JERSEY RFC resume their impeccable inaugural season on the RFU league ladder this weekend with a home tie against Portsmouth.
Thirteen wins from as many games sees the Caesareans top the Counties 1 Hampshire table by 13 points, with a points difference of +438 to boot.
It has been over a month since Myles Landick’s men last played competitively, but the Island’s top amateurs will be keen to continue momentum into 2023.
The Hampshire outfit sit middle of the pack at the turn of the year, with four out their last five decided by four points or fewer.
Jersey won the reverse fixture 57-21 in October, but Portsmouth were in touch with the runaway leaders for most of the contest – something Landick will look to avoid at this weekend.
‘They like to play the game up front,’ he said.
‘I remember how physical their pack were. They can certainly cause problems. We seemed to get bogged down into that style of play, which suited Portsmouth.
‘We are a much more polished side now and we will look to dictate the game and ensure that we express our strengths.’
The winter break can serve as a welcome lull in the calendar, with the importance of rest not lost on Landick.
‘He said: This is our first season with a full schedule. It can take a toll on the lads, playing on a weekly basis.
‘We haven’t done too much by way of training over the break. The players sacrifice a lot during the season, so it is vital for them to rest and reset, as well as spending time with their loved ones.’
The Islanders welcome back Charlie Hubert into the fold, after he missed a large chunk of games at the back end of 2022 with a shoulder injury.
However, captain Tim Corson is still absent after sustaining a hamstring issue, along with nerve damage, during the home success over Eastleigh in late November.
Veteran Jack MacFarlane will lead the side in Corson’s absence, with the forward currently joint first in tries (ten) for his team, alongside George Willmott.
‘We are really happy with the squad available,’ said Landick.
‘Obviously Tim is a massive miss for us, but we have shown the depth in our squad over the first half of the season. The need to have a strong squad will continue to be stressed as the games pile up.
‘As a team, you never want to lose focus of the job at hand, but there are clear aspirations throughout the team that we belong at a higher level. Our goal is to continue to prove that to ourselves and shut-out as many teams as we can in the process.’
The action gets underway from St Peter at 1.30pm on Saturday.
