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Harvey Biljon’s side head into today’s clash against Cornish Pirates on the back of a disastrous run which has seen them tumble down the IPA Greene King Championship table.
Six defeats in their last seven matches means Jersey now sit in 10th in the table, but on the flip side the Reds have scored 11 tries in their last two fixtures.
They followed up seven tries against Cardiff Select in the British and Irish Cup, with four at Yorkshire Carnegie last week.
Although Biljon’s boys lost at Headingley, they certainly showed enough to suggest that the green shoots of recovery are appearing at St Peter.
The Reds coach said: “The fact that we have scored all those tries is phenomenal and it shows that the team are giving it everything, in difficult circumstances. We have been hit by a terrible injury crisis, but we have to soldier on, dust ourselves down and get back to the business of winning rugby matches.
“We are a good team and we showed that against Yorkshire Carnegie, who are unbeaten this season. We got two bonus points out of the game and with everything we have suffered injuries-wise, that was a great effort.”
Biljon has made two changes from the side which went down at Carnegie, with flanker Gary Graham returning after two months out to replace player-coach Alex Rae, while Tonga scrum-half Samisoni Fisilau has been passed fit.
Jersey have beaten the Pirates in each of the last three occasions they have met at St Peter by the same two-point margin, so the history books are on their side, but recent form doesn’t, as the visitors are fifth in the table following an impressive set of results this season.
Biljon will be hoping there will be fireworks on the pitch on November 5th as he attempts to get the Reds’ season back on track.
He said: “We have showed we could give Carnegie a real run for it, which bodes well, but we have to put on a performance at St Peter. The last time we played there the supporters saw us give a real display and we have to repeat that.”
Jersey Reds: Adair; Davies, King, Eastwell, Watkins; Cope, Fisilau; Thomas, Macfarlane, Kerrod, McKern, Voss, Freeman (capt), Graham, Haining.
Subs: Buckle, McCarthy, Armstrong, Kolo'ofa'i, Argyle, Hardy, Robling.
Cornish Pirates: May; Moyle, Hendrickson, Dancer, O'Meara; Cargill, Day; Andrew, Channon, Andrew, Morgan (capt), Caulfield, Lee, Cheesman, Duncan.
Subs: Elloway, Gendall, Parker, Simmonds, Pope, Bartlett, De Battista.
Jersey Reds v Cornish Pirates KO 15:00 St Peter
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