Dorking 30 – 5 Esher
By Kevin Beal
Dorking Too Strong For Esher
Esher were ultimately unable to live with the power of Dorking’s forwards as they outmuscled them in both the set piece and the loose giving an armchair ride to the half backs who were then able to dictate the pace of the game at will. Scoring five tries to one, this combined with an almost watertight defence from the home XV left the visitors unable to mount sustainable attacks and as such the result never really felt in doubt.
Dorking set out their stall in the opening salvoes; a massive shove in the first set piece scrum of the day yielding the first of several scrum penalties. The ensuing 5m lineout was clinical, but Esher were able to stem the drive and ultimately clear their lines, before Dorking’s Will Sanders opened their account on the back of a move that saw forwards Dom Sammut and Nick Barry combine to rampage through the midfield to set Tom Howe free in the centre and able to work the ball out wide to Sanders who rounded the defence to score. Tom Hardwick’s conversion, kicked straight to allow for the gusting wind shaved the posts – the wind not doing its job after all.
The re-start kick was returned with interest; too much interest actually, as the wind took it straight into touch so no territory gained and an Esher line out. Which the wind then whipped away, not straight and a Dorking scrum, further Dorking possession and a second Dorking score as Harry Barker slipped his marker in midfield and put Tom Hardwick in the clear for a run in next to the posts. A successful conversion took the score to 12-0, and the game then settled into a more even pattern as both sides probed to no avail. Esher’s forays being snuffed out before they got going, Dorking’s attacks coming to naught in midfield as the men in black sought to disrupt. And throughout the gusting wind made use of the boot, and there was plenty of this, something of a lottery with neither side really gaining much from it, often gifting possession back as a result. Esher had probably their best moments in the second quarter where sustained pressure in the Dorking 22 almost resulted several times in a score, only for the defence to hold firm. And if there was a Dorking error or infringement their superiority in the set piece meant that they were able to disrupt and clear their lines.
With no further score it was 12-0 at the half time whistle.
Hardwick added to the Dorking tally early in the second half with a penalty goal as Esher drifted offside. 15-0. In return, Esher’s Ben Robbins was on the score sheet almost immediately as a break out from the Dorking half following a charged down clearance kick put him in the clear out left which brought them back into the game at 15 – 5. But that was the last time Esher were to trouble the scorer as Man of the Match, Dorking’s Tom Bloomer replied immediately as Will Scholes pounced on an Esher overthrow in the line out to slip him the ball. Dorking then further turned the screw with a massive shunt in the set piece which enabled Hardwick to chip to the corner. Esher retained the ball at the throw in and cleared their lines firstly to their 22 and then to the10 m lines. But Dorking’s lineout was functioning well and a quick ball saw Tom Bristow in possession and the ball whipped down the back line for Tom Howe to score the bonus point try,
25-5.
Sensing that the game was slipping away, Esher began to throw the ball around, not always successfully as long passes in the gusting wind didn’t always go quite where intended. As a result the match, though still entertaining became somewhat disjointed as set piece scrums and lineouts began to dominate proceedings.
As the match entered the final quarter, hope of any further score from the visitors was dashed by tight Dorking defence and a dominant set piece scrum, and despite having territorial advantage and possession, Dorking were also held at bay for the remainder of the half until the final move of the game, where George Jackson and Harry Barker combined to put Max Coyle in the clear to seal the win. 30-5.
Director of Rugby Armand Roux commented
It was pleasing to deliver a good performance at home.
Our defence was simply outstanding and credit to the team (and PoG) for producing some cracking defensive sets today.
Back foot management was class and the energy and physicality was right up there.
We did leave a few tries out there today but overall massively pleased with the return in form over the last couple of weeks.
Big thank you to the home crowd for their unwavering support throughout the day as well.
Teams:
Dorking
Coyle, Sanders, Barret, Howe, Barker, Hardwick, Jackson, Stephenson, Rawlinson, Barry, Sammut, Scholes (c), Howorth, Bloomer, Elbrow. Replacements - Watson, Bristow, King, Chambers, Williamson
Esher
Reed, Pozniac, Robbins, Donnelly, Botteril, Benson, Bullock (c), Morris, Pickford, Ganley, Ingliss, Godsell, Pedlar, Norris, Seriki. Replacements- Westmancott, Stockton, Gardner, Yarwood, Thompson
Star Man – Tom Bloomer, (Dorking)
Scoring:
Dorking
Tries: Sanders (12), Hardwick (17), Bloomer (48), Howe (54), Coyle (80)
Conversions: Hardwick (18)
Pens: Hardwick (42)
Esher
Tries: Robbins (46)
Referee: Mr Tom Bird
Attendance: 550
