Channel Islands score six tries to beat Poland

The Channel Islands rugby union team beat Poland 38-27 in their second annual “international” match.

Jack McFarlane crossed in the left corner to give the hosts a ninth-minute lead, but two Dan Tomanek penalties saw Poland go 6-5 up after 16 minutes.

Anthony Armstrong went over on the right wing to put the islands 10-6 up midway through the first half.

Charlie Wilkinson was mauled over shortly before half-time after Polish prop Peet Vorster had been sent to the sin-bin.

But despite being a man down the visitors mauled Patryk Reksulak over the Channel Island line just before the break as the hosts led 17-13 at the break.

Armstrong scored an excellent try to make it 24-13 after 55 minutes before the islands had prop Huw Owen yellow-carded seven minutes later.

But despite being a man down the islands got a fifth try when Armstrong set up Scott van Breda to go over in the corner soon after.

The Poles – ranked 30th in the world – pulled back a try six minutes later when Jersey-based international Eryk Swiech went over to make it 31-20.

But replacement Matt Creber put the gloss on the game for the Channel Islands when he went in from close range before Reksulak scored a consolation try for Poland in the final moments.

The game at St Peter in Jersey was the combined side’s second match after they beat Sweden 66-28 at Footes Lane in Guernsey last year.

Nine of the starting side were drawn from the Jersey RFC team that won the Regional One South Central title.

The remainder came from Guernsey, who won the Siam Cup clash between the two islands in May.

The two islands will face each other in league action for the first time since the 1994-95 season in the upcoming campaign following Jersey’s title win

“I’m over the moon for the playing group,” coach Myles Landick told BBC Jersey.

“Having one training session and then 20 minutes before we started the warm up to go through some details I thought it was absolutely fantastic.

“Relationships have been built and they were all working hard for each other, which is fantastic.

“We got ourselves into some really good areas, we just couldn’t quite complete that final pass or we could have scored a few more.

“But credit to Poland, they were a tough, physical side, but ultimately what a day it’s been down here.”