Jersey 15 Ealing Trailfinders 26 By Tom Innes
Jersey's 'Fortress St Peter' home was successfully stormed by a clinical Ealing side, who registered the first away league win on the island since March 2009.
Adapting superbly to the capricious wind that had been a factor in their 32-18 defeat inJersey last October, the Trailfinders put together a convincing 80-minute performance to finish as deserved winners.
Director of Rugby Mike Cudmore was a satisfied man, impressed by the way his Ealing team had implemented his game plan.
"We saw the conditions when we landed this morning, and we knew what to expect," he said. "It was then a question of restricting Jersey when we defended, and taking our chances.
"Our first-half error count was high, and so was Jersey's, but we were very focused and I was delighted, especially after we let ourselves down here last season."
The mistakes in the first half made for a scrappy spectacle, but Jersey's slip-ups were the more costly, gifting two tries to winger Owen Bruynseels. The home time's sole response was courtesy of a classy dummy and sprint to the line from flanker Steve O'Brien, buoyed by brother Sean's display in Ireland's World Cup win over Australia.
Surviving the last few minutes of the first half with 14 men after Karl Gibson's yellow card for a late tackle, the visitors struck first after the break when Phil Chesters raced after a chip ahead, leaping for the bouncing ball and palming it forwards over Jersey's Mike Le Bourgeois before catching the ball and coasting to the line.
After a sharp drop-goal by Ealing's Morgan Thompson, Ashley Maggs marked his return to Jersey colours after a year's injury lay-off with a try, finishing off a sparkling move featuring Le Bourgeois and James Copsey.
Jersey exerted sustained pressure for most of the final quarter, but had little to show for it - James Ellershaw looked to have barged his way over, but the referee ruled he had been stripped of the ball.
Substitute Brendan O'Brien eventually scored the hosts' third try, but Neil Hallett's boot kept the visitors clear of danger. There was still time for Jersey to push for a pair of bonus points, or even an unlikely win, but a series of handling errors and determined Ealing defence kept the visitors clear of danger.
Jersey Head Coach Ben Harvey bemoaned a very bad day at the office, saying his team's failure to deliver their skills under pressure had cost them dearly.
Jersey
Tries: O'Brien S 28, Maggs 52, O'Brien B 72
Ealing Trailfinders
Tries: Bruynseels 10, 28, Chesters 42 Con: Hallett 42 Drop Goal: Thompson 50 Penalties: Hallett 55, 76 H-T: 5-10 Att: 1,262
Teams Jersey: Le Bourgeois, Copsey, Bishop, Sanders,Dawson, Turner,Griffiths, Evans, Clyde-Smith, Brennan, Hannay, Rodgers, Thompson, O'Brien S, Trower. Replacements: Landick, Ellershaw, Lang, Maggs, O'Brien B.
Ealing: Hodgkinson, Bruynseels, Wardingley, Damant, Chesters, Hallett, Thompson, Neville, Moyce, Brockett, Curry, Twomey, Nilsson, Gibson, Evans M. Replacements: Evans L, Brown, Fishwick, Starling, Price.
Referee: Andrew Jackson
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