The Reggae Warriors hold Scotland in the Rugby League test

Ben Jones-Bishop breaks off for a trial Photo credit: Paul Butterfield

A sensational end to the racing games season saw Jamaica and Scotland split the tally, 30-all, at Millennium Stadium, Featherstone in a test match for world rankings points.

The Reggae Warriors scored six tries to five and came back from 30-10 and down two minutes in the second half, superbly led by Ashton Golding – who starts free for the first time forward – and Izaac Farrell on his debut.

Scotland was excellently served by James Bell headed to St Helens, Barrow’s Charlie Emslie scored a double try for them during his international arc.

– Announcement –

Jamaica led 10-0 with tries from Jymel Coleman and an 85-meter pick up from Ben Jones-Bishop after Sam Luckley lost the ball, the Bravehearts then kept Golding and Izaac Farrell out and prevented to Mo Agoro to cross in the corner with an exceptional defense from the goal line.

Keenan Tomlinson was sentenced to sin in 25^ns minute Jamaica discipline let them down and Scotland responded with Emslie’s first – from a fine pass from Bell – and further attempts by Ross Oakes on the overlap, Ben Hellewell diving on a loose ball and Dale Ferguson, all transformed by Lachlan Walmsley on his first international start – to lead 24-10 to the break.

Emslie’s second from an overturned high kick seemed to have the Scots firmly in command, but Jones-Bishop grabbed his brace, Joe Brown came in on the hour and Jordan Andrade crashed into the goalposts with 15 minutes left.

Ferguson was sent to the basket with five to go for a high tackle and, changing play on the last one, Jamaica’s Alex Brown kicked on the corner to equalize, Izzac Farrell’s conversion attempt just missed.

In the final minute, Ryan Brierley’s drop goal attempt for the Scots was touched in flight and the Reggae Warriors resisted the resulting dropout.

Head coach Jermaine Coleman said: “It was a difficult game, Scotland played really well. The momentum changed mid-game when we got Keenen Tomlinson sent off. We started off fantastic and stayed true to what we wanted to do in the beginning, but our refinements were a bit lackluster.

We went out in the second half and showed commitment and solidarity which will be the main thing to get us through the World Cup. Our intermission talk focused on what it can control like our contrasts, our finite and our energy. In the end this proved itself in the second game and thanks to this we almost won the game, we can certainly get a moral victory from the draw. “

Meanwhile, the Jamaica rugby director and head coach sees the match drawn as a positive catalyst towards 2022: “The result does a lot for our confidence, it reinforces our belief that we are on the right track despite the many challenges we face. . We left two members of our staff just before playing these matches, we had 8 players unavailable due to one thing or another, we were unable to bring national or personal players to England due to Covid, so to face all of them these challenges and we end the year with a draw against Scotland, we can take advantage of this moment. “

Reggae Warriors are currently ranked 20^ns in the world and defeated Canada and the USA in 2018 to become the first Caribbean nation to qualify for a Rugby League World Cup. The 2021 Rugby League World Cup postponement will take place in 2022 from 15 October to 19 November.

JAMAICA 30

Jones-Bishop, Agoro, J. Brown, Ogden, Johnson, Woodburn-Hall, I. Farrell, Peltier, Coleman, Lawrence, Tomlinson, J. Farrell, Golding

Substitutions (all used): Andrade, Bravo, Magrin, A. Brown

Evidence: Coleman (8), Jones-Bishop (14, 49), J. Brown (59), Andrade (65), A. Brown (77)

Goal: I. Farrell 3/6

Sin are: Tomlinson (25)

SCOTLAND 30

Walker, Oakes, Dixon, Buchanan, Walmsley, Addy, Brierley, Teanby, Hood, Luckley, Hellewell, Kavanagh, Bell

Substitutes (all used): Ferguson, Oakley, Moran, Emslie

Emslie (30, 42), Oakes (32), Halliwell (37), Ferguson (39)

Goal: Walmsley 5/5

Sin are: Ferguson (75)

Half time: 10-24

Referee: James Jones (Wales)

Announcement