Leicester Lions 30 Jersey RFC 17
Searching for a first win in National Two East at the third attempt, JRFC were competitive for more than 70 minutes of the game before succumbing in the face of two late tries.
Against hosts that won just twice in being relegated from National One last season, the visiting side had the edge up front, in spite of multiple unavailabilities and several late changes in the forwards in the 48 hours prior to kick-off.
Jack Macfarlane was one of those changes, moving to back row from his usual role as hooker, but this didn’t affect his ability to steer a maul over the try-line for the opening score of the game.
Coached by former England wing Tom Varndell, the hosts showed they had pace on the flanks as Roman Priestly-Nangle finished a sharp attack that punished a missed Jersey tackle ruthlessly.
A conversion and penalty from Polish international Dan Tomanek gave the Lions a 10-5 lead at the break, but the men in red made a powerful start to the second half. A scything run by Harry Baty, a first-half replacement for George Willmott, took him close to the try-line, and when tackler Jake Sterland failed to release his opponent he was sent to the sin-bin.
Jersey’s forwards backed themselves to score from the five-metre scrum, and did so as Luke Bowles picked up from the base and muscled his way over, with Mark Boarer’s conversion restoring his side’s lead.
The Lions got their noses back in front with a second Tomanek penalty and a try by scrum-half Louis Roumignac, but the visitors refused to die down and an intercept by Boarer brought his side’s third try. Unfortunately the conversion was unsuccessful after the ball fell from the kicking tee, but Jersey were just a point behind as the final quarter began.
A yellow card for scrum-half John O’Sullivan put JRFC on the back foot after a team warning from the referee for persistent offending, although the men in red continued to defend strongly and show flashes in attack. But it was Lions who claimed the crucial next score from replacement Elefio Vulimai-Igiladi with seven minutes left, the conversion establishing an eight-point lead.
Restored to 15 men and pressing to get back into the game inside the last two minutes, the battling Jersey side won a penalty in their opponents’ 22 that also brought a second yellow card for the home side. The opportunity was there to take a kickable penalty and gain a consolation bonus point, or kick to the corner and bid to earn both the losing bonus and an extra point for a fourth try; unfortunately the bolder option was unsuccessful, with salt added to the wound as Lions worked their way upfield and Roumignac crossed for their bonus-point try in the very last play.
This weekend JRFC face another away game when they travel to Henley Hawks for a game that will kick off at 2pm. This will be followed by a home game against Colchester at CoinShares Park on Saturday October 3rd (k-o 2.30pm).
Scores:
Leicester Lions
Tries: Priestly-Nangle 18, Roumignac 53, 80, Vulimai-Igiladi 73
Cons: Tomanek 18, Crowley 73
Pens: Tomanek 30, 47
Jersey RFC
Tries: Macfarlane 5, Bowles 45, Boarer 59
Cons: Boarer 59
Yellow Cards
Sterland (LL) 43, O’Sullivan (Jsy) 62, Waterfield (LL) 79
Attendance: 226
Referee: Tom Hurdley
