Dorking 43 - 40 Westcombe Park
Nicked at the Death
By Kevin Beal
In perfect conditions with the sun out and no discernible wind Dorking survived an early Westcombe Park onslaught to grind out a win in this end to end game between two longstanding rivals. Both teams played open, expansive rugby; six tries apiece with the winning score coming from an 80th minute penalty initially awarded to Combe for a Dorking scrum infringement but reversed for some ill advised advice given to the referee.
Combe started aggressively and were over the whitewash almost immediately as Dorking were caught napping in response to a quickly taken line out on half way giving Toby Wallace a free run in to the line. With Mikael Davies’ conversion good it was 0-7, somewhat against the run of play. Dorking responded from the restart with a powerfully disruptive set piece scrum, but Combe defended well, won a penalty and from a scrappy line out on Dorking’s 10 metre line hacked the ball through the Dorking defence for wing Ben Freyatt to chase and ultimately score. With Davies on target again, Dorking were facing a 14 point deficit.
A brilliant solo try under the posts from Callum Barratt, weaving his way forcefully through the Combe defence from the half way line immediately from the returned re-start kick settled the Dorking ship momentarily, but again from the re-start Combe restored the points differential as some unusually sloppy Dorking defence allowed Captain Nick Cook in for their third, before Sam O’Leary Blade struck back for the hosts, closing the gap once more. With Davies and Hardwick both on target conversion-wise, it was 14-21 with barely a quarter of the match gone and if things continued, a cricket score looking likely.
And continue it did with an aggressive Combe pack and rapid fire back line putting an unusually lackadaisical looking home side under the cosh as Cook again crossed the line for the bonus point try restoring the 14 point lead. This seemed to stiffen the sinews and through powerful forward play Dorking were back on the attack in the visitors 22 with a succession of scrums and scrum penalties yielding both a yellow card for Combe and a converted try for Captain Will Scholes, keeping them in the game, 21-28.
Some Aerial ping pong from the restart finally ended with a Dorking lineout on half way, but as in previous encounters, Combe’s lighthouse jumper Sam Fombo stole the ball and with the Dorking defence caught offside, a penalty and five metre linout. Despite being a man down a textbook catch and drive saw Fombo over the line for Combe’s 5th converted try of the afternoon doggedly reinstating the two try advantage at 21-35 with half time looming.
There was however just enough time for Dorking to pull one back as Combe knocked on whilst collecting the restart kick, affording the home side a good attacking field position. A catch and drive from a 5 metre line out was hauled down just short, as were the subsequent pick and drives before the ball was spun wide to Max Coyle out wide on the right wing to score Dorking’s fourth and bonus point try. With Hardwick on target again it was 28-35, half time and yellow card for former hero Fombo, adjudged to have illegally collapsed one of the rolling mauls.
The second half started at pace as the Combe backs broke through the Dorking defence from an off the top line out move, only for Coyle to read the move and intercept what looked like a scoring pass and clear the ball away up field for the chasing pack to follow. Three quick rucks later and scrum half cum replacement centre George Jackson showed how quick he can be off the mark sprinting for the line and, just outpacing the defence, diving over to score just right of the posts. With Hardwick again on target it was 35 apiece and all to play for.
The game then settled into a more even pace with play spread between the respective 22 metre lines. Solid defence from both sides became the order of the day with messrs Rawlinson and Hardwick leading the Dorking effort as Combe looked to keep the ball in play but away from Dorking’s increasingly dominant forwards. Toms Bristow and Bloomer along with Will Goodfellow lead the home side’s charge, but Combe’s defensive sets held firm and restored to full strength they moved the ball back into the Dorking 22 where they won a penalty. A quick tap move from the subsequent 5m lineout and it has to be said an evil but favourable bounce of the ball wrongfooting the Dorking defence and falling straight into the arms of the oncoming Davies put him in the clear for Combe’s 6th try, 35-40.
Combe again pressed from the re-start with centre Alessandro Minns ghosting past the Dorking defence before finally being hauled down from behind by a textbook Hardwick tackle, losing the ball forward in the process. And looking back that was the last time that Combe really troubled the Dorking line as the home side took control of the set piece scrums, forcing a number of penalties to keep the visitors penned in their own half. Dorking’s score levelling try finally came as Hardwick charged down a tired clearance kick, with Will Sanders on hand to scavenge the loose ball and scamper to the line wide out right. With the conversion drifting wide it was 40 all and ten minutes left to play
These final ten minutes saw Dorking mostly in the Combe half but unable to penetrate their defence. Despite winning a number of penalties they were unable to convert possession into points as Combe continued to disrupt the line outs; three times the penalty goal was declined in favour of the kick to corner, three times the lineout was disrupted and Combe cleared their lines. And as the clock was seconds off the ‘red’ and Combe looked to run the ball from their 22 a forward pass gifted Dorking a scrum some 30 metres out but under the posts. Time for the scrum, but it would be the last play of the game. A shrill blast of the whistle indicated some misdemeanour as the packs engaged and the call went against the home side. Free kick to the visitors - but an ill advised comment from one of the Combe pack who thought the call was against them was overheard by Sir and the free kick was reversed and turned into a penalty for Dorking. No kick to the corner this time as Hardwick, not for the first time this season, held his nerve to slot the winning points. 43-40.
Director of Rugby Armand Roux commented:
We had to show some real resilience today and proud of the fight the Dorking Men showed even with the score line against us for most of the game.
Westcombe Park had us under the pump for parts of that game and some outstanding scramble defence saved us on more than one occasion.
Some outstanding performances by so many players today with Hardwick pulling the strings, Jacko doing a 60min shift at 12, Set piece dominating and of the crowd favourite Olly Rawlinson at his tumbling best!
Bit of a rest for the 1’s over the coming weeks while the 2’s have one more game before Easter.
BIG thank you for the Dorking Crowd who was amazing today.
Teams
Dorking:
Coyle, Sanders, O’Leary-Blade, Barrett, Williamson, Hardwick, Baldwin, Stephenson, Rawlinson, Barry, Sammut, King, Scholes (c), Bloomer, Elbrow. Replacements - Watson, Bristow, Howorth, Goodfellow, Jackson
Westcombe Park:
Davis, Wallace, Minns, Braithwaite, Aungier, Brown, Fryatt, Mulhleman, Harris, Mundicha, Cook (c), Frombo, Devine, Rufaui, Khalil. Replacements - Wagstaff, Roofe, Gross-Lambourne, Thomas, Hook
Star Player – Ollie Rawlinson (Dorking)
Scores:
Dorking
Tries: Barrett (13) O’Leary Blade (15), Scholes (31), Coyle (40), Jackson (41), Sanders (63)
Conversions: Hardwick (14, 16, 32, 40, 42)
Pens: Hardwick (80)
Westcombe Park
Tries: Wallace (4) Freyatt (11), Cook (15, 26), Fombo (35), Davies (57)
Conversions: Davies (5, 12, 16, 27, 35)
Referee: Mr Conor Boyle
Attendance 435
