JERSEY United Banks RFC went out of the Hampshire Plate at the quarter final stage yesterday.

Despite going 3-0 up after an early Chris de Figuieredo penalty they lost 19-3 at Farnborough although the score flatters a side which were made to struggle.

Immediately after the game Banks’ captain Peter Haworth said: ‘Although we didn’t play to our full potential and were outbossed up front, the game was in the balance for quite some time and if we had kicked our penalties it would have been 12-all, going into the last few minutes. Matt Leech and Rory Steel nearly broke through on more than one occasion, but their Fijian backs were very fast – they were exceptional players, which we didn’t expect before we arrived here.’

Farnborough coach Mark Pickering was also relieved when the game was over. ‘I wasn’t pleased with the way we played in the first half, so took off some of the university lads and replaced them with more experienced players. I’m very happy, though, with the result and we’d like to come to Jersey at some stage in the future to play Banks in a friendly.’

• Picture: United Banks’ Julian De Gruchy in action against Farnborough. Picture by Jo Jeffery