HAVING lost to Southampton University in the final of the Hampshire Plate, Jersey United Banks successfully negotiated their way around a strong Guernsey RFC 2nd XV to make it into the final of the Sugden Cup yesterday.

Banks back-row player Ivan Murphy was probably the man of the match for his three tries, the first one coming in the 12th minute when he picked up loose ball from a ruck and barged over.

Jimmy McCormack converted.

Soon afterwards centre Antoine Bacquet was sent clean away following a powerful run by captain Julian de Gruchy and, before the end of the half he accelerated past a static defence to make the score, at half-time, 21-0.

All three tries were converted.

Up until then the Banks had enjoyed most of the possession, but Guernsey, who finished second behind Jersey 2nds in the JRA/Emeraude Lines League, had a simple, no-nonsense approach through their forwards which was always threatening.

So even when Murphy scored two more tries in the second half, one of them converted, before Nick Trower bludgeoned his way through, there was an air of inevitability when Guernsey scored two tries of their own.

The first came from the 2nds’ captain, Carl Gardner, who peeled away from the base of the scrum to score beneath the posts.

The second was again a pack move against a Banks’ side going backwards, before Matt Swan, a replacement for Banks’ injured captain, de Gruchy, intercepted a Guernsey passing move and cruised 40 yards before touching down.

McCormack converted to tie up the game 43-12.

Afterwards de Gruchy was full of praise for a Banks’ side that included players who have only occasionally been selected this season.

‘The Trower brothers, especially Harry, gave everything, but this was all down to team effort.

Ivan was superb, but I felt, overall, we were better organised than they were.

I’m looking forward to the final.’