THE Jersey Rugby Club Academy’s first-ever fixture in a Hampshire League competition was a rip-roaring affair on Saturday.

The under-16s carried the flag forward against Winchester at St Peter and although pipped by two points, 24-22, there was genuine cause for optimism come the final whistle, not least from a visiting county selector who was impressed with several lads on display.

Indeed, had that whistle come a few minutes later the chances are that the home side would have been celebrating a famous victory, such was the head of steam they had built-up in the second half.

Having gone down 24-7 just after the turn round, to the well-drilled, if largely forward-orientated visitors, few of a good-sized crowd could have expected such a pulsating finale.

Jersey, severely under-cooked going into the game, raised the temperature with every passing moment and three unconverted second-half tries from flanker Tom Falle, subsitute Joe Ellyatt and full-back Mark Livesey were the very least their huge territorial advantage in the second half merited.

By the end even the hugely impressive Winchester line-out was showing signs of fallibility, such was the pressure put on by the Jersey youngsters, playing only their second game together in two years as an age group.

Said Jersey coach Graham Howgate: ‘The lads did superbly well to win the second-half by three tries to one.

I’m delighted with the performance – there were far more positives than minuses out there today.’ He could hardly fail to have been impressed with the turn round as Winchester had bossed the first half, despite going down to an early try from Jersey’s man-of-the-match Stephen Phelan, the centre collecting inside his own 22 and blistering around the visitors’ defence to score under the posts.

Ollie Harwood converted to give Jersey a 7-0 lead.

But the rest of the half belonged to the visitors, despite Jersey having a huge scrummaging advantage, thanks to powerhouses like Paul Morin, Will Hunter and Ryan Bisson.

It was in open play that hesitant rucking, needless infringements and poor decision-making played into the hands of the more savvy Winchester lads.

The visitors drew level when Flanker Sam Wilson scored near the posts following a tap penalty, which Winchester’s man-of-the-match Patrick Cheshire converted.

Winger Joe Tugwell then put Winchester ahead with the first of his two tries, going over on the right.

Cheshire converted, and minutes later the stand-off waltzed through for a try of his own.

Ahead 19-7 at the break, Tugwell again crossed the Jersey line after excellent close-range play to score Winchester’s final points – 24-7.

Falle helped turn the tide with a superb captain’s try in the corner, bursting clear from 25 metres and absolutely determined not to be caught by his pursuers.

Phelan just missed a tough conversion.

Substitute forward Ellyatt, a county player at U14 level last year, powered over from close range following good work from Mourant, Hunter and Bisson.

And at 24-17 Winchester were rocking, although the conversion was screwed wide by Phelan.

Marc Curtin, impressing as a second-half substitute, was denied a certain try under the posts, when play was called back for an infringement.

But Jersey were not denied for much longer and following an excellent break from Phelan, the powerful Livesey, already through to next week’s country trial, powered over in the left-hand corner.

Phelan again went close with the tough conversion, but just missed adding the two points that would have put the sides level.

But it was a day when rugby was the undoubted winner.