Henley Hawks 2, Jersey 33

Henley Hawks lost top spot in National 2 South after being overpowered by Jersey at Dry Leas.

The hosts didn’t play badly, but they simply struggled to counter Jersey’s supremely well-drilled pack, who will be hard to stop in this division.

The visitors clinched the game with 30 unanswered points between the 40th and 68th minutes before Henley finished with a late flurry.

Jersey full back Michael Le Bourgeois gave them the lead with a fourth-minute penalty.

But his opposite number James Comben soon levelled in kind after a useful break from centre Danny Wells.

Henley flanker Tom Stradwick hacked forward, but knocked on under pressure as he went for the line.

Hawks broke through on 21 minutes following an incisive break from centre Ali James.

Comben gave the scoring pass and wing Christoph Bart raced over on the right.

Jersey had the edge up front, especially in the scrums, but Henley’s backs still looked dangerous, emphasised by a fine counter-attack led by James and wing Jack Shaylor.

The visitors ended the half strongly and hooker David Felton was held up before No 8 Nicholas Trowler scored a clinical pushover try from the resulting scrum, Le Bourgeois converting.

Le Bourgeois began the second half with two penalties, the latter after Henley No 8 Matt Payne was sin-binned for interfering in the Jersey line.

Trowler scored his second try following a driven line-out on 50 minutes as Hawks found them too powerful to stop.

Jersey wasted chances when Felton and centre Andrew Henderson fumbled.

But they managed a third try on 68 minutes when centre Donovan Sanders squeezed over on the right after his side won a turnover. Le Bourgeois converted from the touchline.

Henley upped the ante in the closing stages, which saw ten minutes of stoppage time.

Jersey prop Ross Kenwright was sin-binned, but on 77 minutes a stray Dave Clements pass gifted Jersey scrum half David McCormack with an interception try.

Trailing 33-8, Henley came back fighting.

First, Bart reacted first to a deflected chip kick from fly half Tom Allen to notch in the corner, Comben converting.

Some great work on the left from Shaylor and replacement Barty Carsons set up Allen, who jinked through for Wells to convert.

Felton was yellow-carded as Jersey’s defence became stretched, but a Wells’ knock-on ended Hawks’ final hope.

Henley: Comben (Baggett 80), Bart, Wells, James, Shaylor, Allen, Gaunt (Sewell 48), Fuller (Hadfield 66), Dalgleish (capt), Penny (Brennan 54), Giles, Clements, Stradwick (Carson 59), Holloway, M Payne.

Referee: M Carley (Kent).

Henley man-of-the-match: Bart.