Harvey Biljon: Jersey Reds boss proud despite heavy Saracens defeat

Saracens are in the Championship after being relegated from the Premiership last season after breaching the league's salary cap rules

Jersey Reds director of rugby Harvey Biljon has praised his players despite their 45-13 loss at Saracens.

The seven-try loss was his side's first competitive game in 378 days after last season was called off due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Relegated former European and Premiership champions Saracens surprisingly lost 25-17 at Cornish Pirates last week.

"I'm really proud of the players," Biljon told BBC Radio Jersey.

"Coming away to Saracens for the first game of the season when they're going to be pretty ramped up coming into the game, I thought we acquitted ourselves really well."

Jersey played the first of seven away games this season and flew out and back on a chartered flight from the Channel Island, with the club's players self-isolating until they get Covid-19 test results on Monday.

The islanders had nine debutants in their side and injuries have seen the club train with reduced numbers.

"It was at a physicality and a pace that they wouldn't have been used to for the last 12 or 14 months with Covid and not having the prep time we would have liked," added Biljon.

"Preparing a team to play Saracens with 26 players you don't really get the opportunity to go 15 on 15.

"But the coaches have been inventive with everything they've been doing, the players have bought into it and there's no way we could feel we let ourselves down out there, we stuck at it no doubt about it."