British and Irish Cup: Jersey Reds 49-12 Cardiff Blues

Scrum-half Kieran Hardy went close to scoring a hat-trick

Injury-hit Jersey Reds ran in seven tries to claim their first win in more than a month, in a dominant display against Cardiff Blues Select side at St Peter.

George Eastwell and Kieran Hardy each scored twice, with Jake Armstrong, Nick Haining and Sam Katz also going over.

Winger Owen Lane and full-back Rhun Williams had got tries for the Blues in the first half.

But Jersey dominated after the break to end a run of five consecutive losses.

The Reds, who had plucked forwards coach Alex Rae out of retirement to take a place in the starting line-up, went ahead when centre Eastwell burst through a series of tackles to go over.

Rae had hung up his boots at the end of last season to join the coaching team, but with more than a dozen players out injured, was called into action by coach Harvey Biljon.

Back rower Haining jinked his way through the Cardiff defence to help Biljon's side to a 14-0 lead, but back came the visitors with Lane's score in the corner and then a well-worked line-out saw the play spread wide and Williams cross to reduce the arrears to two points.

In the final minute of the half though Jersey were back in control when former Doncaster Knights prop Armstrong found himself in space on the left wing to score, with fly-half Brendan Cope superbly converting.

Two tries in the first five minutes of the second half put the result beyond any real doubt as Eastwell grabbed his second of the night and then full-back Katz went over moments later.

Hardy scored Jersey's sixth, in the corner, and then eased in for his second which Cope converted to ensure he kept his 100% kicking record, knocking all seven conversions between the posts.

The result means Cardiff are bottom of Pool One after two matches, while Jersey go top of the group but will be displaced when London Scottish face Ulster on Saturday.

Jersey: Katz; Cuthbert, King, Eastwell, Davies; Cope, Dudley; Woolmore, Macfarlane, Armstrong, McKern, Voss, Rae, Freeman (capt), Haining

Replacements: Felton, Thomas, Pople, Kolo'ofa'i, Argyle, Hardy, Fisilau

Cardiff Blues: Williams; Lane, Summerhill, Williams, Webber; Jones, Hale; Thyer, Belcher, Assirratti, Murphy, Dolan, Lewis-Hughes, Crocker, Sheekey

Replacements: Tomlinson, Howe, Leung, Barnes, Lucas, Hall, Lewis

Attendance: 1,551