Dorking RFC

A bright start from Dorking, but we give away an early penalty, and Haselmere punish us by finding touch just outside our 22. Haselmere set up their line out but throw long and Charlie Benham scoops it up and drives forward with a good carry.

Good recycled ball from the ruck, and Max Waldron controlling the backs attack shape gets us up to just before the 10 meter, but we knock on and go back to an earlier infringement in the ruck. A free kick awarded off the scrum and Charlie Benham takes a quick tap, feeds to Curtis Thornton, really hard carry, rides the contact and drives for the line. We score! 5 nil to Dorking. Good strike on the conversion but the kick drifts past the left upright.

Out of the blue, a try from Trinity Davies after what looked like a knock on, but the ref doesn’t call it. Max Waldron converts to make that 12-0 to Dorking. Dorking seems to have the measure of this game. We're doing really well - good, clean, and fast ruck ball. We’re spreading it wide in the hands where the opportunities are out wide. The backs are also looking for opportunities behind the defence. Trinity Davies sends a probing chip over, which is collected by Haselmere, but the kick-chase chops him down and we win the ruck just outside the 22. A really good attacking position. Dorking runs through a couple of good phases before Haselmere infringes at the off side line and we win a penalty. Max Waldron kicks for touch giving Dorking a fantastic attacking position. Great lift in the line to win clean, quick ball. Archie Armitage doing a great job in the air.

Quick hands from 9 and 10 to get the ball out to the wing with Henry Sergeant doting down and scoring the try. Great play to use the width of the pitch to find the space out wide. 17-0 Haselmere are now battling to find field position so they decide to kick the ball back to Dorking. The ball goes straight down the middle into Seb William’s hands just outside his 22. He takes off and charges it up the middle of the pitch with Henry Sergeant in support. Seb steps hard of his left to get around the full back and runs into an open back field to score under the posts. Max kick to make it a seven pointer. 24-0

Approaching the second half, Haselmere come surging back, shifting the ball wide and finding some space out wide, great hands to bring it back in and attack deep into the 22. Haselmere recycles quickly at the ruck and carry hard for the try line. They are met by a determined Dorking defense and Haselmere have been held up over the try line. That's the end of the half. Dorking starts the second half just as quickly, with Max seeing space out wide off the back of a ruck. Max chips the ball through and Seb takes off, out strips the defence and goes to scoop the ball ups on the 5 meter line - but fumbles and knocks on over the try line - No try! 5 meter scrum to Haselmere on the 5.

Haselmere clear their lines with a kick, but it goes straight into Seb’s hands and he attacks the left hand channel. The attack is repelled by Haselmere and they manage to clear their lines again. In the next phase of play Dorking are in defense and Max picks up an injury in a big tackle, and is out of play. Haselmere, sensing an opportunity give it to their big carrier off the back of a ruck and he breaches a disorganised Dorking defence to run it in under the posts. 24-5. Max can’t get back onto the field so we are now 11 v 11 with 5 man scrums. Dorking pressing hard again in the 15m channel and awarded a penalty for a sloppy high tackle. The forwards want to get involved in the try scoring so the set up a set piece penalty.

Leander Cooper taps and heads off to the try line with support on his shoulder from his forwards. He is met with the Haselmere defenders but a solid leg drive and the support crashes him over for a try. 29-5 More great attack from the backs up the right of the field, with excellent rucking to ensure we get quick ball. The attack launches up through the middle and Seb scythes through the middle of weak Haselmere defence to score under the posts. With Max off the pitch Trinity steps up to convert with a drop kick. 36-5 More injuries! Henry takes another knock - he has been defending well all match.

We are now playing 10 v 10 and go to uncontested scrums. Haselmere has a scrum in the middle of the pitch and has brought on some fresh legs. The ball lands in the hands of their big ball carrier, who charges up the middle and shrugs off a couple of tackles and scores. Conversion is successful. 36-12 The players are starting to tire, it’s a big pitch with 10 players. Haselmere are back in the Dorking half with an attacking line out on the 22.

Dorking steal the ball! A quick ruck and then quick hands through the backs to get it out wide to Seb Williams, who flicks on to Trinity in space. Seb supports on the inside and gets the ball back to fly through and score under the posts. 41-12 Dorking are now cruising and scoring at will. Haselmere kick off and Dorking field the ball and run it up to the halfway. We almost lose the ruck but Curtis comes away at the base runs through a gap, sells a huge dummy and pops it over the top to Seb Williams who turns on the afterburners, hands off a defender and runs it in under the posts.

The kick is hastily taken and missed. 46-12 The Dorking boys put on a real show today, starting the game with 12 players and ending with 10. They stuck together and played for each other, executed the attack pays and defended as a unit. Great set piece work from the forwards in the line out and scrum.

An all round solid performance and a great base for going into round 3