Jersey Reds run in seven tries in pre-season win over Coventry
- Published
Jersey boss Harvey Biljon handed debuts to 11 of his squad in the victory at St Peter
Jersey Reds stepped up their preparations for the new Championship season with a 47-5 win over National One side Coventry.
The islanders were 33-0 ahead early in the second half, after scores from George Watkins, Brendan Cope, Nick Haining (2) and Nick Selway.
Coventry winger James Stokes scored in the corner to get his side on the board.
But late tries from James Doyle and George Eastwell sealed Jersey's win.
The hosts had been ahead inside three minutes when former Bristol winger Watkins marked his debut with an early try.
Fly-half Cope wriggled his way through the Coventry defence for Jersey's second, despite the visitors having a large share of the territory and possession.
Haining extended the advantage further before Selway's score from a maul made it 26-0 at the break.
Haining's second came just minutes after the restart and the result was, by then, beyond any real doubt.
But Coventry, who started the match with just one player who had featured last season, did not let their heads drop and Stokes went over as reward for their battling spirit.
The National One outfit kept Jersey's scoring chances to a minimum for much of the second half, and home supporters had to wait until the last three minutes for two further tries.
With Coventry down to 14 men, Doyle and Eastwell - both making their debuts from the bench - put some gloss on the score line with two well-worked tries.
Lock Pierce Phillips skippered Jersey Reds for the first time since being appointed club captain
Jersey: Adair; Watkins, King, Robling, Lane; Cope, Hardy; Woolmore, Selway, Tampin, McKern, Phillips (capt), Haining, Freeman, Argyle .
Replacements: Macfarlane, McCarthy, Armstrong, Voss, Doyle, Dudley, Katz, Eastwell, Cuthbert.
Coventry: Pritchard; Stokes, Hircock, Wheatcroft (capt), Knox; Fenner, Adamson; Stankovich, Tolmie, Litchfield; Conquest, Snyman, Grace, Harry, Bone.
Replacements: Price, Brown, Boulton, Jubb, Dyer, Grasso, Maisey, Rundle, Burke.
Attendance: 571