In perfect rugby weather, a Dorking Colts side drawn largely from their U17 contingent produced an epic, high-octane performance to take down previously unbeaten Sutton & Epsom 24–22 on their home patch.
In what was a proper, breathless ding-dong battle from start to finish, Dorking showed heroic defensive grit, tactical composure, and an all-round performance of sheer resilience and ‘dog’. Sutton & Epsom came out firing with tremendous pace on the ball and hard direct carrying. Capitalising on an early Dorking defensive clearance miscue, the hosts shifted the ball quickly to the outside channel to cross in the corner for an unconverted try (5–0).
Dorking responded immediately with venom. Establishing control through the midfield, defending the maul stoutly, and securing turnover possession, Dorking unleashed a flowing backline movement. Ben Carloss and Trinity Davies linked up in a slick interchange down the wing, with Davies breaking through to dot down in the corner. Jack Haines added a superb conversion from the touchline to push Dorking ahead at 5–7.
Building on that momentum, Dorking’s aggressive defensive pressure pinned S&E deep inside their 22. Setting up a scrum just 5 metres out, Dorking unleashed their special 'Bonfire' strike play: No. 8 picking and feeding straight onto a hard-running line for Will Brooks, who crashed over for the score. Haines converted once again to extend the margin 5–14. Just before the break, S&E struck back with sharp work down the blindside, their No. 9 picking a neat option along the touchline to score a converted try, sending the sides into half-time at a tense 12–14.
Dorking suffered a major blow when Captain Ben Carloss was forced off with an injury. With numbers pushed to the absolute limit, the squad dug deep into their reserves of grit—backs packed down into the scrum and back-rowers stepped up into the front row without missing a beat. Despite the massive reshuffle, Dorking struck first in the second half as Jack Haines calmly slotted a penalty goal to push the lead to 12–17.
The contest then reached fever pitch. An unfortunate tackle where an S&E runner slipped into contact resulted in a yellow card for Dorking. Down to 14 men, Dorking faced an onslaught, and S&E eventually forced their way over for a converted try to reclaim the lead at 19–17. With 15 minutes left, S&E opted for the posts on a penalty to stretch the gap to 22–17.
What followed was pure defensive defiance. Dorking held S&E up over the try line on three separate occasions, throwing their bodies into collisions with total commitment. With just a few minutes remaining on the clock, Dorking mounted a clinical, rumbling multi-phase counter-attack. Recycling through tight forward carries, Dorking battered their way over with Ben Honor bulldozing over the line to level the game at 22–22, before Jack Haines stepped up under maximum pressure to nail the decisive conversion, sealing an unforgettable 22–24 triumph.
A win founded on immense heart, unselfish adaptability across the entire lineup, and true warrior spirit on hostile territory.
Player Honors
● Forward Player of the Match: Archie Armitage (5) – For a tireless, dominant engine-room performance in the tight, leading the pack through crucial defensive stands.
● Back Player of the Match: Zac Sherazee (9) – For outstanding base speed, crisp distribution, and top-class game management when the pressure was at its absolute peak.
Next Up: Sun 15 Nov National Cup Rd 2 @ Home vs Cobham
