Two title wins in two seasons: it may be ‘mission accomplished’ for JRFC Men after last weekend’s home win over Newbury Blues, but it also means the target on the team’s back has become that little bit bigger.
The first opportunity to take down the champions of Regional 2 South Central falls to Tottonians, whose home ground lies within 10 miles of Southampton Airport and is thereby one of the nearest away games for JRFC. The hosts have been towards the top end of the table for most of the season, albeit they suffered a surprise defeat to Chichester last time out, and they’ll be keen to avenge a loss on their Channel Island tour last December.
For Myles Landick, his fellow coaches and the red-shirted squad, the priority will be to snap out of celebration mode after the high at CoinShares Park last Saturday, when maximum league points took them out of reach of their rivals and secured a second successive promotion. “Next job…” and all that.
Landick will want to keep up the momentum and for his team to show January’s defeat to Guildford remains a one-off blemish in their first two seasons since re-entering the league system in September 2022.
Team news
While sadly unavailable for direct comment this week (for logistical reasons connected to the comms department, rather than having raised his appearance fee on account of winning silverware) Mylo has opted to mix things up in a bid to ensure there’s some freshness in his squad. In the process of this he gives opportunities to several players who weren’t involved against Newbury but will be hankering to feature over the closing weeks of the season, including the Siam Cup.
Five new names come into the starting line-up from the XV which began last weekend’s game, including two – wing Sam Harvey and prop Ewan Davies – who featured as replacements. South African duo Bevan Biggs and Jacques de la Bat also slot into the backline, with the latter getting his first opportunity in the number 9 shirt as regular scrum-half Max Harrington takes a break. Lock forward Nathan Thomas is the fifth and final addition, while there are also a couple of positional switches in the backs, and an all-new trio looking to make an impact off the bench in Harvey Evans, Cam Halliwell and Callum Cuthbert.
JRFC (15-9, 1-8): Tom Bulfin; Bevan Biggs, Dom Mayo, Nathan Rogers, Sam Harvey; Aaron Penberthy, Jacques de la Bat; Ewan Davies, Jack Macfarlane, Tom Wilson, Nathan Thomas, Euan Spencer, Evan Whitson (capt), Tom Tilstone, Tim Corson. Replacements: Harvey Evans, Cameron Halliwell, Callum Cuthbert.
Previous encounters
The two clubs have renewed a long-standing rivalry this season after a gap of almost 19 years.
On December 18th 2004 JRFC completed a double over Tottonians in London 3SW thanks to a 46-10 win at Water Lane, with Gareth Jeffreys scoring four of the seven Jersey tries (Andy Whelan, Josh Chamier and Steve O’Brien claimed the others, and Mark White kicked 11 points). Four weeks earlier the match at St Peter finished 27-6, thanks to a hat-trick by Richard Finch, with Dan McAlister (now JRFC Chairman) and O’Brien also crossing for tries.
At the end of the 2004/05 the Island side were promoted after 10 seasons in L3SW and having won all 20 of their league games that campaign, while Tottonians finished fifth in the 12-team league.
The previous season had seen a Tottonians double, with the Hampshire side winning 21-15 on the Island and 18-0 on home turf. The result at St Peter, sealed by a late Joe Jarvis try, caused disappointment for JRFC Head Coach Dai Burton, who told the JEP that if he’d been a paying spectator he would have demanded his money back. Burton’s side finished third that season, with Tottonians seventh.
In 1999/2000 the sides met once in L3SW, which was contested by 17 clubs on a home or away basis up until that season, with a 34-7 win for Jersey at Water Lane. The Island side finished second that season, the mainlanders 12th.
Last December Totts conceded an early try to Scott Van Breda but then went ahead 10-7 before tries from Jack Macfarlane, Nathan Rogers and George Willmott made it 28-17 to the hosts at the break. Dylan Baptista and Nathan Burns had crossed for the men from Hampshire, and an Ethan Riley penalty soon after the resumption made it all to play for. It was the hosts who were motivated by the narrow margin at that point, claiming three more tries: SVB completed a hat-trick, Rogers crossed again and Aaron Penberthy had a typically ‘dead-eye’ day with his right foot, adding a trademark drop-goal to seven conversions and zero misses. FT: 52-20.
Tottonians RFC
The club was formed after the second staging of a Totton Gramma School v ex-pupils XV match in 1961/62, when the players involved decided to form their own club abd play home games on the school pitches.
In 1969/70 Old Tottonians merged with near-neighbours Totton RFC, making it possible to field a 2nd XV and soon after a 3rd XV, plus – by 1975 – a colts side.
League rugby was initially played in Hampshire leagues 1 and 2, but then the ladder was climbed several times and there was cup success too: a win in the Hampshire Worthington Bowl in 2004, beating Guernsey 22-17 on home turf at Water Lane in the final, and reaching the quarter-final of the EDF National Senior Vase three years later.
Whereas JRFC spent 10 seasons at level 7 before finally winning London 3SW in 2005, Totts were at the same level for 12 straight campaigns before winning the title, and promotion, in 2015. Seventh place in London 1S the following season meant they finished above Havant as their county’s highest-ranked side, and in 2018/19 there was a maiden Hampshire Cup win, also at Havant’s expense, but also relegation.
In 2021/22 Tottonians won the London 2 SW title, and last season they finished second in R2SC, losing just five of 22 games.
Parish Notices
The season has zipped past quickly, to the extent that it’ll all be done within the next six weeks.
JRFC will hope the force remains with them in the build-up to ‘Star Wars Day’ (May 4th) when the Siam Cup will be staged in Guernsey. There’s been some contention about kick-off times for that day, with the final (Men’s Siam) game at 4.15pm and the boat back to Jersey at 6.50pm. It is tight, but the plan is to have bus transport lined up at the final whistle and we imagine our friends from Condor will do their utmost to ensure no-one from Jersey is forced into exile!
A few notable dates before then, firstly Saturday April 6th. While the Men’s XV complete their league schedule at Witney (still no confirmed news about Winchester, by the way), JRFC Women will be looking to emulate their male counterparts and claim the league title, and promotion, with a win over Beckenham. Make sure you are at CoinShares Park for that one – it’ll kick off at 2.30pm.
The home season for both our sides will conclude with a double-header on Saturday April 20th (girls against Silhillians Sirens at 11.30am, boys against Chinnor Falcons at 3pm) and then all eyes will turn to the Siam.
There’ll also be an awards evening at the club on Saturday April 27th, save the date and watch out for more details of that one in the coming weeks.
Our next preview will be out on Friday April 5th.
The first opportunity to take down the champions of Regional 2 South Central falls to Tottonians, whose home ground lies within 10 miles of Southampton Airport and is thereby one of the nearest away games for JRFC. The hosts have been towards the top end of the table for most of the season, albeit they suffered a surprise defeat to Chichester last time out, and they’ll be keen to avenge a loss on their Channel Island tour last December.
For Myles Landick, his fellow coaches and the red-shirted squad, the priority will be to snap out of celebration mode after the high at CoinShares Park last Saturday, when maximum league points took them out of reach of their rivals and secured a second successive promotion. “Next job…” and all that.
Landick will want to keep up the momentum and for his team to show January’s defeat to Guildford remains a one-off blemish in their first two seasons since re-entering the league system in September 2022.
Team news
While sadly unavailable for direct comment this week (for logistical reasons connected to the comms department, rather than having raised his appearance fee on account of winning silverware) Mylo has opted to mix things up in a bid to ensure there’s some freshness in his squad. In the process of this he gives opportunities to several players who weren’t involved against Newbury but will be hankering to feature over the closing weeks of the season, including the Siam Cup.
Five new names come into the starting line-up from the XV which began last weekend’s game, including two – wing Sam Harvey and prop Ewan Davies – who featured as replacements. South African duo Bevan Biggs and Jacques de la Bat also slot into the backline, with the latter getting his first opportunity in the number 9 shirt as regular scrum-half Max Harrington takes a break. Lock forward Nathan Thomas is the fifth and final addition, while there are also a couple of positional switches in the backs, and an all-new trio looking to make an impact off the bench in Harvey Evans, Cam Halliwell and Callum Cuthbert.
JRFC (15-9, 1-8): Tom Bulfin; Bevan Biggs, Dom Mayo, Nathan Rogers, Sam Harvey; Aaron Penberthy, Jacques de la Bat; Ewan Davies, Jack Macfarlane, Tom Wilson, Nathan Thomas, Euan Spencer, Evan Whitson (capt), Tom Tilstone, Tim Corson. Replacements: Harvey Evans, Cameron Halliwell, Callum Cuthbert.
Previous encounters
The two clubs have renewed a long-standing rivalry this season after a gap of almost 19 years.
On December 18th 2004 JRFC completed a double over Tottonians in London 3SW thanks to a 46-10 win at Water Lane, with Gareth Jeffreys scoring four of the seven Jersey tries (Andy Whelan, Josh Chamier and Steve O’Brien claimed the others, and Mark White kicked 11 points). Four weeks earlier the match at St Peter finished 27-6, thanks to a hat-trick by Richard Finch, with Dan McAlister (now JRFC Chairman) and O’Brien also crossing for tries.
At the end of the 2004/05 the Island side were promoted after 10 seasons in L3SW and having won all 20 of their league games that campaign, while Tottonians finished fifth in the 12-team league.
The previous season had seen a Tottonians double, with the Hampshire side winning 21-15 on the Island and 18-0 on home turf. The result at St Peter, sealed by a late Joe Jarvis try, caused disappointment for JRFC Head Coach Dai Burton, who told the JEP that if he’d been a paying spectator he would have demanded his money back. Burton’s side finished third that season, with Tottonians seventh.
In 1999/2000 the sides met once in L3SW, which was contested by 17 clubs on a home or away basis up until that season, with a 34-7 win for Jersey at Water Lane. The Island side finished second that season, the mainlanders 12th.
Last December Totts conceded an early try to Scott Van Breda but then went ahead 10-7 before tries from Jack Macfarlane, Nathan Rogers and George Willmott made it 28-17 to the hosts at the break. Dylan Baptista and Nathan Burns had crossed for the men from Hampshire, and an Ethan Riley penalty soon after the resumption made it all to play for. It was the hosts who were motivated by the narrow margin at that point, claiming three more tries: SVB completed a hat-trick, Rogers crossed again and Aaron Penberthy had a typically ‘dead-eye’ day with his right foot, adding a trademark drop-goal to seven conversions and zero misses. FT: 52-20.
Tottonians RFC
The club was formed after the second staging of a Totton Gramma School v ex-pupils XV match in 1961/62, when the players involved decided to form their own club abd play home games on the school pitches.
In 1969/70 Old Tottonians merged with near-neighbours Totton RFC, making it possible to field a 2nd XV and soon after a 3rd XV, plus – by 1975 – a colts side.
League rugby was initially played in Hampshire leagues 1 and 2, but then the ladder was climbed several times and there was cup success too: a win in the Hampshire Worthington Bowl in 2004, beating Guernsey 22-17 on home turf at Water Lane in the final, and reaching the quarter-final of the EDF National Senior Vase three years later.
Whereas JRFC spent 10 seasons at level 7 before finally winning London 3SW in 2005, Totts were at the same level for 12 straight campaigns before winning the title, and promotion, in 2015. Seventh place in London 1S the following season meant they finished above Havant as their county’s highest-ranked side, and in 2018/19 there was a maiden Hampshire Cup win, also at Havant’s expense, but also relegation.
In 2021/22 Tottonians won the London 2 SW title, and last season they finished second in R2SC, losing just five of 22 games.
Parish Notices
The season has zipped past quickly, to the extent that it’ll all be done within the next six weeks.
JRFC will hope the force remains with them in the build-up to ‘Star Wars Day’ (May 4th) when the Siam Cup will be staged in Guernsey. There’s been some contention about kick-off times for that day, with the final (Men’s Siam) game at 4.15pm and the boat back to Jersey at 6.50pm. It is tight, but the plan is to have bus transport lined up at the final whistle and we imagine our friends from Condor will do their utmost to ensure no-one from Jersey is forced into exile!
A few notable dates before then, firstly Saturday April 6th. While the Men’s XV complete their league schedule at Witney (still no confirmed news about Winchester, by the way), JRFC Women will be looking to emulate their male counterparts and claim the league title, and promotion, with a win over Beckenham. Make sure you are at CoinShares Park for that one – it’ll kick off at 2.30pm.
The home season for both our sides will conclude with a double-header on Saturday April 20th (girls against Silhillians Sirens at 11.30am, boys against Chinnor Falcons at 3pm) and then all eyes will turn to the Siam.
There’ll also be an awards evening at the club on Saturday April 27th, save the date and watch out for more details of that one in the coming weeks.
Our next preview will be out on Friday April 5th.
