Dorking 22-23 Henley
The Biter Bit
By Kevin Beal
The game earlier in the season over at Dry Leas was a game of two halves, with Dorking playing some of their best rugby in the first half to give an unassailable lead. The return fixture at The Big Field was to prove somewhat different; Henley took the spoils in a tight contest where the lead changed hands four times with the final kick of the game. A brace of tries from Dorking Captain Will Scholes and a solo effort from Tom Howe to a brace from Henley’s centre Leo Webb meant that Max Titchener’s accuracy with the boot was the difference on the day.
Henley kicked off playing downhill and as Dorking transgressed in defence, Titchener put his side into the lead with a penalty from the 10m line on the fourth minute. From the re-start Dorking played with intensity, with Finn Osborne and Max Coyle making notable gains in territory with the ball in hand.
Despite being under serious pressure in the set piece scrum, the Red & Whites were next on the scoreboard as Captain Scholes emerged with the ball following a textbook catch and drive from a 5m lineout. With Tom Hardwick’s conversion rebounding off the posts it was 5-3 to the hosts and 10 minutes on the clock. It was now Henley’s turn to apply pressure, but the Dorking defence held out strongly and although Henley crossed the line, the ball was adjudged held up and Dorking cleared their lines with a goal line drop out. Returning the ball to the Dorking 22, Henley forced another defensive penalty and from out wide, Titchener slotted the ball between the posts to regain the lead 5-6.
Dorking’s Osborne collected the ball neatly at the re-start and set the backline away, only for a short pass to be called forward, gifting the ball back to Henley for a further scrum and a rare Titchener mistake – the ball dribbling out of play over the dead ball line. A further Dorking goal line drop out with the ball again returned, but this time Dorking were able to hold on to the ball and Osborne and Howe combined to take the ball into the Henley 22. Quick rush defence caused a Dorking knock on and although the resulting Henley scrum put in was won comfortably, Scholes charged down Joe Pattison’s clearance box kick to reclaim the ball for his second, this time converted try as Dorking regained the lead, 12-6.
Dorking continued to exert pressure but the Henley defence were more than up to the task, and several promising moves were thwarted by hard tackles and rush defence, yielding both possession and field position. During this period, neither sides’ line outs were functioning well, and an element of frustration crept into both sides play.
Shortly before half time Dorking crafted what looked like a try scoring opportunity out on the left wing, only to be brough back for a Henley penalty as one of the officials had spotted some retaliatory foul play by a Dorking player following a particularly robust tackle on a team mate. The ensuing line out on Dorking’s 10m line was won cleanly, and centre Webb found himself with both time and space to sprint unopposed to the line for a converted try. 12-13 as the half time whistle blew.
(The under 12's provided some half time entertainment)
Playing downhill in the second half Dorking looked to attack but were thwarted by Henley’s aggressive tackling, some of it adjudged illegal and it has to be said a succession of poor line outs from the resulting penalties which rather upset the flow of the attacks, giving the visitors time to counter. Having been stuck in their own 22 for the opening skirmishes of the second half, Henley broke out as No8 Will Benning collected the ball and set off towards the Dorking half. Isolated, he was unable to release the ball and Dorking’s Hardwick took the penalty quickly and kicked through for the backline to chase, only to see the ball dribble over the dead ball line for a Henley scrum from where he kicked the ball.
With possession from the scrum, Henley moved up into the Dorking half and from a line out midway between the 10 and 22m marks, worked the ball along the backs for Webb to score just right of the posts, giving Titchener the easiest of conversions and stretching their lead to 8 points, 12-20. Henley continued to pressure but were unable to find a way through the Dorking defence, and eventually the home side cleared their lines to the Henley 22. A line out on the Henley 22 was taken ‘off the top’ and Tom Hardwick crossed the line but was adjudged held up so no score. In defending the move however Henley had slowed the ball illegally right under the posts; a penalty to Dorking, successfully taken by the returning Henry Anscombe.15-20.
Further Dorking pressure, most of it soaked up by the Henley defence came to naught until Anscombe and Howe combined with sleight of hand to put Howe away under the posts for a converted try, 22-20 with around 10 minutes of play left.
And in a reversal of previous matches this season, it was Dorking looking to preserve a slender lead in the dying moments. Henley came back strongly forcing Dorking to concede a couple of defensive penalties. The first bounced off the posts but a Dorking knock on as they regathered the ball gave the visitors a further attacking position from which they forced the second, this time successful. 22-23 and the final whistle.
The Biter bit.
DoR Armand Roux Commented:
It was just not our day today as we struggled to capitalise on any momentum and opportunities in the opposition 22m.
Credit to Henley for some great defence and making it hard for us to score
Even though there were some positives we are left with a feeling that we could of done more to tip the scales in our favour.
We cannot ponder too long as we are hosting Guernsey this week who will be fresh after a rest week.
Teams:
Dorking:
Coyle, Sanders, Howe, Holland, Hotston, Hardwick, Baldwin, Rawlinson, Musa, Kamanzira, Howorth, Golder, Scholes (c), Bloomer, Osborne, Replacements - Watson, Sheldrake, Chambers, Maguire, Anscombe
Henley Hawks:
Howe, Gordon, Jones, Webb, Rawsthorn, Titchener, Pattison, Collins, Hayhow, Mason (c), Goodison, Lunnon, Lowe, Noone, Benning. Replacements - Kinniburgh, Bailey, Richardson, Basil
Star Player – Max Titchener (Henley)
Dorking Man of the Match – Ollie Rawlinson
Scorers:
Dorking
Tries: Scholes 2 (10, 25) Howe (76)
Conversions: Hardwick (26) Anscombe (77)
Pens: Anscombe (65)
Henley
Tries: Webb 2 (40, 55)
Conversions: Titchener 2 (40, 56)
Pens: Titchener 3 (4, 20, 80)
Referee – Mr Jack Sutton
Attendance: 525
