JRFC MATCH PREVIEW – SATURDAY January 6TH, 2024
Saturday is Twelfth Night, and as the decorations are taken down, the men and women of Jersey RFC are looking to keep their names up in lights when they appear in a new year double header. For the second time this season, both sides will run out on the same day for a Super Saturday at St Peter, with the girls taking on Worthing at 10.30am before the boys face Farnham at 2.15pm.
JRFC Women were defeated in their most recent outing and will look to return to winning ways in Women's NC 2 South East (South). The Island side won 36-0 in the first match against Worthing in September, but the Sussex outfit are top of the league, so clearly aren’t to be taken lightly.
Meanwhile Myles Landick’s men’s side are looking for a 14th straight win in Regional 2 South Central, taking on the team that have stretched them closest over the season so far. Farnham gave almost as good as they got on their home turf but eventually the visitors prevailed by 38-33. The visitors currently lie seventh in the table after an inconsistent season in which they have won five of their 13 games but not yet managed to record consecutive victories. But the Surrey side definitely know their way to the try-line, having scored 22 tries in their three December outings.
Saturday’s double-header will be sponsored by Gallagher, the leading insurance, risk management and consulting firm demonstrating once again their support for rugby at all levels.
Landick’s Lines
The Jersey Head Coach said he had reminded his team about the potential of the opponents they were facing this weekend.
“It was a tough game at their place – the crowd got behind them, our defence was a bit soft at times and we had to fight back into the game,” he said. “But we had a young side out and it was good experience for us.“We want to start the new year strongly and it will be a good test to show how much we have progressed since we met Farnham during the first month of the season.“We had 28 at training on Tuesday so there’s been good competition for places even with a few regulars away or injured, and the boys are really keen to get stuck back in after their time off over Christmas.”
Team news
Landick has selected a squad showing significant continuity from the first four months of league action, but also a few changes. Full-back Charlie Hubert is one of the regulars absent having only just returned from a festive break, meaning Dylan Stocks retains the number 15 shirt as part of a youthful back three alongside recent Colts graduates Anushan Elanco and Eryk Swiech.Nathan Rogers moves into midfield to partner Dom Mayo, while regular half-backs Aaron Penberthy and Max Harrington link up as they did when the sides met in late September.Behind a regular front row combo of George Thomas, Jack Macfarlane and Tom Wilson, Jerry Sexton makes his first appearance of the season alongside Cam Quereé in the engine room, the latter just edging Nathan Thomas – one of three replacements – in the starting XV.With Tim Corson on a holiday down under, Euan Spencer shifts into the back row alongside regular starters Evan Whitson and George Willmott. Ewan Davies and Sam Harvey complete the bench alongside Thomas (N).
JRFC (15-9, 1-8): Dylan Stocks; Eryk Swiech, Dom Mayo, Nathan Rogers, Anushan Elanco; Aaron Penberthy, Max Harrington; George Thomas, Jack Macfarlane, Tom Wilson, Jerry Sexton, Cameron Quereé, Evan Whitson (capt), Euan Spencer, George Willlmott. Replacements: Ewan Davies, Nathan Thomas, Sam Harvey.
Previous encounters
The men in red were given their toughest test of the season in the fourth round of the season – trailing 20-7 to Farnham shortly before half-time was not in the Jersey script. Willmott had claimed the visitors’ first try and Tom Bulfin crossed for an important score in the dying stages of the half to give hope.Although the hosts claimed a third try soon after the resumption, Jack Keogh crossed for JRFC before Penberthy grabbed the BP try and added a fourth conversion, with Farnham feeling the effects of three yellow cards during the opening hour.Wilmott crossed for his second try, and Penberthy added the conversion and a late penalty, although to their credit Farnham claimed a fourth try and then a last-kick penalty that secured a second bonus point.
Prior to September, it was necessary to go back almost two decades for the previous encounters when both sides squared up in London 3 South-West (level 7 in 2004/05). This was the year everything clicked for JRFC, who clinched promotion thanks to 20 straight wins, while Farnham ended up seventh.In September 2004 the men in red scored five tries to their hosts’ zero in a 39-21 win. Skipper Dan McAllister, now the club chairman, claimed a brace while Dave Miles, James Milner and Matt Davenport-Brown also crossed and Darren Toudic kicked 14 points to his opposite number’s 21.The return match at St Peter resulted in a bigger win for a side now homing in on the title, with no fewer than nine tries: doubles for Gareth Jeffreys and Richard Finch, another try each for McAllister, Miles and Davenport-Brown and further scores by Toudic and Steve O’Brien to make it 53-12 at full-time. Chris Cooper and Allan Meyer claimed the visitors’ tries and Andy James landed a conversion.
Farnham RFC
The 50th anniversary of the club’s foundation in 1975 is just a year away, and there’ll no doubt be celebrations at Farnham’s Wilkinson Way ground in 2025.The Wilkinson reference is to Jonny, one of English rugby’s best-known players thanks to his 2003 exploits, while the club also boasts other alumni who won international caps in the form of England’s Peter Richards and Scotland’s Ryan Wilson.
After taking on Jersey in 2004/05, the club dropped down to Surrey 2 (level 10) but then achieved three successive promotions in a period that also saw the opening of a new clubhouse in 2012. Their most recent promotion came at the end of the Covid-affected season of 2019/20, while another recent highlight was a trip to Twickenham for the RFU Senior Vase final in 2017, in which they registered a win over Droitwich.
Last season Farnham were second in Regional 2 South East, and following this made the move west to join the corresponding South Central division.
Saturday will see a changing of the guard for Jersey Reds Women, with skipper for the past six years Lauren Lowe stepping down prior to heading abroad to travel and work. While the former captain will be present in water girl mode as she prepares to leave the Island, JRW will be led out by new captain Katie de la Cloche, who will be assisted by VCs Abbie Syvret and Ashling Magner.
The JRFC Women won’t be in home action again until Saturday February 10th, when a game against Seaford will combine with Guinness Six Nations action. But there will be an all-male double-header on Saturday January 27th, when Guildford visit the Island and will contest a morning Vets match against the Wanderers ahead of the 1st XVs locking horns at 2.15pm.
If you’ve not yet joined up as a JRFC member, please do - information and how to sign up is available at https://jerseyrfc.rfu.club/products
Finally, keep an eye on social media and the club website for the report of the weekend’s rugby.
Welcome to both our visiting clubs, and to our home fans and sponsors: thanks for your support!
Saturday is Twelfth Night, and as the decorations are taken down, the men and women of Jersey RFC are looking to keep their names up in lights when they appear in a new year double header. For the second time this season, both sides will run out on the same day for a Super Saturday at St Peter, with the girls taking on Worthing at 10.30am before the boys face Farnham at 2.15pm.
JRFC Women were defeated in their most recent outing and will look to return to winning ways in Women's NC 2 South East (South). The Island side won 36-0 in the first match against Worthing in September, but the Sussex outfit are top of the league, so clearly aren’t to be taken lightly.
Meanwhile Myles Landick’s men’s side are looking for a 14th straight win in Regional 2 South Central, taking on the team that have stretched them closest over the season so far. Farnham gave almost as good as they got on their home turf but eventually the visitors prevailed by 38-33. The visitors currently lie seventh in the table after an inconsistent season in which they have won five of their 13 games but not yet managed to record consecutive victories. But the Surrey side definitely know their way to the try-line, having scored 22 tries in their three December outings.
Saturday’s double-header will be sponsored by Gallagher, the leading insurance, risk management and consulting firm demonstrating once again their support for rugby at all levels.
Landick’s Lines
The Jersey Head Coach said he had reminded his team about the potential of the opponents they were facing this weekend.
“It was a tough game at their place – the crowd got behind them, our defence was a bit soft at times and we had to fight back into the game,” he said. “But we had a young side out and it was good experience for us.“We want to start the new year strongly and it will be a good test to show how much we have progressed since we met Farnham during the first month of the season.“We had 28 at training on Tuesday so there’s been good competition for places even with a few regulars away or injured, and the boys are really keen to get stuck back in after their time off over Christmas.”
Team news
Landick has selected a squad showing significant continuity from the first four months of league action, but also a few changes. Full-back Charlie Hubert is one of the regulars absent having only just returned from a festive break, meaning Dylan Stocks retains the number 15 shirt as part of a youthful back three alongside recent Colts graduates Anushan Elanco and Eryk Swiech.Nathan Rogers moves into midfield to partner Dom Mayo, while regular half-backs Aaron Penberthy and Max Harrington link up as they did when the sides met in late September.Behind a regular front row combo of George Thomas, Jack Macfarlane and Tom Wilson, Jerry Sexton makes his first appearance of the season alongside Cam Quereé in the engine room, the latter just edging Nathan Thomas – one of three replacements – in the starting XV.With Tim Corson on a holiday down under, Euan Spencer shifts into the back row alongside regular starters Evan Whitson and George Willmott. Ewan Davies and Sam Harvey complete the bench alongside Thomas (N).
JRFC (15-9, 1-8): Dylan Stocks; Eryk Swiech, Dom Mayo, Nathan Rogers, Anushan Elanco; Aaron Penberthy, Max Harrington; George Thomas, Jack Macfarlane, Tom Wilson, Jerry Sexton, Cameron Quereé, Evan Whitson (capt), Euan Spencer, George Willlmott. Replacements: Ewan Davies, Nathan Thomas, Sam Harvey.
Previous encounters
The men in red were given their toughest test of the season in the fourth round of the season – trailing 20-7 to Farnham shortly before half-time was not in the Jersey script. Willmott had claimed the visitors’ first try and Tom Bulfin crossed for an important score in the dying stages of the half to give hope.Although the hosts claimed a third try soon after the resumption, Jack Keogh crossed for JRFC before Penberthy grabbed the BP try and added a fourth conversion, with Farnham feeling the effects of three yellow cards during the opening hour.Wilmott crossed for his second try, and Penberthy added the conversion and a late penalty, although to their credit Farnham claimed a fourth try and then a last-kick penalty that secured a second bonus point.
Prior to September, it was necessary to go back almost two decades for the previous encounters when both sides squared up in London 3 South-West (level 7 in 2004/05). This was the year everything clicked for JRFC, who clinched promotion thanks to 20 straight wins, while Farnham ended up seventh.In September 2004 the men in red scored five tries to their hosts’ zero in a 39-21 win. Skipper Dan McAllister, now the club chairman, claimed a brace while Dave Miles, James Milner and Matt Davenport-Brown also crossed and Darren Toudic kicked 14 points to his opposite number’s 21.The return match at St Peter resulted in a bigger win for a side now homing in on the title, with no fewer than nine tries: doubles for Gareth Jeffreys and Richard Finch, another try each for McAllister, Miles and Davenport-Brown and further scores by Toudic and Steve O’Brien to make it 53-12 at full-time. Chris Cooper and Allan Meyer claimed the visitors’ tries and Andy James landed a conversion.
Farnham RFC
The 50th anniversary of the club’s foundation in 1975 is just a year away, and there’ll no doubt be celebrations at Farnham’s Wilkinson Way ground in 2025.The Wilkinson reference is to Jonny, one of English rugby’s best-known players thanks to his 2003 exploits, while the club also boasts other alumni who won international caps in the form of England’s Peter Richards and Scotland’s Ryan Wilson.
After taking on Jersey in 2004/05, the club dropped down to Surrey 2 (level 10) but then achieved three successive promotions in a period that also saw the opening of a new clubhouse in 2012. Their most recent promotion came at the end of the Covid-affected season of 2019/20, while another recent highlight was a trip to Twickenham for the RFU Senior Vase final in 2017, in which they registered a win over Droitwich.
Last season Farnham were second in Regional 2 South East, and following this made the move west to join the corresponding South Central division.
Saturday will see a changing of the guard for Jersey Reds Women, with skipper for the past six years Lauren Lowe stepping down prior to heading abroad to travel and work. While the former captain will be present in water girl mode as she prepares to leave the Island, JRW will be led out by new captain Katie de la Cloche, who will be assisted by VCs Abbie Syvret and Ashling Magner.
The JRFC Women won’t be in home action again until Saturday February 10th, when a game against Seaford will combine with Guinness Six Nations action. But there will be an all-male double-header on Saturday January 27th, when Guildford visit the Island and will contest a morning Vets match against the Wanderers ahead of the 1st XVs locking horns at 2.15pm.
If you’ve not yet joined up as a JRFC member, please do - information and how to sign up is available at https://jerseyrfc.rfu.club/products
Finally, keep an eye on social media and the club website for the report of the weekend’s rugby.
Welcome to both our visiting clubs, and to our home fans and sponsors: thanks for your support!
