A Ton Up for the Red & Whites
Dorking 108 – 3 Westcliff
By Kevin Beal
Over the years there have been some exiting and close fought contests between our two clubs, not least the one back in April 2016 where a Westcliff victory at their old Southend Airport location sealed Dorking’s relegation from what was then the National 2 South league. With Westcliff having declined to play the original fixture back in early December today’s match was therefore eagerly anticipated despite a number of first team regulars being absent on what was originally designated to be a ‘reserve’ weekend. In the end showing the depth that currently exists in the senior section of the club, Dorking scored what is believed to be a record number of points (not even the oldest of the club’s venerable ‘Oldies’ could recall a greater haul) as they ran away with the game.
A depleted Westcliff battled hard and to their credit never gave up but were unable to stem the flood as Dorking ran in 16 unanswered tries. With an in-form Toby McRae scoring seven, (also believed to be a club record) Cam Cowell running in four and Henry Anscombe and Fraser Mosley one apiece it was a day for the backs to savour. Not to be left out the forwards were also well represented on the score sheet with Jonny Ellis, Jasper King and Captain Fred Dalton getting one apiece. Fourteen Anscombe conversions iced the cake.
Westcliff started the match well enough keeping the ball in the Dorking half and keeping hold of the ball. However, once they got their hands on it, Dorking turned the screw and forward domination in both the set piece and the loose gave scrum half Mikey MacDonald an armchair ride and allowed stand in fly half George Jackson to distribute the ball at will in what became the pattern for the afternoon. This, combined with tenacious tackling and defence from all fifteen denied Westcliff any further meaningful possession or go forward momentum. It wasn’t until the 54th minute that they troubled the scoreboard after a Dorking scrum infringement gave them a penalty within kicking range, slotted neatly by scrum half Dylan Sykes. Thereafter Dorking reasserted their grip on the game, running in four further tries taking the score to 108-3 at the final whistle.
We wish Westcliff well as they go through what is clearly a difficult period and will see them again towards the end of the season over in deepest Essex for the return match.
DoR Armand Roux commented:
“It was simply one of those days where we had the attacking appetite and Westcliff struggled to cope with what we had to offer.
Full credit to Westcliff for chasing every linebreak and when they had the ball, they looked after it pretty well.
In a game like today, we can easily go off script and the goal was to stay on it. Well done to our squad for keeping the momentum by focusing on our application in every moment”
Scorers:
Dorking
Tries: McRae (7) 5, 17, 40, 41, 44, 63, 71, Cowell (4) 15, 46, 51, 78, Ellis 27, Dalton 32, Mosley 36, Anscombe 48, King 67
Conversions: Anscombe (14) 6,15,18,28,33,37,40,42,44,46,64,68,71,80
Westcliff
Pen: Sykes 54
Star Man: Toby McRae (with honourable mention to Henry Anscombe for 14 conversions)
Referee: Katherine Ritchie
Attendance 300
Dorking:
- Cowell, Cameron 14. Ramsden, Andrew 13. Mosley, Fraser 12. Anscombe, Henry 11. McRae Toby, 10. Jackson George 9. Macdonald Mikey 1. Catton James 2. Ellis, Jonny 3. Sheldrake Max, 4. Howorth, Steve 5. King, Jasper 6. Grant, Joel 7. Dalton Fred (c) 8. Osborne, Finn. Replacements 16. Watson, Callum 17. Evans, George, 18. Spurgeon, Joe. 22. Musa, Adam
Westcliff:
- Brown, Samuel 14. Drew, Oliver, 13. Tyler, Ethan 12. Koomson, Kwabana 11. Tyler-Jolley, Peter 10. Rea, James 9. Sykes, Dylan 1. Miller, Eric 2. Moss, Edward 3. Walker, Robert 4. Doyle, Lachlan 5. Einchcomb, Thomas, 6. Potter, Luke 7. Halton, Alex, 8. Nicolls, Mason. Replacements 18. Webster, James 22. Spence, Noah
