Henley Hawks 31 Jersey RFC 31
After a mighty struggle in the Oxfordshire sunshine, it finished honours even between JRFC and hosts Henley Hawks.
Each side earned three league points: a decent result for the visitors having lost their three previous games and earned just one point on their return to Nat 2 after 16 years… the same interval as between 1st XV games against the Hawks.
The home side were keen to run the ball where possible and within five minutes had broken through in midfield before the ball was passed to wing Oscar Busby to finish by the posts.
The Jersey pack was dominant throughout and worked an opportunity to set up an attacking maul which Jack Macfarlane finished.
Flanker Fin Basil helped stretch his side’s lead to 14-5 with a try after some good phase play, but the closing stages of the first half belonged to Jersey: two yellow cards as the Hawks struggled to maintain their discipline under pressure, especially at scrum time, and two tries. First fly-half Lewis Evans squeezed over, converting his own try, and then Macfarlane added his second to put his side ahead 17-14 at the break.
The visitors couldn’t make further impact on the scoreboard early in the second half during what remained of their numerical advantage, and in fact it was Henley who were in the ascendant as prop Nelly Kinniburgh crashed over and then full-back Tom Molhoek crossed, with one further conversion making it 26-17.
On a hot day, with a dusty track at the suitably named Dry Leas, some teams may have wilted, but Harry Baty gave his side through when he jinked his way through to the posts and Evans converted to make it a two-point game. And then inside the last 10 minutes the Island side were pounding on the try-line after a fine break by former Henley man Dan Barnes and Huw Owen forced his way over.
Henley were equally determined and pressed for their fifth try of the day. The JRFC defence was missing back row man after a yellow card for what was deemed an illegal challenge, but remained strong and importantly prevented a score under the posts, so when the ball was worked right for Seb Scott to cross in the corner, the conversion was from the toughest possible position. And it was duly missed.
Around three minutes remained and both sides showed a willingness to try and win the game, rather than settle for the draw, but neither could deliver what would have been the 11th try of the contest.
Back on the Island, there was an excellent win, by 38-7, for JRFC Women in their opening game of the season, a league encounter with Lordswood Valkyries at CoinShares Park. The same venue will host a double-header next Saturday, October 3rd – Jersey Wanderers will host fellow veterans, a combined XV of French players from Les Senateurs and Brakass, who hail from Chartres and Nantes respectively, at 10.30am and then the N2E fixture between JRFC 1st XV and Colchester.
Scores:
Henley Hawks
Tries: Busby 5, Basil 23, Kinniburgh 43, Molhoek 48, Scott 77
Cons: Snook 5, 23, Howe 48
Jersey RFC
Tries: Macfarlane 15, 39, Evans 35, Baty 55, Owen 73
Cons: Evans 35, 55, 73
Yellow Cards
Shpylka (HH) 32, Snook (HH) 39, Bird (Jsy) 71
Attendance: 312
Referee: Max Marshall
