Loading

Jersey Reds v Cornish Pirates Friday 30th September 2022, 7:15pm

Harvey's Welcome

Tonight will definitely be our toughest test of our league campaign to date! Pirates are coming off a home loss to Bedford and I know Gavin and Pavs (Pirates' coaches Gavin Cattle and Alan Paver) will be demanding a reaction.

Friday night under the lights sets us up for an exciting and physical encounter. The Reds' performances to date have been very positive but what stands out, is the players want to continue to learn and improve. Training and competition for places is fierce putting the coaches under pressure to get selection right each week.

Adam Nicol and Harry Doolan are back in training and both want to be selected soon after being out with injuries.

Welcome to all those that have travelled from Cornwall I trust you will enjoy the Jersey hospitality and a cracking evening at Stade Santander International.all our Reds supporters

Please Bang Those Boards!!

Match preview

The Teams...

London Scottish 21 - 55 Jersey Reds

The Reds made it three ‘full-house’ wins from as many outings in this season’s Championship, dismantling their hosts London Scottish with a brutal second half display.

Emerging from the ‘sheds’ at the Richmond Athletic Ground with just a five-point lead after the break, the visitors ran in six tries in 16 minutes, including a six-minute hat-trick for Will Brown in his first competitive outing of the new season.

Today's Opposition

The Championship rivalry between the Reds and the Pirates dates back one decade plus one month, with the sides having first locked horns on September 1st 2022.

The division’s established side took the victory against the newly-promoted team who were making their debut at level two, with Matt Evans, now team manager, scoring a hat-trick in the 6-20 Pirates win.

Since that encounter at the ground which was later christened Stade Santander International, the two sides have made a habit of contesting close games.

In 18 league matches over the past 10 years, the losing side has gained a bonus point on 13 occasions, while just once has a team walked away with a bonus-point win: Jersey’s 32-31 victory on home turf in May 2021.

Including four cup meetings, the rivals have met competitively on 22 occasions, with the Reds winning 12 to Pirates’ 10.

The brace of league meetings last season were split one apiece, with the overall points tally of 58 being the lowest for the Reds against any of their 10 opponents in the division (below the 63 in two games – one won and one drawn – against Ampthill).

At the Stade in November, featuring force eight northerly winds, squally showers and a biting windchill, the first half looked set to end scoreless until the Reds drove towards the line in the final minute and earned a penalty try as their maul was collapsed. A Wes White try and five points from Sam Leeming’s boot stretched the lead during the second half and a late Robin Wedlake try couldn’t prevent the visitors going home empty-handed – it finished 15-5.

At the Mennaye Field in February, the Reds made a blistering start, scoring two tries within eight minutes through Macauley Cook and Dan Barnes, both converted. The visitors had several other chances in the first half, but could only add a late penalty and the Pirates were relieved to be only 10 points down at ‘oranges’ thanks to Tom Channon’s try. Channon crossed again early in the second half, with Tom Kessell adding a third and the home side holding out to win 21-17.

At the start of that most recent encounter the two sides were separated by just a point in the league table and each nursing hopes of a tilt at the Championship title. But defeat spelled the end of Jersey dreams, leaving a three-horse race at the top. A winning run could have sent the trophy down the A30 to Penzance, but in the event the Pirates lost two of their next three games, by seven points at Doncaster and 20 away to eventual champions Ealing Trailfinders.

Pirates warmed up for their 2022/23 with a Premiership scalp, beating an Exeter Chiefs XV by 42-14 in front of a sell-out crowd of 3,200 at the Mennaye, and took the momentum into their opening league games, a 21-14 victory at home to Richmond and a 19-23 success against Nottingham at Lady Bay the following weekend.

Last Saturday the Pirates were 14-6 ahead of Bedford Blues at half time on their home turf, and led by 21-16 after Wedlake crossed a third of the way through the second period, but were then rocked by the visitors, who racked up 22 points in quarter of an hour and eventually won 21-41.

Championship Fixtures & Results

Championship Table

The next one...

Created By
Jersey Reds
Appreciate

Credits:

Jacquie Ranieri, Sue Armes, Brian Tempest & Rich Chapman