Gibraltar edged out Jamaica 27-24 in an entertaining Under-20s international at Avery Fields.
In addition to being the first international hosted by Bournville this was also the first time that these two countries had met at Under-20s level and it proved to be a well-match contest between two of the world’s smaller rugby nations.
The majority of players on each side were UK-based with Gibraltar, who had two training sessions at Avery Fields in the 48 hours before the match, looking a little better organised than Jamaica whose only preparation was a walk-through on Sunday morning.
What the players may have lacked in experience they more than made up for with exuberance and enterprise with a second-half penalty from Gibraltar fly-half Harvey Leroy ultimately making the difference.
Leroy also ghosted through for two second-half tries which helped Gibraltar to hold off Jamaica’s fightback which included a second try from a driving lineout by number eight Brandon Angol and another from right wing Leon Nelson-Martin from a swift counter-attack.
Jamaica’s left wing Aahron Graham-Mulvaney got the opening try after ten minutes but Gibraltar led at the break after their left wing Tom Hazan rounded off a patient and sustained attack then scrum-half Adrian Chumillas nipped in for an opportunist score when he tapped and ran a close-range penalty.
Leroy looked mortified when he scuffed his conversion attempt from under the posts but redeemed himself when he found the target with a penalty six minutes into the second-half and then twice unpicked Jamaica’s defence either side of the first of Angol’s two tries.
A big defensive shift late on enabled Gibraltar to celebrate victory at their home from home with Head Coach Lee Fortey, a former Moseley, Birmingham & Solihull and Worcester prop, appreciative of all the efforts of the staff at Avery Fields to host them over the weekend.
Before kick-off both teams lined up for the national anthems which were preceded by a minute’s silence and the Last Post which was played by one of the assistant referees on his trumpet to mark Remembrance Sunday.
Through the Viewfinder
Lee Sullivan
