Jersey 'could cope' if promoted to Championship - Evans

Jersey prop and coach Ben Evans won 27 caps for Wales

Jersey's player-coach Ben Evans has said he believes the club could cope in the Championship.

The islanders have won three promotions in four seasons on a remarkable rise through the English rugby pyramid.

They are second in National One, just one point behind leaders Ealing, going into the weekend's top-of-the-table clash between the sides.

"We don't want to go up and come straight back down," Evans told BBC Radio Jersey.

The former Wales international continued: "Let's get up there and be competitive, we don't want to go up there and just survive.

"We want to have these teams come over to Jersey and know what the place is all about."

A win for the island side on Saturday would see them leapfrog Ealing Trailfinders and go top of the National League One table for the first time.

Ealing have been top of the league for several months but have struggled in recent games, with just one win in their last five matches.

They beat Jersey 26-15 when the sides met at St Peter in September, inflicting the islanders' only home defeat of the past two-and-a-half years.

"It's a huge one, the guys are really up for this game," said Evans.

"Ealing did a job on us and stole our two-year unbeaten record at home and they celebrated like they'd won the World Cup as well. So we owe them to be honest."