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SIAM CUP DAY SPECIAL: Two ladies sides with contrasting seasons, both aim to win

SIAM CUP DAY SPECIAL: Two ladies sides with contrasting seasons, both aim to win

Friday 03 May 2024

SIAM CUP DAY SPECIAL: Two ladies sides with contrasting seasons, both aim to win

Friday 03 May 2024


Guernsey have had a tough season so far, but have been growing in confidence.

Tomorrow they aim to win against a Jersey RFC side that captured the Women’s NC 2 South East title 17 points ahead of the chasing pack, with just one defeat all campaign.

Morale is good in the Sarnian camp, head coach Steve Evans said after the players were presented with their shirts last night.

"We've got a really young team, we've got eight debutantes, seven or eight under eighteens," he said.

"We've lost a lot of players over the last two seasons to injuries, illness, people have retired. So we've been in transition."

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Pictured: Yvie Coyde starts again at scrum half.

"I know it's a cliche, but I think even though we've not done well in the league this season, we have been in every game we played, we've strung together 20/25 minutes of really good rugby."

Now it is a case of converting that into 50 or 60 minutes and dealing with the expected bad patches.

"They're not going to let them get to rest."

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Jersey won last year's contest 31-5, with four first half tries sealing the win.

They will be looking to come out strongly again this time.

But a young Guernsey side will not be frightened by the history of this fixture, Evans said.

"I think they have that sort of almost invincibility of youth.

"They're just excited to play, they want to get on with it. And they've started to play with a smile on their faces and a bit of confidence. The squad is really up for it."

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A season in which they won only once in Women's NC 1 South East (South) has brought with it game experience if not the victories.

"We haven't got many who will have played in a big game like this in front of a big crowd. And for some of them, it may very well be their only opportunity to play in front of a crowd like this. They've just got to go out and enjoy it and relish it."

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Pictured: Daisey Travers carries the ball in last year's fixture.

Jersey RFC Women's head coach Simon Le Moignan said that retaining the Siam Cup on hostile turf "would be the icing on the cake for our season".

"As a group, we set two goals at the start of the season, to win the league and to retain the Siam," he said.

"We have achieved our first objective in fine style by dominating the league. Now it's time for us to shoulder the pressure of an away Siam and perform on the big stage."

They plan to be "foot on the gas" from the first whistle.

"We proved last year that is the way to get at them and all our girls know what is expected of them.

"The crowd over there is going to be hostile and loud. It's always a fantastic atmosphere and something our girls will take in their stride.

"These are the types of games everyone wants to play in and I think we're in an excellent position to be at our best."

Whittling down a 32-player squad was no easy feat.

"We are blessed to be injury-free at this stage of the season, but having to let some girls down was really tough."

One member of the selected squad is 17-year-old star Seren Coombs, who is set to make her Siam Cup debut.

After an outstanding season with Jersey, which included spells with both Hove and Sussex U18s and a trial for the Welsh U18 Six Nations squad, Le Moignan believes she is more than ready for the occasion.

"Seren is a remarkable young woman," continued the head coach.

"Her talent is undeniable and it gives us a massive boost to have someone like her in our ranks."

As well as Coombs, tomorrow marks a Siam captaincy debut for the inspirational "Mrs Reliable", Katie de la Cloche.

Le Moignan said: "We want to put on a show and prove to both our fans and theirs that we are the dominant team. This is an international match, that's how we're looking at it.

"It's an honour to represent your Island in the Siam Cup and I have no doubt our girls will do Jersey proud tomorrow."

The Spring Insure Women's Siam Cup starts at 13.45.

Guernsey

[1-15] Charlie Le Noury, Kayleigh Oliver ©, Megija Krasovska, Zoe Collins, Marni De Freitas Alves, Molly Farrell, Kristi Murphy, Aideen Le Prevost; Yvie Coyde, Chelsie Blondel, Ella Gidney, India Healing, Olivia Podger, Izzy Upson, Liv Kenneally. Replacements: Jillian Smith, Christine Miller, Macey Rushent, Danielle Jeffreys, Kelly Jones, Daisy Travers, Rachel Dallin.

Jersey

[1-15]: Nicole Rodrigues-Ferreira, Lucy Hart, Holly Bertram, Willow Le Luan, Abbie Syvret (vc), Seren Coombs, Katie de la Cloche (c), Kerry Bertram, Ashing Magner (vc), Laura Turpin, Saskia Martins, Emily Hart, Taye Boakye-Yiadom, Claudia McGuigan, Kim Hacquoil. Replacements: Hannah Le Moignan, Emilie Langlands, Ella Vieira, Andi Vaughan, Nancy Portsmouth, Georgina Ruellan, Tina Davies. Travelling Reserves: Kim Vallance, Bethan Hughes.

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