THE only disappointment for those watching this one-sided massacre was that time ran out before Jersey could get to a three-figured scoreline.
That they played with a man down for the majority of the second half made no difference.
Poor Portsmouth.
It is a good job visiting teams can enjoy the hospitality on the Island and a trip ‘abroad’, otherwise they would wonder why they would bother, such is Jersey’s supreme superiority at this level.
And the south-coast side are by no means the worst team in Counties 1 Hampshire London & SE Division, having won six of their 14 games this season.
‘Credit to Portsmouth. They kept going and going but ultimately we are good,’ said Jersey head coach Myles Landick.
‘It’s difficult when it’s like that. Some teams are choosing not to travel or travel without a full squad but we are dead chuffed that they have come over and given us a game.’
Nevertheless, the disparity in standards was almost cruel and at one point you would not have begrudged the Portsmouth officials to throw in the towel. Not that Jersey cared, as they were happy to spare no mercy.
They were too quick, too strong, too mobile, too damn good.
Fourteen tries were scored, 12 converted by Aaron Penberthy, with Portsmouth not getting the slightest sniff of anything in reply. Jersey have had it easy this season but this was taking the proverbial.
George Willmott is untouchable in games like this, and he helped himself to a hat-trick of tries. But it was Dom Mayo who kicked things off when he touched down to complete a move that switched from right to left across Portsmouth’s five-yard line.
Willmott then got his first following a fast-paced burst forward and some tricky feet from Mayo and Thomas Bulfin. Willmott passed up an opportunity to finish probably the easiest of tries when he latched on to Penberthy’s chipped pass but inexplicably dropped the ball as he was about to ground it.
That was the only charity Jersey offered. From thereon in, the home side were ruthless, tormenting their opponent at every opportunity.
Charlie Hubert skipped through Portsmouth at will to score the third try before the Jersey steamroller set up Willmott’s second. The maelstrom then provided tries for the willowy figure of replacement Anushan Elanco, another for Hubert and Penberthy, who just about walked the ball across the goalline unopposed in acres of space, before the half-time whistle offered Portsmouth some respite.
It would not last long.
Two quick tries – from Euan Spencer and Ewan Davies – straight after restart exposed a non-existent resistance from Portsmouth. With 59 points on the board, quite why Jerry Sexton felt it was necessary to offer some dissent to the referee was anyone’s guess but he was shown a red card for his troubles.
Still, Jersey poured forward, dissecting Portsmouth like a hot machete through soft butter. Willmott got his hat-trick, Elanco his second but no more was the dominance evident than following a try from captain Evan Whitson, when he applied the finish after the Jersey ruck forced Portsmouth back with the ease of a sumo wrestler pushing back a small child.
Dylan Stocks broke forward to score before a bit of back chat from Willmott earned him a yellow card. But even with two men down, Jersey were not finished, with Jack Macfarlane breezing through
‘We’ve got our goals and aspirations that we want to kick on. We wanted to make sure we didn’t start the new year slowly. That was huge for us and the boys set the tempo from the off,’ said Landick.
Jersey (15-9; 1-8): Charlie Hubert, Dylan Stocks, Scott McClurg, Dom Mayo, Thomas Bulfin, Aaron Penberthy, Liam Rhodes; Joe Ridgeway, Jack Macfarlane, Ewan Davies, Jerry Sexton, Bryn Edwards, Evan Whitson (c), Euan Spencer, George Willmott. Replacements: Marc Davies, James Guyatt, Anushan Elanco.
