JRFC MATCH PREVIEW – SATURDAY March 9th, 2024
It might be a friendly fixture, but there’s nevertheless a bit of competitive edge as Jersey RFC prepare to take on Caldy 2nd XV.
The two sides met last April, with the visitors taking the spoils and maintaining an extraordinary winning run that stretches across an estimated 90 games.
Having spoken regularly about how his team’s top-of-the-table status puts a target on their back every time they contest a league game, Head Coach Myles Landick is turning the tables and using the visitors’ record as motivation for his side.
The last recorded defeat for Caldy’s 2nd team was to north-west rivals Sedgely Park in April 2019, a whole pandemic ago.
The fixture comes on the weekend that Caldy’s 1st XV would have taken on Jersey Reds in the Championship, and the visiting squad is a strong one: around a third of the 25-player group are understood to have had 1st team game-time this season.
The match will also serve to divert attention from the disappointment of last weekend’s game at Winchester being called off on Friday, denying the JRFC men the chance to gain a win and seize the league title. The decision about the outcome of the postponed game is awaited from the league’s organizing committee.
Landick’s Lines and team news
Landick has selected a strong squad to take on the visiting Ravers, and admits to a triple motivation for his side in seeking a win.
“We want to keep up the momentum ahead of the last few league games, including a really big match against Newbury when we're looking to win the league,” he said. “But we’d also like to get a win after Caldy beat us last year, and we’re aware of the five-year unbeaten record, which is certainly a target.
“They were certainly one of the best teams we played last season, well-balanced with physical forwards, a pacy backline and I don’t expect their side to be much different this time around.”
Three players come into the starting XV from the line-up originally selected to travel to Winchester last weekend.
In the back-line, Charlie Hubert makes a welcome return at full-back, while Tom Bulfin comes in at wing. With Bevan Biggs injured and Nathan Rogers unavailable, Scott Van Breda moves forward to partner Dom Mayo in the centres.
The other tweak to the XV comes at second row, with Jerry Sexton returning to the side and Tom Tilstone switching to the bench, where he will be one of five replacements.
JRFC (15-9, 1-8): Charlie Hubert; Sam Harvey, Scott Van Breda, Dom Mayo, Tom Bulfin; Aaron Penberthy, Max Harrington; Joe Ridgway, Jack Macfarlane, Tom Wilson, Euan Spencer, Jerry Sexton, Evan Whitson (capt), Tim Corson, George Willmott. Replacements: George Thomas, Nathan Thomas, Tom Tilstone, Cameron Halliwell, Jacques De La Bat.
Previous encounters
Prior to the demise of Jersey Reds, the two clubs met in two RFU Championship fixtures during 2022/23.
After trailing by two points at half-time in the away encounter in October, the Reds pulled clear to win 34-19, and five months later the match at Stade Santander featured a baker’s dozen try-count, with 11 to the hosts in a thumping 71-14 en route to the Championship title.
Last April saw a first contest between the amateur JRFC team and Caldy 2nds, played at the Airport Field ahead of the pivotal Championship encounter between the Reds and Ealing Trailfinders later that day.
The match was extremely competitive and finished with the only defeat of the season for JRFC, by 22-17.
Caldy RFC
Caldy RFC, fondly referred to as the Ravers by some supporters, were formed in 1924 as the Old Caldeians Rugby Club for past pupils of Calday Grange School.
In 1928 Sir Alfred Paton, a benefactor of the school gifted Thurstaston Hill to the National Trust, with the proviso that the rugby club would have a pitch in perpetuity and the rest of the 20 acres to be used for the benefit of the youth of the area. The original pavilion was built in 1928 and is still the wooden core of the current building today.
In 1968 the club went open and became Caldy Rugby Club, later becoming an original member of the Giro bank North West league – the forerunner of National Leagues – but in 1996 were relegated into level 9 in the League pyramid.
Caldy and JRFC took contrasting journeys to the second tier of the English rugby pyramid. JRFC reached the ‘promised land’ a decade sooner, although both clubs were in level four in 2010/11, separated by the north/south divide in National 2.
While Caldy finished fifth in N2N that season, Jersey were promoted as runners-up from N2S after a play-off win against Loughborough, and 12 months later were Championship-bound after claiming the National 1 title. A year after that the amateur side, initially Jersey Athletic, was formed.
Paton Field lies on the Wirral peninsula, a short ferry ride (across the Mersey for those who study geography, and/or popular music) from Liverpool city centre and boasts views of north Wales on a clear day.
Caldy reached the Championship on St George’s Day 2022, claiming the National 1 title with a crucial 13-9 win over north-west rivals Sale FC. The 2022/23 season saw them finish 10th of the 12 clubs in the Championship, having won seven of their 22 games, and so far this season they have won four and drawn one of their 13 league games to lie ninth in the table with seven games left.
Parish Notices
The final home game of the JRFC season will take place next Saturday, with a big prize on offer.
Newbury Blues are the visitors to CoinShares Park, and as a result of the Winchester postponement, the home side know that a win, with a bonus point, will mathematically seal the R2SC league title. It’s to be hoped that a large crowd will turn out to cheer on the men in red on their final push.
The Newbury game will also be the last home game until after Easter, with JRFC Women the next team to play hosts when they take on Beckenham on Saturday April 6th.
The ladies secured a 41-21 win over East Grinstead last weekend, and going into a five-week fallow period know that, like their male counterparts, they are just one win short of sealing a league title and promotion.
As part of the build-up to this year’s Siam Cup (which will be staged across four games in Guernsey on Saturday May 4th), CoinShares Park will host a double-header on Saturday April 20th, with the women hosting Silhillians and the men taking on Chinnor.
With the Newbury lunch sold out, supporters seeking to join one of the two April lunches should book early to secure their spots by emailing events@jrfc.je
Fixture info is available via the ‘Teams’ tabs on our website, jerseyrfc.rfu.club
It might be a friendly fixture, but there’s nevertheless a bit of competitive edge as Jersey RFC prepare to take on Caldy 2nd XV.
The two sides met last April, with the visitors taking the spoils and maintaining an extraordinary winning run that stretches across an estimated 90 games.
Having spoken regularly about how his team’s top-of-the-table status puts a target on their back every time they contest a league game, Head Coach Myles Landick is turning the tables and using the visitors’ record as motivation for his side.
The last recorded defeat for Caldy’s 2nd team was to north-west rivals Sedgely Park in April 2019, a whole pandemic ago.
The fixture comes on the weekend that Caldy’s 1st XV would have taken on Jersey Reds in the Championship, and the visiting squad is a strong one: around a third of the 25-player group are understood to have had 1st team game-time this season.
The match will also serve to divert attention from the disappointment of last weekend’s game at Winchester being called off on Friday, denying the JRFC men the chance to gain a win and seize the league title. The decision about the outcome of the postponed game is awaited from the league’s organizing committee.
Landick’s Lines and team news
Landick has selected a strong squad to take on the visiting Ravers, and admits to a triple motivation for his side in seeking a win.
“We want to keep up the momentum ahead of the last few league games, including a really big match against Newbury when we're looking to win the league,” he said. “But we’d also like to get a win after Caldy beat us last year, and we’re aware of the five-year unbeaten record, which is certainly a target.
“They were certainly one of the best teams we played last season, well-balanced with physical forwards, a pacy backline and I don’t expect their side to be much different this time around.”
Three players come into the starting XV from the line-up originally selected to travel to Winchester last weekend.
In the back-line, Charlie Hubert makes a welcome return at full-back, while Tom Bulfin comes in at wing. With Bevan Biggs injured and Nathan Rogers unavailable, Scott Van Breda moves forward to partner Dom Mayo in the centres.
The other tweak to the XV comes at second row, with Jerry Sexton returning to the side and Tom Tilstone switching to the bench, where he will be one of five replacements.
JRFC (15-9, 1-8): Charlie Hubert; Sam Harvey, Scott Van Breda, Dom Mayo, Tom Bulfin; Aaron Penberthy, Max Harrington; Joe Ridgway, Jack Macfarlane, Tom Wilson, Euan Spencer, Jerry Sexton, Evan Whitson (capt), Tim Corson, George Willmott. Replacements: George Thomas, Nathan Thomas, Tom Tilstone, Cameron Halliwell, Jacques De La Bat.
Previous encounters
Prior to the demise of Jersey Reds, the two clubs met in two RFU Championship fixtures during 2022/23.
After trailing by two points at half-time in the away encounter in October, the Reds pulled clear to win 34-19, and five months later the match at Stade Santander featured a baker’s dozen try-count, with 11 to the hosts in a thumping 71-14 en route to the Championship title.
Last April saw a first contest between the amateur JRFC team and Caldy 2nds, played at the Airport Field ahead of the pivotal Championship encounter between the Reds and Ealing Trailfinders later that day.
The match was extremely competitive and finished with the only defeat of the season for JRFC, by 22-17.
Caldy RFC
Caldy RFC, fondly referred to as the Ravers by some supporters, were formed in 1924 as the Old Caldeians Rugby Club for past pupils of Calday Grange School.
In 1928 Sir Alfred Paton, a benefactor of the school gifted Thurstaston Hill to the National Trust, with the proviso that the rugby club would have a pitch in perpetuity and the rest of the 20 acres to be used for the benefit of the youth of the area. The original pavilion was built in 1928 and is still the wooden core of the current building today.
In 1968 the club went open and became Caldy Rugby Club, later becoming an original member of the Giro bank North West league – the forerunner of National Leagues – but in 1996 were relegated into level 9 in the League pyramid.
Caldy and JRFC took contrasting journeys to the second tier of the English rugby pyramid. JRFC reached the ‘promised land’ a decade sooner, although both clubs were in level four in 2010/11, separated by the north/south divide in National 2.
While Caldy finished fifth in N2N that season, Jersey were promoted as runners-up from N2S after a play-off win against Loughborough, and 12 months later were Championship-bound after claiming the National 1 title. A year after that the amateur side, initially Jersey Athletic, was formed.
Paton Field lies on the Wirral peninsula, a short ferry ride (across the Mersey for those who study geography, and/or popular music) from Liverpool city centre and boasts views of north Wales on a clear day.
Caldy reached the Championship on St George’s Day 2022, claiming the National 1 title with a crucial 13-9 win over north-west rivals Sale FC. The 2022/23 season saw them finish 10th of the 12 clubs in the Championship, having won seven of their 22 games, and so far this season they have won four and drawn one of their 13 league games to lie ninth in the table with seven games left.
Parish Notices
The final home game of the JRFC season will take place next Saturday, with a big prize on offer.
Newbury Blues are the visitors to CoinShares Park, and as a result of the Winchester postponement, the home side know that a win, with a bonus point, will mathematically seal the R2SC league title. It’s to be hoped that a large crowd will turn out to cheer on the men in red on their final push.
The Newbury game will also be the last home game until after Easter, with JRFC Women the next team to play hosts when they take on Beckenham on Saturday April 6th.
The ladies secured a 41-21 win over East Grinstead last weekend, and going into a five-week fallow period know that, like their male counterparts, they are just one win short of sealing a league title and promotion.
As part of the build-up to this year’s Siam Cup (which will be staged across four games in Guernsey on Saturday May 4th), CoinShares Park will host a double-header on Saturday April 20th, with the women hosting Silhillians and the men taking on Chinnor.
With the Newbury lunch sold out, supporters seeking to join one of the two April lunches should book early to secure their spots by emailing events@jrfc.je
Fixture info is available via the ‘Teams’ tabs on our website, jerseyrfc.rfu.club
