THIRD-PLACED Jersey RFC take on seventh-placed Old Albanians, who beat them 25-20 away from home earlier this season, with Jersey coach Ben Harvey asserting that: ‘It isn’t a grudge match, it’s a re-match.’
As he sees it, tomorrow’s home game against Old Albanians is a chance to rectify a wrong for, despite losing on the mainland, he believes that his Island side had done enough at the time to hold out for the win.
‘Even speaking to their stand-off a week or so ago, when he agreed that their chip ahead, which bounced up nicely to set up a try and was some kind of fluke, doesn’t compensate for their winning in the last,’ Harvey said. ‘At that stage we’d taken the pedal off the gas. So this week I don’t want there to be any similar mistakes.’
However, the team he’s chosen has a new look to it: Steve O’Brien has retained his place in the threes alongside the mercurial Sam Tuia; David Felton moves from lock to hooker; and a new name appears in the second row, Paul Rodgers. The latter has the distinction, along with injured Jersey professional Nathan Kemp, of representing Manawatu against the British Lions in 2005.
Kick-off 2.15 pm at the Rugby Club.
Pictured: Jersey in action against Tring earlier this season
