Dorking 41-19 Tonbridge Juddians
By Kevin Beal
Champagne Rugby at The Big Field
The champagne flowed both on and off the pitch as the top two sides clashed on the final day of the season. Despite TJ’s being crowned as league champions with their victory in the previous round there was much at stake – TJ’s wanting to ‘do the double’ over their closest rivals and Dorking looking to make up for an undercooked first half at The Slade back in September which cost them the game. Plus of course bragging rights and the fact that a win would secure second place in the league ahead of rivals Barnes. So not much at stake at all…..
Early exchanges promised a ‘no quarter’ approach from both and it was no surprise when after a couple of early handbag skirmishes the cards came out and both sides were reduced to 14 men, temporarily for TJ’s and permanently for Dorking. One try apiece in the first half informed how tight the match had been thus far, but in the second, five unanswered tries in the first fifteen minutes sealed the win for the home side, with the visitors notching two in the final quarter in reply.
The contest was even in the first quarter with TJ’s, orchestrated by wily scrum half Connor Loyd running the ball at every opportunity and Dorking returning it through the collective boots of Henry Anscombe, Tom Hardwick and George Jackson. Both sides had their chances in the first quarter, with TJ’s Duncan Tout particularly effective but Dorking’s tackling trio of Tom Bloomer, Harry Elbrow and Henry Anscombe kept him and his colleagues in check. Two early opportunities for the visitors went, much to the relief of the home supporters begging as white line fever took hold and scoring passes were not delivered, whilst at the other end promising moves were ended with a shrill blast of Sir’s whistle and the sign for a forward pass. It was not until the cards came out that there was any score, as TJ’s made the numbers count and the omnipresent Tout crossed the line on the end of a crash ball move. With Sam Evan’s conversion good they took a 7 point lead, but Dorking were quick to respond as from the restart they retained the ball, crossed into TJ’s half and spun it down the line for Tom Bloomer to cruise over for this first of the day. With Anscombe on target it was 7 apiece at half time.
Playing downhill, Dorking were immediately on the score board from the kick off as TJ’s fumbled the catch and Finn Osborne pounced on the loose ball to sprint to the corner for an unconverted try. There then followed Dorking’s finest performance of the season as Osborne and Jasper King, like the Viking Beserkers of old put TJ’s to the sword with a series of charging runs for which the visitor’s defence simply had no answer. Whatever was said at half time had been effective, as the entire Dorking squad (reduced to 14 on the field remember) played expansive attacking rugby that made the league champions look very ordinary. Bryan Hotston and Max Coyle solid under the high ball turning defence into attack, the entire pack led by Captain Scholes rampant going forward and unbreachable in defence, the half backs making all the right strategic decisions – the boot of scrum half and man of the match George Jackson being particularly accurate, and the centres Henry Anscombe and Tom Howe and swooping onto the ball at pace creating acres of space for wingers Bryan Hotston and Toby McRae. With their tails up Dorking were in again four minutes later from a 5m line out following a scrum penalty (7 vs 8, a testament to the mastery of the front row dark arts by messrs Bristow, Connor, Watson, Musa and Sheldrake) as McRae was fed the ball wide from the catch and drive. Anscombe’s conversion from wide out bisected the uprights – 19-7. With their set piece scrum now in the ascendancy, Dorking called for a scrum when awarded a penalty under the TJ posts, and Osborne scored his second, again converted from the pick-up. Then from a catch and drive lineout Bloomer was shunted over for his second minutes later, and Tom Howe added another as Max Coyle stole the ball in the air and put him in the clear to go over under the posts. With three out of five conversions good Dorking were comfortably 38-7 ahead going into the final quarter.
TJ’s however were not done, and as the clock ran down and Dorking’s tank emptied they rallied to score two further tries through Thomas Kendrick and a second for Tout, but as Anscombe slotted his final penalty, despite the league trophy going to TJ’s, the day belonged to Dorking. Fittingly the final touch of the ball came from the retiring Craig Holland as he attempted a long range penalty; as it fell millimetres short Sir blew for the end of the game, and the league season.
Final Score 41-19
Director of Rugby Armand Roux commented
“I was very proud for the way the boys came out in the second half having fended off TJ’s onslaught in the first half, particularly when down to 13 against 15. There was a real sense of Grit and determination which was great. TJ's are a good side and rightly earned promotion, but from our point of view, it was more than just playing to show what we can do.
The start of the second half was one of those moments that a coach can usually only dream of as we stuck to our game plan, played our best rugby of the season and scored four unanswered tries in quick succession to take control of the game.
I struggle to pinpoint any individual performances as there ware so many good things about our game today. Squad wide to do what we did with 14 men on the pitch is a great achievement and we have had our fair amount of practice of doing this so far this season!
Massive thank you to the supporters and club for supporting the final day of season in the fashion they did as every voice and encouragement makes a differentce. ”
Star Man – George Jackson (Dorking)
Teams:
Dorking:
Coyle, Hotston, Howe, Anscombe, McRae, Hardwick, Jackson, Connor, Watson, Bristow, Scholes (c), King, Elbrow, Bloomer, Osborne. Replacements - Sheldrake, Musa, Howorth, Golder, Holland
TJ’s:
Tusler, Kendrick, Osgood, Tout, Talbot, Evans, Lloyd, Boon, Holling, Bratton, Self, Culverhouse, Everitt, Nicoll (c), Nabogi
Replacements - Wheeler, Whitmarsh, Ridge, Petrozzi, Walsh.
Referee - Mr Alex Powdrell
Scores
Dorking
Tries: Bloomer 27, 60. Osborne 41,51. McRae 46. Howe 64
Conversions: Anscombe 28, 47, 52, 65
Pen; Anscombe 68.
TJ
Tries: Tout 25, 79. Kendrick 67.
Conversions: Evans 26, 79
Attendance 1049
