Van Breda’s class shows as Jersey edge home

AN attacking masterclass by Jersey’s backs, led by ever-present playmaker Scott van Breda, saw the away-side overturn a brief Bedford lead to grab a seventh victory from their last eight games.

In a tantalizing game where both sides threw caution to the cold wind, van Breda set up one try and scored another, before his timely pass to Josh Hodson sealed the result for the Reds.

Since returning from a cheekbone injury in December, van Breda has been a catalyst for the Islanders’ winning run.

He said: “We knew it would be a massive game but didn’t expect this. We thought it would be a bit tighter – it’s an unbelievable achievement.”

Despite conceding several early penalties and spending the first nine minutes deep in their own half, Jersey took the lead when centre Apakuki Ma’Afu slipped past his opposite number and passed to scrum-half Kieran Hardy to finish in the corner.

Blues balanced the books with talisman Dean Adamson using his pace to breeze down the flank before popping back up after several phases to score to the right of the uprights.

A messy Jersey lineout in Bedford’s half saw both teams play pinball on the floor before Reds’ fly-half Brendan Cope grasped the initiative with openside Conor Joyce in support. Joyce came up short but then several cross-field phases allowed winger Hodson to dot down in the corner from van Breda’s offload.

Then Jersey hooker Nick Selway bulldozed over.

Bedford’s Lee Dickson went off with a head injury before they ended the half with a try. Replacement Jordan Burns went straight to Adamson from a scrum and he tore through Jersey, allowing Michael Le Bourgeois to score.

After a driving maul and 25 phases against a hardworking Blues line, Cope set up a running van Breda to slide over.

It was then all Bedford but errors and the awayside’s ferocity in the loose halted them until full-back Elliot Clements-Hill shot over in the corner.

Blues deservedly took the lead when Burns’ picked up from a ruck and dashed 30 metres to score. But within a minute Hodson neutered Bedford’s comeback.

Bedford coach Mike Rayer said: “We were in a tough physical battle. Jersey really attacked the breakdown and at times got away with murder and we didn’t really deal with it. It was a hell of a game.”