Jersey’s Sam Tuia put on an electric show in midfield against Dorking on Saturday Picture: DAVID FERGUSON (00828593)

JERSEY Rugby Club have moved eight points clear at the top of National III South East, with more of their promotion rivals slipping up over the weekend.

With the onset of wintery conditions not derailing Jersey’s charge, a bonus-point 59-10 home win over Dorking on Saturday puts Ben Harvey’s men eight clear of second-placed Old Albanians and 11 off third placed Bracknell – the two sides tipped for promotion at the start of the campaign.

Old Albanians had a narrow home win over Portsmouth, while Bracknell beat the highly-fancied, but faltering, Hertford 13-8. But the biggest shock of the weekend was mighty Havant, Jersey’s hosts next Saturday, slumping to a 10-6 defeat at North Walsham, though the latter have shown decent form of late and do, historically, give the Hampshire side a rough time.

Jersey, just two games off the half-way stage in the season, showed renewed appetite for the challenge, despite dreadful playing conditions at St Peter, running in eight tries with another impressive show and are now just seven points shy of a 50 point average for the season.