Dorking RFC

Guernsey Raiders 31- 27 Dorking

By Kevin Beal

The trip to Guernsey has traditionally brought out the best in the travelling Dorking support and this weekend was no exception as around 150 made the short hop over the channel to the fleshpots of St Peter Port. As sundry innkeepers, restauranteurs and hoteliers prepared their establishments to welcome the visiting hoards, the talk amongst the faithful turned to the prospects for Saturday afternoon’s game. Dorking had narrowly beaten Guernsey 17-13 in the dying moments of the match back in November, and with the early flight disrupting normal match day preparation and the Raiders home advantage a tough afternoon looked in the offing.

And so it was to prove.

Guernsey kicked off and put flanker Matt Creber away under the posts for the first score of the afternoon with barely two minutes on the clock. With the conversion a formality for fly half Owen Thomas, the Red & Whites found themselves re starting the match 7 points down having barely touched the ball. With the ball secured from the kick off, Guernsey launched another attack as full back Charlie Davies picked a scything line through the Dorking defence before running out of support and losing the ball. The Dorking counter attack through Ryan Jeffery, playing in the unaccustomed position of full back looked sharp, but Sir adjudged that the interplay between the backs involved some crossing and awarded Guernsey a penalty just inside their half. Dorking stole the line out and cleared their lines, and a knock on in the Guernsey line out gave Dorking a scrum from which they drew a penalty. It was now Dorking’s turn to apply pressure, and after a series of penalties, line outs and catch and drives, Jonny Ellis was over the line, only to be adjudged held up. However an earlier Guernsey infringement gave Dorking a further penalty from which Henry Birch emerged from the bottom of the pick & drive as it collapsed over the line. With the conversion missed, it was 7-5 with 18 minutes gone.

Guernsey knocked on at the re-start giving away a scrum and allowing Dorking to continue to apply pressure with a break up field by Jasper King. A knock on by the tackler gave Guernsey a defensive scrum where they gave away a penalty allowing Henry Anscombe to add 3 points to Dorking’s tally; 7-8 with a quarter of the match played. Guernsey came back strongly through their impressively quick back line as centre Tom Teasdale stepped inside and found himself in the clear to touch down for a try under the posts, followed almost immediately by replacement Cieran McGann, on for the injured full back Davies, again under the posts. With both conversions good, the Guernsey lead stretched to 21-8 and Dorking were on the rack. Cometh the hour, cometh the man, and Dorking hooker Jonny Ellis evened things up a little with the first of his afternoon brace as Dorking’s now trademark catch and drive from a 5m line out bore fruit. With the conversion missed, it was 21-13 at half time.

With the half time oranges providing a stimulant, Dorking started the second half strongly winning a scrum penalty on the Guernsey 22. Playing the advantage, a reverse miss move between the centres put wing Toby McRae (who else) into space to score just wide of the posts, converted by Henry Anscombe bringing the scores to within one point 21-20. The game then settled into a pattern of Dorking forward drives gaining ground and Guernsey back line breaks and kicks taking it back, forcing try saving cover tackles on more than one occasion. The backline pressure eventually won out as on the 53 minute mark McGann took the ball at speed from a Guernsey scrum on the Dorking 10m line to go in under the posts for his second of the afternoon, again easily converted by Thomas; 28-20.

It was then Dorking’s turn to apply pressure and with backs and forwards combining things looked to be going the Red & Whites way as Henry Anscombe broke free down the left hand touchline with support inside, only to put a bootlace in touch to give Guernsey a line out, launching their backline attacks once more. With the Dorking defence firm, Guernsey were guilty of holding on to the ball in the ruck and from the penalty and ensuing line out, another catch and drive saw Jonny Ellis over for his second of the afternoon, converted by Henry Anscombe; 28-27 with a quarter of the match to go.

The final 20 minutes saw possession and territory see-saw as both sets of players began to tire and both sets of replacements were fully deployed. Twice, promising breaks down the left wing by Guernsey were halted by last ditch Dorking cover tackles, and Dorking back row drives up field halted by firm Guernsey defence and counter rucking. Eventually a scrum penalty awarded to Guernsey was within kicking range, giving a more comfortable 4 point lead 31-27, and despite a spirited last 10 minutes by Dorking that was how the score stayed; the same 4 point margin to the winners as it had been earlier in the season.

DoR Armand Roux Commented

“It was a disappointing result today where I thought Guernsey clearly done their homework, slowed the game down to suit them alongside taking their chances well.

We showed some real class in certain areas like our driving maul, but never really got into our attacking shape, which again is credit to Guernsey.

We will focus on review what to work on and move on as next week we see Henley visit us at The Big Field, and with games coming thick and fast, it’s another great game of rugby that awaits us”

Man of the Match:
George Jackson

Team:

15. Ryan Jeffery, 14. Dan Riches, 13. Fraser Mosley, 12. Henry Anscombe, 11.Toby McRae, 10. Andrew Ramsden, 9. George Jackson, 1. Henry Birch 2. Jonny Ellis, 3. Tom Bristow, 4. Stephen Howorth, 5. Jasper King, 6. Will Scholes, 7. Fred Dalton © 8. Finn Osborne, 16. Callum Watson, 17. Daragh Chambers, 18. Max Sheldrake, 19. Tom Dobson, 20 Ben McKenzie

Photo by Martin Grey