Jersey United Banks player Rory Steele gets the ball away to set upa first-half try. Picture: Tony Pike (00862935)

Jersey United Banks go into the next round of the Hampshire Plate believing that they are strong enough to make the final.

That follows on from an electrifying game at Grainville yesterday, when the home side took on St Jacques, from Guernsey, and beat them 22-19 although both at the break and with ten minutes remaining they seemed to have lost the game.

Their pack saved them, however, and while Ben de Figueiredo playing at No 10 stole two tries, the last one being a life-saver for the Banks, who by then were losing to the Guernsey side with ten minutes to go, their resilience was such that they deserved this victory.

St Jacques played exceptionally well, coming back into the game after going behind 12-0 from tries by Ben de Figueiredo and scrum-half Dan McAviney, who scampered over the line for an individual try which he then converted.

However, St Jacques were made of sterner stuff. They raised their game and scored twice, both tries coming from their threes and both converted by Tim Pond.