JERSEY RUGBY CLUB 2nds snatched the JRA/Emeraude Lines CI League title last night with a hard-earned victory over veteran clubmates Wanderers at St Peter.

The three points gathered from the last match of the season lifted Jersey 2nds level on 32 points with their Guernsey RFC counterparts, but miles clear on match points difference – 258, in fact.

But it was an honest victory and tougher than the scoreline suggests, with Jersey Wanderers’ veterans putting on a determined and skilful show that put their high-flying youngsters in the shade for quite a chunk of the match.

Jersey’s head coach Dai Burton, happy to be picking up his second title of the season, gave full credit to Wanderers, a side he often turns out for: ‘That was one of the strongest Wanderers’ sides I’ve seen for some time and they controlled the early stages.

But although I wasn’t happy about our back play, I felt we were in control of most areas for the final two thirds of the match.’ It was far from a dead rubber for the Wanderers, with fourth place in the league and Sugden Cup qualification still within their grasp and they certainly asked most of the questions in the first half.

But although Jersey’s back line was far from fluid they defended well as a team and Wanderers could not convert territorial possession into points.

The first period was half-way through when Ross Allan kicked past the Wanderers’ back line, with the powerful centre looking certain to score until Justin Thomas roared past to gather the ball.

Thomas, however, was isolated and Allan wrestled back possession to enable his brother Jamie to send winger John Felton over for an easy score on the left.

Felton struck the post with the conversion.

The reverse was hard on Wanderers and it got tougher still when lock Matt Collins burst through a gap following a scrum 25 yards out.

Felton converted and Wanderers were, harshly, 12 points adrift at the break.

The second-half went more to form with Jersey scoring three more tries, although Wanderers still enjoyed a fair bit of possession in search of an elusive score.

Prop forward Jim Brinelow stormed through to wrap the match up with a try under the posts – and scrum-half Steve Mee created a gap for Jamie Allan to score from close range soon afterwards.

A cracking tackle from winger Karl Hayes denied Wanderers’ wing Steve Byrne a deserved consolation try and minutes later Mee completed the scoring with a powerful run from the half-way line – bringing the 2nds’points-for total to 500 for the league season.

Felton added two more conversions.

Jersey 2nds now face Les Quennevais in the Sugden Cup semi-finals on Sunday (3 pm), with United Banks meeting league runners-up Guernsey 2nds (1 pm).

Both matches are at St Peter.

Jersey 2nds: Jim Brimelow, Josh Chamier, Colin Crawford, Gareth Davis, Matt Collins, Paul Maltby, Ross Kenwright, Will Grant; Steve Mee, Jamie Allan; Ryan Morgan, Ross Allan, Karl Hayes, John Felton, Steve Pugh.

Subs: Michael Soley, Rob Allen, John Allo.

Wanderers: Chris Lynch, Bob Shambrook, Dave Clark, Ben Ludlam, John Heslam, Paul Kempster, Clive Russell, Scott Spencer; Jerry Willis, Justin Thomas; Steve Byrne, Guy Hinks, John Creavey, Carlton Moody, Kevin McGinty.

Subs: Darren Tanguy, Paul Griffin, Pascal Ybert, Bob Le Brocq.

Referee: Dave Harrison.