Scottish. Few
would give Moseley and Nottingham much chance of beating Leeds and
Bristol respectively, and Round 16 concludes with the Sky TV clash
between the Pirates and London Welsh.
Friday February 14
Ealing v Bedford 19:45 - OFF
Saturday February 15
Rotherham v London Scottish 14:00
Plymouth Albion v Jersey 15:00 - OFF
Sunday February 16
Leeds v Moseley 15:00
Nottingham Rugby v Bristol Rugby 15:00
Cornish Pirates v London Welsh 15:45 (Sky Sports HD)
And Finally
Sue Trower was able to catch one of the season's more amusing
images when Plymouth visited Jersey in October. As Tom Brown scored
the Islanders' late try, referee Martin Fox lost his balance and
went into Monty Python Ministry of Silly Walks mode, including (or
so it appeared) being bashed on the head by his assistant's touch
flag. It was all too much for the man in the brown jumper at the
back, who seemingly decided that, even though he'd paid his £15,
he'd prefer plane-spotting to rugby.
At the time of writing the weather looked set to scupper most of
the rugby involving Channel Island teams. However Jersey Athletic's
Zoo Shield game with Henley Bulls is set to go ahead on pitch 5 at
St Peter, and there may also be JRA rugby with LQ set to play
Beeches at Les Quennevais, but a case of watch this space as the
match not yet confirmed. Banks v HMP Panthers is off. On Sunday
Jersey Colts travel to Trojans.
Sorry there's not much left of it, but enjoy your weekend's
rugby...
