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U16 Season 2006/2007
U16 Surrey League Division 1 CHOBHAM Home Won 17 3 LONDON IRISH AWAY LOST 0 31 CHIPSTEAD HOME WON 21 8 RICHMOND AWAY Won 22 6 COBHAM Home LOST 15 24 ESHER HOME Drew 11 11 ESHER B AWAY Won 44 5 GUILDFORD Away WON 18 14 WARLINGHAM Away WON 12 7 Played 9 Won 6 Drawn 1 Lost 2 160 109 Squad Friendlies LONDON WELSH AWAY Won 33 20 TEDDINGTON HOME Won 52 5 BATH Home Won 22 7 Played 3 Won 3 Drawn 0 Lost 0 106 32 266 143
Warlingham 7 Dorking 12
The U16s secured 3rd place in Division 1 and with it a place in one of the National U17 competitions next season with yet another closely fought away victory. This was our 6th victory in the league this season, 4 coming in our 5 away games and with one other match drawn this meant we finished with a total of 13 points, leaving us 2 points clear of the 4th placed side Cobham and 5 points clear of the 5th placed side. Looking back at our results over the last 4 seasons that we have played in Surrey League 1 we have won 22 of our 33 matches played, which equates to 2 wins every 3 games, which all things considered is an excellent achievement.
We took a strong looking squad but were missing some key players in the backs through injury. We were also aware of Warlingham's fine display, especially in the 2nd half, against County Champions London Irish only the previous weekend, but having beaten them in our previous 2 league encounters we were hopeful of a 3rd consecutive victory to secure that all important 3rd place in the league.
Warlingham kicked off but all of the early pressure came from Dorking. It soon became apparent that we had much more pace in the backs and whenever we ran the ball we made big gains into opposition territory. Warlingham however have an excellent defensive record, generally conceding few points and it was obvious why when on a number of occasions last ditch tackles prevented Dorking from opening the scoring. Jamie was unfortunate to miss a couple of penalties due to the blustery wind but it seemed like only a matter of time before we put some points on the board. And so it proved when a blindside break from scrum-half Will from the back of a scrum saw him offload to Dan who squeezed over right in the corner. Unsurprisingly Jamie slotted over the conversion from right on the touchline.
The official was now starting to have an impact on the game and misunderstandings on rules interpretations led to the shape of the match changing. The first minor indiscretion from Dorking led to an unjustified yellow card and while we were down to 14 the home side scored an equalising try, although when their No 8 picked up the ball at the base of a scrum the flanker had already long since detached himself from the scrum thus creating the overlap. The conversion was slotted over leaving it all square at 7-7 at the break.
The 2nd half started in much the same manner as the first had finished with some of the official's decisions leaving the Dorking players and indeed some of the opposition players totally bemused. The game therefore diminished as a spectacle as the players became unsure what was going to happen next. The opposition handbags also started to come out and we found ourselves unable to play our normal expansive game. With the clock ticking away it seemed that neither side was ever going to score until finally Dorking made the vital breakthrough and it was match winner Will who once again came up with the goods. Again breaking down the blind side from the back of a scrum it appeared that he had been collared but managed to wriggle free from his tackler to squirm over in the corner and put Dorking back in the lead 12-7 with 15 minutes or so to go.
The opposition then came back strongly over the closing minutes although Dorking missed another clear opportunity when knocking-on the final pass. One of the opposition players was yellow carded for a rather innocuous looking body check which seemed highly ironic given some of the other more blatant antics that were going unpunished. However even with only 14 players on the pitch Warlingham were still able to finish the game on top as they strived to get something out of the game but not for the first time Dorking's defence once again held firm.
So, another season over. All things considered a very successful one so very well played to everybody ... and good luck with the GCSEs.
Guildford 14 Dorking 18
The U16s went a long way towards securing a top four finish in Surrey 1 and with it a place in one of the U17 National Cup competitions next season with a hard fought victory at Guildford on Sunday. The game was played in a great spirit between two closely matched sides without the slightest hint of trouble and the result could have gone either way right up until the final whistle.
We had lost in the league at Guildford last season, albeit with most of our regular starting XV unavailable because of school commitments and had also lost in a friendly there the season before that so bearing in mind the horses for courses theory we had no idea beforehand which way this game would go. We had known for a while that our three Scottish Exiles representatives would be unavailable and with Matt also now finished for the season we were pleased to see Guni had arrived back from his holidays and scrum-half Will available again. It was also good to welcome back Captain Will from his recent illnesses and injuries and also Ryan, who had declared himself unfit earlier in the week after a nasty sounding (and looking) soccer injury, as well as Jonny who had also originally declared himself unavailable.
We were concerned beforehand about the likely concrete pitch but were pleasantly surprised to see a fine covering of grass on the Guildford 1st XV pitch. After rather surprisingly losing their last league game Guildford could not qualify for next season's Nationals but any thoughts we may have had that this might affect their attitude would prove over the course of the match to be totally misguided.
Guildford kicked off in front of a large and vocal home support, Dorking ran the ball back into opposition territory and that is pretty much where we stayed for the first 15 minutes or so. Although we put the home defence under continuous pressure they held firm and I cannot recall us having any real clear-cut chances. The first time the home side ventured into our half they were awarded a penalty which Rory, their fly-half, slotted over with ease. More territorial pressure from Dorking was rewarded when Jamie slotted over a penalty to tie the scores but again the next venture upfield from the home side resulted in another straightforward penalty which restored their three point lead. Back however came Dorking with more pressure and they were eventually rewarded after 32 minutes with a top class mis-move try right off the training pitch. A penalty was awarded some 30 metres or so out and instead of Jamie going for the points Will took a tap penalty and offloaded to Nick who arrived alongside at pace. Nick made it look as if he was going for the line himself which attracted the attention of a whole bunch of defenders but instead subtly off-loaded to Richard who suddenly found himself in acres of space with a clear run to the line for a marvellous try leaving Jamie with a simple conversion.So, half-time was reached with Dorking 10-6 in front and the signs looking good as we would be playing down the slope in the second-half. This was soon confirmed as Dorking again went straight on the offensive from the restart and within four minutes a blind side move from the base of a scrum saw Will squeeze over right in the corner. So, we suddenly found ourselves 15-6 up and in control ... or so we thought. Guildford would just not give up and for the last 25 minutes or so more than matched us. A penalty soon after reduced the score by three points and then ten minutes or so from the end a fine individual try from their own 20 metre line by their County centre Alex brought the score back to only 15-14 in our favour. I lost count of the number of missed tackles in the build-up to the try but it was extremely well taken nonetheless. Fortunately the conversion was missed which left us a point ahead with 10 minutes left on the clock, stand up and be counted time and all the players did. Guildford continued to have the advantage territorially and as the clock ticked down a drop goal attempt drifted narrowly wide. Dorking eventually cleared their lines and were awarded a penalty some 40 metres plus out when they next ventured into the opposition half. Will suggested to Jamie to boot it into touch for a catch and drive from the line-out, running the clock down some more in the process. No, I'll get this no problem said Jamie and so he did, his huge kick sailing between the uprights to put us four points ahead, leaving the opposition needing a try with time just about up ... or again so we thought. Over ten minutes later and forty five minutes played in the second-half the ref finally blew for time with the home side again in the ascendancy and Dorking, although totally dehydrated and exhausted, defending as if their lives depended on it.
So, off to Warlingham now for the final league game of the season and a draw or a victory there will probably see us finish in third place, a highly unlikely scenario given our occasional stuttering form and player unavailability over the course of the season. Because of that if we do qualify it will be a marvellous achievement by all of the players who have represented us this season.
Our particular thanks to three of our subs who did not get on to the pitch today - Jack, Chris and Stephen and to Rhys who was only on for a very short period. We couldn't have won the game without you guys so very well done indeed. Our thanks also to those who came down just to support. Of course, our thanks also to Guildford for the spirit in which the game was played and to Sean and all the players for inviting us all to their end of season BBQ afterwards which was great. We look forward to getting together again next season.
Esher B 5 Dorking 44
Not only do Esher run three independent sides at the age group but their second side last season won promotion into Division 1, an absolutely fantastic achievement and one which they should be applauded for and for which they should be extremely proud. There does appear however to be a world of difference between Division 2 and Division 1 rugby and as such when Dorking travelled to Esher on Sunday the opposition had lost all of their previous league games so far and were rooted at the bottom of the table.
We had only picked up one point from our previous two league fixtures ourselves, a draw against the high-riding Esher AVX, so were keen to get our league campaign back on track but again, as various players declared themselves unavailable in the week leading up to the match, we knew that we would be nowhere near full strength. Matt was away with England, Alex with the Luxemburg U18s at the European Championships, Guni was on holiday and scrum-half Will was also unavailable, to name but a few. Captain Will was injured but chose to start knowing he couldn't finish the game. So Dan moved from the back-row to scrum-half, our new third Alex and Stephen got first league starts at prop and on the wing respectively with the coaches again having to get creative in various other positions.
A couple of early tries from Nick got us off to a good start but the makeshift nature of the team meant that we rarely played with any fluency against a highly committed and pumped-up opposition. The official was also very active with his whistle and was also very fussy with the scrum and around the fringes which spoiled the game as a spectacle and basically prevented either side from playing rugby in the first half at least. However on the few occasions Dorking were able to run the ball incursions were made deep into opposition territory and it seemed just a matter of time before we scored more tries and so it proved. Dan got in on the act with two tries, both from the back of the scrum, his blistering pace proving too much for the opposition. Rudy chipped in with his usual brace and David capped an excellent individual performance with a score of his own. I cannot recall the scorer of the eighth try so apologies to whoever that was but I do remember that Richard, Captain Will and Dan (denying him his hat-trick) all had what appeared to be perfectly legitimate tries disallowed, the ref at least apologising afterwards for getting at least two wrong! It was blowing a real gale all game making place kicking a lottery so Jamie's excellent kicking stats took a bit of a hammering as a consequence with only two out of eight conversions this time. Esher scored an excellent individual try midway through the second half when we were half asleep, allowing the try scorer to run through several half-hearted or non-existent tackles, but by that time the result was not in doubt anyway.So, two very difficult league fixtures to finish with, away at both Guildford and Warlingham. Our representative successes this season have taken it's toll in terms of unavailability and injuries and although we are very proud of our three Scottish Exiles players unfortunately we have to go into our important match at Guildford with them unavailable as they will be away for the weekend playing at Murrayfield against Borders and Edinburgh, Exiles games being outside of the structured season.
Congratulations once again to Esher for their marvellous achievement this season and well done to their BXV for competing in probably the strongest County leagues in the country judging by the fantastic success of our own U17s and other Surrey sides in the National Cup competitions this season.
Dorking 11 Esher 11
Just as we have visited London Irish 4 years running, Esher travelled to us for a league match for the 4th consecutive year. We narrowly lost at U13s when arguably we could have won the game, we won convincingly at U14 and then won again less convincingly last season. However, if league results so far this season are anything to go by then Esher, with 5 out of 5 league wins so far and some high profile scalps in friendlies, had certainly improved significantly since the last time we played them. So although those 2 defeats at The Big Field the last 2 seasons must have been in the backs of their minds, on current form Esher came into the game as favourites.
Having played so well against Bath last week, a level not reached in our previous league games, we knew we had to produce a similar performance to compete. However in the days leading up to the match we lost Matt, Ross, Rory and Captain Will to go with our other long term injuries. Then Dan went down with flu and David got injured playing for the school the day before, so the coaches yet again had to improvise with the squad selection of 20 given we were without 6 of our league squad.
The oppo kicked-off and enjoyed most of the early territorial advantage without ever threatening. Initially Esher tried to play an expansive game but got little change out of our backs with Matty and James once again outstanding defensively. Esher took the lead midway through the half with a straightforward penalty but the restart kick from Jamie got us deep into opposition territory for the first time and it wasn't long before he had slotted over a penalty to bring the scores back level. Further penalties were swapped to leave it tied at 6-6 at the break but having weathered the early Esher pressure without alarm Dorking had worked their way back into the game and finished the half the stronger side. With the slope in our favour in the second half we started to fancy our chances.
We made 3 changes at half-time and when Esher allowed Jamie's excellent restart kick to bounce into touch and then lost their line-out this gave Dorking the opportunity to apply some early pressure. It soon became apparent that Esher had changed tactics at half-time after their backs had made little impact in the first half, choosing now to keep the ball tight at every opportunity, their heavier forwards driving back the Dorking pack on a number of occasions.
The game remained evenly poised with Esher holding the physical edge up front but Dorking having more flair in the backs, as we continued to run the ball at every opportunity. The majority of play was now in Esher's half but however good our backs were proving to be defensively, offensively we were not drawing the man before off-loading which allowed the Esher drift defence to keep their shape and eliminate Dorking overlaps, despite Jamie regularly joining the line.
The game moved into the final quarter with the Esher defence finally starting to look stretched as the ball went one way then the other through the Dorking backs. We had a couple of dashes for the corner but poor handling and decision making at critical moments plus good covering tackles kept us out. Another chance saw James burst clear but, with just one man to beat, was flattened 5 metres from the line by a dangerous tackle around the neck. Penalty tries have been awarded for less (just ask Cobham!) but the penalty decision was probably a fair one. The referee was reaching for his yellow card when Dorking decided to seek their own form of instant retribution with some aggressive pushing and shoving. This form of retaliation is unacceptable and we got our just reward when the original penalty award was reversed and the tackler was allowed to stay on the pitch. This reaction may have cost us dear because if we had scored then, when we did eventually score a few minutes later we would have been 2 scores in front and out of sight with very little time left.
Dorking were finally rewarded for their territorial superiority a few minutes from time when Esher were again stretched one way then the other. Jamie joined the line and this time it did create the overlap. Jamie drew the final man and passed to Rudy giving him a clear run to the corner. Jamie's conversion was however hooked narrowly wide.
However Dorking wouldn't be Dorking these days without some form of alarm or the other. We messed up Esher's restart kick giving them possession in our half and a couple of drives later a rolling maul drove over for an equalising try with 2 minutes left. The conversion would have given Esher victory, which would have been a bit of a travesty on the balance of play, but the kick which was a lot closer in than Jamie's was also hooked narrowly wide to leave the scores even once again at 11-11.
Esher again allowed our restart kick to bounce into touch, Dorking again won the opposition line-out allowing us to apply pressure for the final couple of minutes but although we got to within 2 metres of the opposition line we were unable to clinch the match winning score.
So, a point gained today considering the respective league positions of the two sides and given the Dorking players not available but a point lost given the balance of play. We did not have the same incisive edge as recently but that was probably because Esher prevented us from playing that way. Regardless of where we finish in the league, this season is turning out to be a case of what might have been, with us having not been able to put out anywhere near our strongest side in any league game so far which is a shame but unfortunately a fact of life given the amount of competitive rugby our players are involved in at the moment. Our thanks to everyone from Esher for trudging over to us once more and our best wishes to them for the remainder of the season.
Dorking 22 Bath 7
In a return fixture from February last year when Dorking secured a superb 14-0 away victory, Bath visited the Big Field seeking revenge but were defeated once again by a Dorking side who upped their game for the occasion, producing probably their best all-round performance since that corresponding fixture last season.
We were missing Matt and Nick who were away on other important business elsewhere, plus several others were absent because of DofE commitments, exams or injury but we were still able to field a strong looking squad of 20.
A large crowd saw Bath kick-off on the 1st XV pitch in front of the clubhouse and they had all of the early territorial advantage despite playing up the slope into a stiff breeze. Their early pressure soon paid off when, with 3 minutes on the clock, a slick mis-move in their backs ended up in a touchdown wide of the posts. The conversion, made difficult by the breeze, was expertly slotted over to give the visitors an early lead which was just reward for their impressive start. 0-7
Dorking however immediately started to make inroads into opposition territory straight from the restart and it soon became apparent that our backs were on their A game as the ball was spun at pace left then right in an attempt to break the opposition down. Dorking pressure was soon rewarded when, following an infringement some 20 metres or so out, Jamie slotted over the penalty. 3-7.
The two sides were evenly matched up front but Dorking definitely had the edge in the backs and we tried to exploit that by spinning the ball wide at every opportunity. As such, wingers Greg and Rudy were both seeing plenty of ball and both made sniping runs into opposition territory, while inside them Matty and James consistently made hard yards before coming into contact and setting up recycled ball for the ball to go fast and wide once again on the next phase. Opportunities came and went through misplaced final passes or knock-ons but Dorking kept trying to stretch a well-organised defence. Another opportunity looked to have been wasted but a poor pass was somehow brilliantly caught by Matty behind his head and then superbly juggled and flicked on to Jamie who arrived in the line at pace to create the overlap. Jamie expertly drew the full-back before offloading to Greg who finished off in the corner. 8-7
Back came Bath and they enjoyed a few minutes in Dorking's half before a backs move broke down when a misplaced pass to their left winger was easily intercepted by Rudy who galloped off into the distance with Bath defenders trailing in his wake to touch down unopposed under the posts, leaving Jamie with a simple conversion. 15-7. Jim, as usual, was quick to question why there was no-one alongside Rudy in support! The Dorking backs were starting to have a real field day now but further chances were wasted so half-time was reached without any further score from the home side and without any further threat from the travellers.
The coaches made wholesale changes in the second-half to give all substitutes pitch time in the spirit of the game. Dorking restarted and Captain Will set the standard of what was to follow with a bone-crunching tackle on the ball carrier. The change of personnel however seemed to disrupt Dorking's fluency as Bath, who had obviously decided at half-time to keep it tight, enjoyed a 15 minute period of pressure camped inside the Dorking 20 metre line. No matter how hard Bath tried to break us down though drive after drive from their forwards failed to breach the Dorking defences as big tackle after big tackle stopped them in their tracks. The opposition chose not to throw it wide and every recycled ball was picked up by their forwards and driven back at our superb defence. All in all a superb 15 minute passage of play from both sides which the Bath coaches acknowledged afterwards as being the pivotal period in the whole game.
Gradually Dorking relieved the siege and started to work their way back up the park, one particular forwards drive pushing the opposition pack back some 20 metres or so up the slope. The handbags came out once or twice as the forwards slugged it out but in no way was it a rough game, just very physical but this stopped the game flowing as it had done in the first half. Bath continued to fight for every ball but as the clock continued to tick down, even though we were only 15-7 up, it became increasingly apparent that there was no way we were going to relinquish a two score advantage as the Dorking forwards with George, Ross, Richard and Chris all prominent refused to yield an inch
Then, following more Dorking pressure, a clearance upfield from the Bath fly-half was caught at pace by Jamie on the half-way line. Jamie broke through several tackles before being grounded some 10 metres out, the forwards arrived in support and piled in to secure the ball for the next phase. Scrum-half Will picked up at the base, feinted one way, went the other and touched down under the posts to an enormous cheer from the ever increasing noisy crowd on the touchline, leaving Jamie with another simple conversion. 22-7.
The last few minutes were played out without further alarm at either end and although Bath battled to the bitter end Dorking were worthy winners on the day, a fact graciously acknowledged by the opposition coaches.
There were some real top quality individual performances today but all of the 20 players contributed to a squad victory. Bath were fantastic opponents, their players, coaches and travelling parents all a credit to their club and plans are already under way for a visit to them again next year which will hopefully take in a trip to The Recreation Ground for a Premiership match as part of the trip. We still remain a real enigma however, playing both sparkling attacking rugby and superb solid defensive rugby today yet this was the same group who put in such a lacklustre performance against Cobham in the league before Christmas. We are never quite sure which of these two Dorking sides are going to turn up these days, but given that Esher, with a 100% record in League 1 so far this season, are our next opponents we will have to play at least as well as we did today to even be able to compete against what is obviously an excellent side.
Dorking 52 Teddington 5
Teddington only turned up with 13 players so we lent them James and Lyndon in the first half then Nick off the subs bench and Sprecks swapping with Lyndon in the second. Given the friendly status of the game we took the opportunity to try out a few players out of position including Captain Will back in his Minis position of inside-centre and we generally mixed it up as we went along.
Chris. who had a solid game in the pack, scored the first one which I think was his first ever try for us, Matt scored 2 in a cameo 15 minute appearance and Holmesy scored his long awaited first try for nearly two years. Will C and Rudi scored the other two in the first half which ended with Dorking 40-0 in the ascendancy. Teddington came much more into the game in the second half with their rather large forwards (and Nick and Sprecks of course) never giving up. However James got on the score sheet next and I then missed the last try scorer as I was down the other end to a big forwards drive over the line although I have it on good authority that Chris again was the last one to emerge from the pile-up with the ball. So, 52-0 up before Teddington scored a much deserved consolation try with a few minutes left and came close again before the end with their never say die attitude. Without a kicking tee in sight Jamie slotted over six out of eight conversions with drop kicks. We obviously wish Teddington all the very best for the rest of the campaign.
London Welsh 20 Dorking 33
What was meant to be a 'friendly' fixture between a 'weak' London Welsh side and a Dorking Development side actually turned out to be a bit more than that. The opposition were strong against what could be best described as an experimental side with a mixture of league players, some of whom were either returning from injury or playing out of position, plus a couple of new recruits with the rest made up of squad players.
The London Welsh pack were huge, whereas our pack on the day was not so huge but it was in the backs where the game was won. The Welsh scored four tries, Dorking scored five with all bar one converted by Fraser who was standing in as kicker today. We were 5-0 down to an early try before Rudy scored with what is fast becoming one of his trademark long distance efforts before another try following a forwards drive from the home side left us 10-7 down at half-time.
A few tactical and positional changes at half-time however transformed the game and four unanswered tries in the opening fifteen minutes of the second half saw us roar into a 33-10 lead, effectively winning the game. All four were excellent finishes. Dan scored a typical back-row try with a 20 metre blind-side break, 14-10. Then superb ball handling skills in the backs saw Will joining the line to collect a difficult pass before scooting clear to score under the posts, 21-10. From the restart the ball sailed straight to half-time replacement Nick ... bad choice ... Nick just took off and charged through the entire opposition to again touch down unopposed under the posts, 28-10. Rudy rounded it all off finishing off another flowing backs move in the corner, 33-10. With fifteen minutes still to go and the game lost London Welsh did not give up and came storming back to score two more forwards tries in the last few minutes.
Although the squad was continually rotated there were some excellent cameo performances today. I arrived twenty minutes after kick-off but I still counted over fifteen penalties against us and only one in our favour, so very well played to everybody in difficult circumstances.
Our thanks to London Welsh for their hospitality and we look forward to arranging something with them again next season.
Dorking 15 Cobham 24
Cobham played well today and on the overall balance of play probably just about deserved to win but we were disappointing, not playing to anywhere near our potential with probably our poorest league performance for two or three seasons now. Both sides had key players missing but we seemed to miss ours much more than Cobham as all of our absentees were in the forwards which led to our line-outs misfiring and our lighter forwards being out-powered and driven backwards. We had a very strong back division out today but we struggled to spread the ball around and play our normal game. Instead we were sucked into a forwards battle which suited the heavier Cobham pack who were content to use their effective driving and rolling mauls to tie up our back row. Having said all that, a couple of key decisions went against us and on another day if these had fallen in our favour we could have ended up nicking the game.
We were under pressure right from the start, knocking on from their kick-off which resulted in all of the early action being in our own half as clearances and penalty kicks to touch just ended up being won back by the opposition even on Dorking’s throw. The Cobham forwards had already been held up over our line a couple of times previously before they drove over for a deserved opening try after 10 minutes, the straightforward conversion being missed though.
Any notion that this opening score against us would act as a wake-up call to Dorking as it has done in the past were misplaced as the Cobham forwards continued to dominate the game. Their second score came 5 minutes later when a penalty try was ludicrously awarded for a Dorking player tackling the ball carrier within 10 metres of a tap penalty. General consensus afterwards was that even the opposition players and supporters were left dumbstruck by the decision. The simple conversion gave Cobham a 12-0 lead with only 15 minutes on the clock.
The Dorking players seemed demoralised by the decision as they continued to struggle to get any foothold in the game. Gradually though they worked their way up the pitch, to such an extent that the last 15 minutes of the first half were spent entirely in opposition territory. A penalty from Jamie reduced the deficit and with the last play of the half scrum-half Will scythed through the opposition defence for an excellent opportunist try which was converted by Jamie to reduce the deficit even further to just two points.
So at half-time we suddenly found ourselves only 10-12 down and with our tails up and the slope in our favour in the second-half the complexion of the game suddenly changed. However various half-time substitutions, some injury enforced and some tactical, meant we unfortunately lost any momentum and handed the initiative right back to the opposition.
With the game evenly balanced as it was the first score of the second-half was always going to be crucial and it was the visitors scrum yet again who came up with the answer, driving our forwards backwards up the slope and over our own try-line. The conversion, superbly taken from right on the touchline, put us more than one score behind again. Dorking however again came back strongly and soon afterwards Will again scooted over for his second of the game and his fifth league try of the season, Jamie just missing with conversion. So, back to 15-19 and anyone's game again. Dorking were the stronger team now and although we continued to have the territorial advantage we lacked the penetrative edge. Cobham defended superbly just as they did in the corresponding fixture last season. Even when Dorking managed to secure second and third phase ball the opposition kept their defensive shape giving us little opportunity to create space, which was a real credit to their players and to their coaches. Despite all of Dorking's efforts it was the opposition who scored the match-winning score with a breakaway try with the last play of the game but yet again though the score should not have been allowed. Cobham broke away upfield but when the ball-carrier came into contact he spilled the ball and knocked on but with the ref struggling to keep up, the player was allowed to retrieve the ball again enabling him to off-load to the support runner alongside who finished off in the corner to secure a 24-15 victory. A lesson to be learnt by our players though ... play to the whistle in such situations.
Given the quality we have in our squad we should be a match for anyone when we have a settled side but we unfortunately do not have the numbers in depth of various other sides so unavailability invariably hits us harder. Here's hoping that the absent players start to return in the New Year to give us more options. Good luck to Cobham for the rest of the season.
I am not sure what the Luton Town Manager would have made of the lady official marching on to the pitch, our lot initially looked a bit perplexed not quite sure whether to address said official as 'Sir', 'Ma'am', 'Miss' or any other variation of. It was finally decided to play safe with just plain old 'ref'.
I am very pleased to report that our injury list is improving with only four or five unavailable now so we had a rather strong looking squad of 21 in attendance, including one debut. This actually meant that the coaches were spoilt for choice in a number of positions for the first time this season, although selection will get even more difficult in weeks to come as other regular AXV players from last season hopefully start to get back to full fitness.
Although our squad looked strong on paper I have to say that some did look rather shabby after whatever they had been up to the previous evening and the warm-up seemed a bit lethargic with some players seemingly more interested in comparing stories about their various exploits the night before. Come kick-off time however the coaches had the boys fired up and focused.Dorking kicked off and started well for a change, spending the first few minutes encamped in Richmond territory. With less than 10 minutes on the clock a grubber kick from Fraser found touch 10 metres from the opposition line, Dorking won Richmond's line-out ball and scrum-half Will scooted off down the blind-side to touch down in the corner for his customary try in a league game.
The match, which was played in a great spirit throughout, settled down with all of Richmond's moves, as expected, orchestrated by their excellent fly-half. Our back row were all over him like a rash at every opportunity but whenever he did manage to side-step past the first line of defence the reinforcements were always there waiting. Dorking themselves looked very sharp and incisive in the backs, whenever Matty or James in the centre ran with the ball and went into contact the other one was always right there following up in support to drive the opposition back and help secure the ball for the next phase. Similarly, Greg and Rudi on the two wings also saw plenty of ball and both consistently pushed the opposition back with their direct running.
With about 25 minutes on the clock a long raking kick from Jamie from inside his own half rolled into touch two or three metres from the opposition try-line. Dorking again won opposition line-out ball and from the resulting maul Nick peeled off, made a surge for the line and touched down, despite the attention of the three Richmond players hanging on his back at the time.I am not entirely sure what happened next but for whatever reason Dorking completely lost focus and their game suddenly becoming strewn with unforced errors, distracted maybe by some of the decisions. The ref, who otherwise had a very sound game, had a different interpretation of the rucking laws to us and this led to us being penalised on a number of occasions which was slightly perplexing because our players were doing nothing different to the opposition. Anyway, mustn't dwell, this allowed Richmond to move into Dorking territory and further penalties from rucks, this time within kicking range, enabled their fly-half to score two penalties in quick succession in the last five minutes of the half. So, we went in at half-time not really quite sure how we were only four points up, having felt that we had dominated most of the half.
Whatever was said at half-time obviously didn't sink in because immediately on Richmond's restart we made a sloppy mistake and conceded another penalty in kicking range, but this time it was pushed wide. That proved to be a bit of a turning point in the game because if it had got to 10-9 who knows what might have happened but Dorking regrouped, not allowing the opposition another shot at goal. Even so the game still remained close at 10-6 but Dorking still looked by far the more dangerous of the two sides with Richmond never really seriously threatening our try-line all game.
Following a spell of heavy pressure Dorking won a (rare) penalty, Jamie thumped it into touch and from the resulting line-out a catch and drive moved the forwards towards the opposition line. Rather amusingly, prop George and Captain Will both peeled off at the same time with both clutching on to the ball for dear life. As they both flopped over the try line George won the tug-of-war contest to claim the all important third try, all of which had come from line-outs.So now back in control at 15-6 up we relaxed again and started to play by far our most expansive rugby of the match. A punt out of defence by Richmond was collected wide out on the right by Rudi just inside his own half. He proceeded to run straight across the pitch towards the left wing but with everyone shouting to go straight he suddenly took a sharp right hand turn and carved through the entire Richmond defence. With several Dorking players struggling to keep up in support he changed gear again and sprinted away for a marvellous solo try under the posts which Jamie converted for the final score of the game.
Well done to the coaches for getting all 21 players on the pitch today, no-one likes to sit on the bench but we need the strength in depth if we want to compete. If truth be told we could and should have scored more points today but that would have probably been unjust on the opposition. The ref went out of her way afterwards to compliment the Dorking players on their behaviour on the pitch (has anyone else ever noticed how much more attentive and polite boys are on the very rare occasions that the matches are officiated by ladies? - so Mike Newell, eat your heart out, it's more we need not less). Anyhow, the Richmond coaches and parents alike were also very complimentary and this is always just as rewarding to hear as the victory itself. It is always an absolute pleasure to play Richmond and even more so to be hosted by them. I remember the match two seasons ago which was an absolute classic with Dorking eventually winning after the lead changed hands several times and last year's game which was drawn but which Richmond should really have won. It goes without saying that we wish them the very best for the rest of this season and we look forward to us getting together again next year.
… well, I think we've all had quieter Sundays.
Not too many good things to say to be honest other than well played to a patched-up Dorking side for a thoroughly professional and focused performance.
I counted 10 players unavailable for various reasons, so two debuts today plus two or three walking wounded, a very welcome return to David for the first time this season and much improvisation including prop Ryan on the wing.
Two tries from scrum-half Will, three penalties and a conversion from Jamie. One penalty and a consolation try from the opposition right at the death by which time we had taken our foot off the gas, but sloppily conceded nonetheless.
Off to the more tranquil pastures of Richmond next …
A second-hand attempt at a match report as your scribe was AWOL due to injured son, so apologies in advance for any inaccuracies … just blame the various touchline reporters who have reported back! Apart from our longer term injuries already out we also lost Will, George, Ross, John and Lyndon from the 22 on the morning leaving just 17 to select from. Not enough time to call for reinforcements this time though, so not the most auspicious of starts as we usually have to call on all of the squad of 22 to get us through a game against Irish!
Do not be deceived by the final score! All touchline sages and players unanimously report that we played very well indeed, certainly a whole lot better than we did in our previous league match two weeks before. We dominated for long periods without capitalising, (apparently) 15 minutes passed before Irish even got out of their own half but then as always, regardless of how much territorial advantage a side has, it usually ends up with Irish touching down under the posts! Each of their 5 tries were (apparently) all breaks from long distance after concerted Dorking pressure, although 2 or 3 were highly questionable to say the least. This led to Geoff having a quiet word with the official after the game who was then honest enough to admit that 'on reflection' (?) the disputed tries should indeed have been disallowed, either for blatant infringements in the build-up or because the ball was held-up and not grounded.
To rub salt into our wounds and to give the final score a totally distorted look 2 tries came right at the death through long range efforts from their powerful back row, by which time we had a few walking wounded, having used our two subs and the boys were exhausted by then anyway (most having played the day before), each having given 100% and more.
So, absolutely no shame at all in losing to a tremendous side, probably the best in the country. Indeed the Irish coaches were full of praise for our players. There are some excellent sides in this league but it will take an exceptional effort for anyone to run Irish close again this time round.
So, many more positives than negatives. All in all a significant step-up from our first league game, we dominated the line-outs with Nick and the two Alex's all excellent and although their much heavier pack put the shove on us we only lost one against the head (well done Sprecks!), Ryan was awesome as well apparently. A well done also to James for an excellent debut in the front row. Baptism of fire obviously springs to mind.
New season, same old same old. An injury list as long as your arm, players playing out of position as a consequence, everyone half asleep for the first 15 minutes or so ... welcome back everybody.
Poor old Jonny, ended up last season being stretchered off to hospital, starts off this one breaking his collar-bone for the school yesterday. Guni and James R already out injured, Dan crying off poorly as well, the usual Sunday morning mobile phone madness rounding up reinforcements. Captain Will with a bad shoulder injury from playing for the school the day before decides to give it a go for the cause only to give up the ghost after less than 10 minutes. Reinforcements in the shape of George and Ross arriving hotfoot 15 minutes after kick-off, it's like we've never been away. ...
So, very much a makeshift side but every cloud has a silver lining and ours came in the shape of fine debuts for Rhys, Alex, Ross and Lyndon. We took ages to get going though and Chobham, who were missing some players themselves, put the squeeze on us in the scrum for the first 15 minutes or so, Dorking getting no decent ball at all. Chobham missed one penalty, slotted over the next one and we found ourselves behind once more in a league game. With George and Ross now in attendance this allowed Jim to shuffle it around up front and the whole game changed as George steadied the ship in the front row. Dorking started winning some good clean ball and it soon became apparent that we had the beating of them in the backs with Matt, James and Greg continually breaking through the gain line. A flowing move ended with Greg touching down wide out on the left, Jamie shaving the wrong side of the upright with the conversion attempt. So, 5-3 up at the break and an inspirational more of the same speech from Jim led to a score almost immediately. Dorking caught their own restart kick and after a couple of plays James squeezed in by the flag, typically Jamie put it right between the posts from the touchline. More Dorking pressure with the occasional counter-attack from Chobham was the tone for the rest of the match. Untidy ball squirted out of the back of a Chobham 10 metre scrum, scrum-half Will reacted first to touch down the loose ball with Jamie contriving to miss the conversion.
So, next stop London Irish (away for the 4th or is it the 5th year running?). Well done to Chobham for deservedly finally getting into Division 1 after narrowly missing out previously, they acquitted themselves well today in their first appearance in the top league and we wish them all the very best for the rest of their campaign and hope that out paths cross again in Division 1 next season.