Siam Cup: Jersey beat Guernsey 14-13 to win Covid-delayed inter-island clash
- Published
Jersey have won the past two Siam Cup matches having beaten Guernsey 29-19 in 2019
Jersey beat Guernsey 14-13 to win the Covid-19 delayed Siam Cup.
Guernsey started well and deservedly led through Ethan Smith's try midway through the first half, but Jersey replied through Bader Pretorius and Tim Corson to lead 14-10 at half time.
Owen Thomas missed a penalty early in the second half but found his range with 15 minutes left to cut the gap.
Jersey's defence held firm under late pressure to win a game that had not been played since 2019 due to Covid-19.
Jersey have now won the Siam Cup 62 times to Guernsey's 16 victories since it was first contested in 1920.
The game was played under floodlights for the first time as it moved to the autumn after being postponed from its usual May date for the past two seasons.
Jersey Reds - represented mainly by players from their amateur Athletic side - had been underdogs against a Guernsey team who are fourth in National Two South, the fourth tier of English rugby.
"We've been building into this for the last couple of weeks, the boys have been pushing themselves and it showed today," Jersey coach Myles Landick told BBC Radio Jersey.
"I'm so chuffed for the boys, it means a huge deal, several of us are in tears, that's what it means to us.
"Today we were the better side, the last couple of years we hadn't been, but this year we were the better side."