THREE second-half tries and a try-saving tackle by Richard Stevens ensured that Jersey United Banks RFC reached the final of the Hampshire Plate, by beating New Milton RFC 25-13 at Grainville yesterday afternoon.
After a dour first half, which saw the home side give away the simplest of tries when wing-forward Bradley Watson ran in unopposed on the blind-side to score, following a line-out on the left, Banks came out a very different team with 40 minutes remaining.
‘We knew we had the measure of them by half-time,’ said Banks’ captain Julian de Gruchy afterwards, even though his side looked vulnerable as they went into the break 8-6 down.
‘The pitch was heavy, which affected our game, but every time they kicked to us, Richard Stevens, playing full-back, caught the ball and ran it back at them, to where we needed to be.
As our coach, Len McAviney said, this was a team effort.
But Richard’s flair would have made him, for me, the man of the match.’ It was in the 73rd minute that he stopped the New Milton No 8 dead in his tracks five yards out from the try line.
At the time the visitors had come back strongly into the game, with a try scored by their tall No 10, Bryn Darbyshire, only minutes before, to make it 25-13.
And, at the time, New Milton, who lost to Les Quennevais two years ago in the final of the Hampshire Bowl, were controlling all of the possession.
However, the Banks’ defence, which worked tirelessly throughout the match, was to have the final say.
The home side’s defence was tremendous, with big hits coming in from virtually all of the team, including veteran prop Roger Trower, whose ear was so badly damaged it resembled a small, purple cauliflower when he came off the pitch.
Despite that, and for the biggest match in their history, he will be lining up against Southampton University, in the final, in two weeks’ time.
The first score, with the snow tumbling gently down, came after five minutes when stand-off Jimmy McCormack slotted home a penalty.
In a game which saw both sides wanting to run the ball, the next score was Watson’s unconverted try on the half-hour.
New Milton then made it 8-3 following a penalty kick by Watcyn Lewis, although McCormack reduced the deficit to 8-6 with his second penalty on the stroke of half-time.
After that, and following a two minutes’ pep talk by McAviney at half-time, the Banks came out a completely different team.
‘Our team didn’t turn up for the second half,’ said New Milton president, Norman Cracknell.
‘Our team weren’t fired up and, on balance, the better side won.
The annoying thing is that a week ago, with virtually the same players, we steam-rollered the Isle of Wight.
Good luck to the Banks.
I hope they win in the final.’ Banks’ first try came within five minutes of the restart when, in broken play in the New Milton 22, big No 8 Ivan Murphy had just enough strength in his legs to shrug aside two would-be tacklers before touching down.
McCormack converted.
Then, eight minutes later, the same player was on hand to take the ball from replacement flanker Nick Trower, whose direct running at New Milton was a feature of the second half.
The conversion was missed, but now Banks were two scores - 18-8 - to the good and they increased their lead to 25-8 when winger Phil Hand picked up loosely-kicked ball, kicked over a stationary defence and regathered to touch down close to the posts.
McCormack converted.
So both in defence and attack Banks, with 15 minutes remaining, had the initiative.
Despite conceding a try in the last ten minutes, and despite the naivety of allowing a flanker to score early on following a blind side line-out move, at the end of the day, New Milton President Norman Cracknell was right.
The better team won; the better team, Banks, deserved to win.
Other scores: Emeraude Lines JRA League: Jersey II 22 Guernsey II 26; Les Quennevais 41, Jersey Wanderers 14.
Article posted on 7th March, 2005 - 12.00am
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