Dorking Master the Mud to Advance in National Cup
A testing afternoon of National Cup rugby saw Dorking overcome visiting Havant 31-0 in Round 2 on Sunday, October 19. On a very wet day, where both teams struggled to control the slippery ball, Dorking eventually found their rhythm and pulled away in the second half. Havant were a great team with fantastic values and the game was played with great spirit.
First Half: A Tense Battle of Attrition The game started with fierce intensity, characterised by strong, competitive contacts upfront, particularly from the Havant pack. Both sides competed robustly for the ball, which, combined with the wet conditions, largely neutralised attacking efforts for the opening quarter. Dorking began to establish territorial dominance, and sustained pressure in the red zone eventually Seb Williams went over for the opening and only try of a tough first half. Ellis Long added the conversion, sending Dorking into the break with a narrow lead. Halftime Score: Dorking 7 – Havant 0
Second Half: The halftime discussion in the Dorking camp focused on maintaining their excellent defence while seeking to inject more expansive play into the game, sensing opportunities as player fatigue began. The breakthrough came swiftly. A quick turnover ball was moved wide from the blindside where great hands from Toby Shepherd (POTM), set up Jaleel Rudder who finished brilliantly on the wing to score Dorking's second try. Now feeling confident, Dorking pressed home their advantage. Pressure on Havant from the restart led to a quick turnover. The ball was moved swiftly through the hands, resulting in a series of hard carries that culminated with the excellent Ben Carloss crashing over to score. Long successfully converted, extending the lead to 19-0.
The try of the game followed shortly with Dorking breaking from behind the posts, led by Ben Hemmings. The ball was moved wide with real pace, with the outside backs making great metres before bringing the play back to the midfield. Hemmings smartly changed the direction of play and found support runner James Gorton-Lee who showed superb pace and commitment to run the length of the field, celebrating with an ‘'ash splash' to take the score to 26-0.
Dorking continued to pressure the Havant line, which was breached once more following a strong maul. After good Havant defence, Miley Chatfield cleverly picked from the bottom of the ruck and managed to reach out and score in the corner, bringing the final tally to 31 points.
Havant bravely competed until the final whistle, with the game concluding in the Dorking 22. Final Score: Dorking 31 – Havant 0
Dorking now progress to Round 3 of the National Cup, which is scheduled for November 16. Their opponents are yet to be confirmed but are likely to be Winchester away
