Steyning V U13 Boys

Steyning U13s 15 – 15 Jersey U13s
Honours Even After Dramatic End-to-End Contest
Jersey’s U13s produced one of their most spirited performances of the season on Sunday as they travelled to Steyning and battled to a thrilling 15–15 draw, with both sides scoring three tries apiece.
Steyning opened the scoring early on, capitalising on a breakaway opportunity as their sizeable forward pack rumbled through for the first try. Despite fielding an entirely new front row, Jersey refused to be intimidated. Lochlan O’Brien, Tudor Dumitru and Neirin Jervis combined grit, technique and a touch of old‑school front‑row skulduggery to get underneath their larger opponents, while Magnus Howe and Rueben Fitzpatrick—both making their debuts at lock—added real power to the engine room.
The opening exchanges were fiercely contested, with both teams driving over each other’s ball and testing the breakdown. Steyning struck again midway through the half when a kick through led to a penalty try after a Jersey defender was judged to have tackled without the ball, with the referee ruling a try would otherwise have been scored. With the slope in their favour, the home side looked to be in the ascendency.
Jersey hit back superbly. Centre Nick Barnes powered through traffic to score his first try, grounding beneath a pile of bodies. In defence, Jersey’s resolve stiffened, thanks in no small part to an outstanding tackling display from Mylo Leach, later named Man of the Match for his relentless defensive work.
The second half began with another blow as Steyning’s imposing second row burst into space for their third try. But rather than fold, Jersey responded with composure and growing dominance in possession. Fly‑half debutant Jenson Schwarz sparked multiple attacking movements with confident breakaway runs and crisp distribution along the backline.
From one such move, Mylo Kerley cut back inside before releasing Barnes, who blasted over for his second to bring Jersey within touching distance at 3–2 on tries. Momentum swung again, and the visitors continued to press. Substitute fullback Cameron Casely injected fresh energy, carving smart lines that opened up the Steyning defence.
The pressure told. Barnes completed a well‑deserved hat‑trick after another slick passage of play, levelling the scores and setting up a tense final few minutes.
In the dying moments, Steyning’s powerful forwards mounted a final assault and were held up over the line thanks to determined Jersey resistance. Scrum-half Isaac Kent then showed superb game awareness, booting the ball into touch to end the contest and secure a hard‑earned draw.
Overall, this was a superb advert for junior rugby—end‑to‑end, physical, skilful, and played in tremendous spirit by both sides. Jersey can take huge pride from a performance built on resilience, teamwork, and no shortage of flair.

A huge thank you to Oakbridge for their incredible support as a sponsor of our junior rugby team! Your generosity in providing travel polo shirts and hoodies means our players can represent the team with pride both on and off the field. We’re proud to have you as part of our rugby family!

Neirin Jervis
Lochan O'Brien
Tudor Dumitru
Rueben Fitzpatrick
Magnus Howe
Ashton Walls
Issac Kent
Jenson Schwarz
Nick Barnes
Milo Leach
Alex Le Sueur
Christian Barnard
Flynn Vautier
Ethan Snook
Cameron Casely
Jac Tinley
Mylo Kerley

Matthew Howe, Steve O'Brien, Mark Barnard