(24/04/2001)
Riga closed their season with a second title retention - this time in the Jersey Open. Last year’s winners reigned supreme with a two-nil victory over Sussex in a keenly contested final. "We started the tournament slowly and just got better and better," said a beaming captain Tom Young afterwards, "We saved the best for the Final and although Sussex had beaten us in the earlier rounds, we didn’t allow them any freedom to play like that again. It shows again how far we’ve come in the last twelve months."
The timing of the tournament deprived it of the continental teams of the previous year but Riga’s opening match against Sussex was a disaster. During the thirty-five minute timed match, the champions lost the first set and despite having a winning margin when time was called in the second, lost out on a total points count. Victory in their next match against an Insurance Corporation of Jersey side was soon counterbalanced by a Sussex-style defeat at the hands of the Jersey Island team. Fortunately the day and fortunes recovered with successive victories over a team from Guernsey. With the format of the tournament requiring each team to play its opponents twice, the final match of Saturday set up a vital return match against Sussex. Riga fared better the second time around, winning the first set, losing the second but securing the overall points victory.
With this year’s squad drawn from a number of sources both inside and outside the club, putting together a sustained and cohesive performance was the issue facing Riga on Saturday. A night’s sleep and the picture changed. The side quickly overcame both the Insurance Corporation and the Jersey Island teams to finish second overall. The semi-final pitched them once more against the side who will represent the Jersey States in the Island Games next month. With captain Tom Young and Guernsey-man Richard Emery in dominant mood for Riga, a place in the Final against Sussex was secured.
Riga’s tails were now up and it was hard to find a chink in their armour. David Nason and Richard Meade proved powerful blockers of the Sussex attack as well as adding their weight to the Riga offence. Young and Emery were a constant thorn in the Sussex side, whilst John Boughton orchestrated the Riga attack in his best game of the tournament. Riga old boy Rob Clarke also had his best game, whilst libero Graham Duckett steadied the side's pass to provide the platform from which the 25 - 22, 25 - 18 victory was launched.
"After last season, I didn’t think things could get better," said an elated Young, who also collected the Player of the Tournament award. "How wrong can you get! Fourth in Division One, the Shield win and now another Jersey title. Absolutely brilliant!"
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