The men’s team faced the French in a close first match, winning the first session 4-3 with wins for Martin Desperques, Ady Lihou, Tristan Ozanne and Ady Holly but session two was a complete disaster as they lost 6-1 to trail 9-5.
As a result their convincing 5-2 win in the third was just not enough, and they lost 11-10 overall – the same score as in last year’s encounter.
They were up against Ireland in their second match, a team that has beaten them in their last eight meetings, and history repeated itself, although the CI won nine frames but, as always, the clinical clearances of the Irish was the deciding factor.
Desperques won his three frames.
Against the newly-formed Spanish team the Channel Islanders demonstrated their experience of play at this level, winning 14-7 with Desperques and Holly claiming three frames each.
Tuesday’s first game was against South Africa, with some great games having been played in previous years.
The CI team won the first session 4-3 but lost the next by the same score.
With everything to play for, the CI attack collapsed with only Shorto and Holly winning as they lost overall 13-8.
There was another close battle against the mighty Wales, with wins for Shorto, Bougourd and Ozanne in the first session as they trailed 4-3.
They won the second 4-3, Bougourd, Mildner, Desperques and Shorto’s wins taking the score to 7-7, but the third went Wales’s way and the CI were again pipped, 11-10.
With expectations high after they reached the final of the team event at the European Championships in Bordeaux, earlier this year, the juniors were disappointed to be beaten by Wales 9-6 in their first match after losing the last session 5-0.
They made up for it in the second as they beat Spain by a comfortable 10-5, with James Kirk and Andy Stentiford winning their three frames.
The CI were 3-2 up after the first session against Northern Ireland, extending their lead with a 7-0 drubbing in the second and closing out their opponents 10-5 overall, with wins en route from Chris Hamon (2), Jess de la Haye (3), Ashley Perrium (2), Stentiford (2) and Kirk (1).
Malta had already won all three of their matches, and remained unbeaten after they beat the CI 11-4.
The CI had to win against Ireland to finish in the top three, but they lost 8-7, and now must win two matches, against Australia, England or Scotland to have any chance of fourth place.
