Match Reports

Match Report - 14th January 2012: Winchester 12 - 21 Old Wellingtonians 1st XV

Having beaten Old Freemens at home in the first fixture of 2012, it was going to be a much sterner test away against a 3rd placed Winchester team, to whom we had narrowly lost 17-15 in October. However, with four consecutive victories registered and a winning mentality firmly instilled in the heads, there was every cause for optimism going into the game.

There was a largely partisan crowd in attendance who were looking forward to a home rout, but the OWs had other ideas. The first points of the afternoon came from the trusty left boot of Alex Barker, as Winchester indiscretion at the breakdown and a further offside infringement led to two penalties that Barks dutifully nudges through the up rights. A 6-0 lead established, and things were looking promising. However, the Winchester pitch while being nice and wide, is not a surface particularly conducive to running rugby, and often times the attacking moves of both teams would break down to the ball carrier loosing their footing, or just not being able to really get going. That being said, the game did yield four tries, two of which were nice running moves - but more of that later.

Winchester are not a small team, and their agricultural looking pack might have the appearance of a London South West 3 power-house, but as notable works of fiction such as the Bible's story of David and Goliath and the fairytale of Jack and the Beanstalk have taught us, determination and calculated attacks can often win over sheer out and out size. And with that, our forwards were putting in a massive display. The front row of Sean Starling, Jonny Carey and Sam Martin acquitted themselves heroically in the face of a pack that on paper (or more accurately, on the scales) should have destroyed them. Scrums were sturdy enough given the underfoot conditions, but the try needed to really pull clear somehow was evading us. As it happened, Winchester were the first ones to cross the white-wash, with some rather lacklustre tackling allowing the home side to pull of a nice backline move, taking advantage of the one area of the pitch that was slightly better than the rest - unfortunately for us that part of the pitch was between our 22 and our tryline. The Winchester fly half added the extras, making the score 7-6.

The game was very much a dogfight around the fringes and with the ball itself being caked in mud, kicking infield was largely ineffective given that the ball would often die as it hit the ground. In fact, Rich Gower's father who was watching from the sidelines likened it to "kicking a pudding". In any event, things were about to get interesting as the referee decided enough was enough, and wanted to use the cards that someone had obviously given him for Christmas, and sent Ed Caesar to the sin bin. We're still not quite sure what his reasoning was, as someone with cataracts could have seen that Ed was legally in the middle of a maul, and when that maul fell apart he by default became the backfoot, yet the ref pinged and binned him for coming in at the side... Scientists are baffled. Winchester kicked the resultant penalty to the corner, yet even against wave after wave of close range attack from their pack, the 14 man OW line held firm. Some intense work from all, especially the back row of James Duncan, Robbie Thomas and James Simpson denied Winchester from scoring, and eventually their ball carried was pinged for holding on and the pressure was relieved with a mighty thump down field to give us an attacking lineout. Some good yards we made by Mark Stringer and Elliott Freer who were picking good lines off Diggers at 10, and eventually we found ourselves hammering away at the Winchester line in the left hand corner. After several phases of play and a couple of interesting put-ins at the scrum awarded, the pressure finally told and Billy Price squeezed over the line to claim an all important score, which Barks converted. To have a man down and come out of that 10 minute period seven points to the good is a formidable effort.

At 7-13 in our favour the half time whistle blew, and it was time to grab another Guinness.

Not a great deal happened in opening stages of the second half other than the OWs retaining possession long enough to wind the clock down on Ed Caesar's sin-bin, and soon enough we were back to 15 men. Things were looking good - we had a 6 point lead and were absorbing the attacking prospects of Winchester's runners. Some phenomenal tacking was being shown, with Sam Martin making a beastly hit on their rampaging No.8, sending him back from whence he came with the determination that typified the afternoon's performance. To be fair, we had a pretty meagre amount of possession, but when we got the ball through the hands we looked dangerous, with Pete Byre and James Dennis on the wings making good yards, but we were not quite able to deliver that final scoring pass or offload. Once again Winchester were on the offensive, but with some battling work at the breakdown and Robbie Thomas doing his best impression of a Clapham looter, the ball was stolen and we managed to clear to safety.

Some fresh legs were brought onto the field in the shape of Richard Gower, and it soon paid dividends, with a break up the middle from Elliott Freer linking to Pete Byre coming across the field, and eventually the ball came to Gower who executed a beautifully weighted pass to James Dennis who beat the final man to cross in the corner. The conversion was narrowly missed, but with the score at 7-18 it was a matter of closing the game out and scuttling back up to London with a win. However, Winchester had other ideas, and again began to start hammering our line. The pressure eventually told, and one of their backs managed to scamper across for the score. The conversion was missed, leaving it 12-18 going into the final ten minutes in what Brian Moore would call "squeaky bum time".

It had been an energy sapping 70 minutes of rugby - not the prettiest, but certainly entertaining for the swelling crowd. For a moment it looked like Pete Byre had broken clear for a 40m trot to the tryline, but the referee stopped play because there was a man down on the deck receiving treatment near where the action was taking place. He didn't seem to have a problem when Winchester were attacking in the same area 2 phases earlier, but them's the breaks. AS luck would have it, we managed to push play further into the Winchester half, and when we were awarded with another penalty Barks made no mistake, extending the lead to a crucial nine points. Winchester now really had to chase the game to claim even a losing bonus point from the encounter, but the OWs were not going to let them have it without a fight. In what seemed like an age of play, time and time again the 15 OW players on the pitch held back the onslaught from the Winchester pack, with Michael Barnard fresh from the bench on hand to make a crucial steal. The defence shown was nothing short of extraordinary. As the clock wound down, the by now agitated home supporters were beginning to realise that this may not have been their day, and once we'd stolen possession and cleared to touch, the whistle blew leaving the final score Winchester 12 - 21 Old Wellingtonians.

It was a phenomenal effort from 1-17, with every man playing his part with commitment, intensity and composure. The pack battled hard all afternoon, particularly in the front row, and Jonny Carey was on song at the lineouts to pick out Nick Dennis and Ed Caesar all afternoon, giving the backs led by Andy Digweed quality ball from which to launch their attacks. As I said, the pitch conditions didn't exactly lend themselves to our style of play, but the collective effort in defence was something incredible, especially when we were down to 14 men for 10 minutes and the game was very much hanging in the balance.

Man Of The Match this week is a tough one to decide. James Dennis and Billy Price both scored good tries, and Barks' boot help establish and extend the lead at crucial times. However, looking at the game as a whole, Sam Martin put in an exceptionally fine performance. Those of you who haven't played in the front row probably won't appreciate how draining scrummaging can be - especially against a larger pack and with a man down for a spell - and to get around the park and continually line up in defence after putting in that amount of work in the tight is something special. So for his all round display, and that incredible hit on the Winchester No.8 this week's Man Of The Match goes goes to Sam Martin.

Well played everyone, a true team effort. This Saturday we face off against top of the table Sandown & Shanklin - the only team to have denied us any league points this season. They may be leading the league but they don't always travel well, and making the journey to face an Old Wellingtonian team on a five game winning streak who are out for revenge will test anyone's mettle. It should be an absolute belter.

Match Report - 14th January 2012: Winchester 12 - 21 Old Wellingtonians 1st XV

Match Report - 14th January 2012: Old Wellingtonians 2nd XV 27 - 10 Farnham

by Matt Hunter

The first game of the year after a lengthy break is always going to be a tough encounter as those players look to shake off the cobwebs and step up to the plate. We looked strong on the team sheet with 18 in by Thursday and after a few last minute drop outs (Yes Ibru, I’m looking at you! – rightly name & shamed after 10 mins pre-KO!!) we were 16 strong.

A late KO having called the ref in from another game in Guildford meant we had time for a reshuffle and to talk through a line out and even a few moves for the Jessicas. Smashing weather for our new look backline chaired by Mr Douglas - bright albeit chilly. Won the toss, chose to play downhill first half. Game on.

Surprisingly from the whistle you would not have guess we had overindulged at the winter break. Much like club rumour surrounding our own Jamie Fick, we came fast and furious. We looked sharp, hungry and up for it. Unfortunately Pricey, making his debut game, heroically (is there another way?) managed to dislodge his shoulder after about 7 minutes into the game and made way for the sizable shape of Dougie Harrison to make his long awaited comeback from injury (sustained while seizing a commendable draw with a brick wall no less). The pace of the first 10 minutes really dictated our mind-set for the rest of the game with Andy Daniel and Doug dishing out some of their own concoction of silky skills sprinkled with a dash of Blunt Force Trauma to continually cross the gain line. This platform formed the base that allowed our backs to orchestrate their own symphony of running rugby with Mark Douglas crossing the white stuff and Andy Daniel following not long afterwards. 10-0.

Jamie was unflappable all afternoon under the kick off, taking every one and setting it up for the team to build from. Yet elsewhere around the park, mistakes started to creep in and we continued to allow the opposition to have a lot, if not all, of their possession in our own half (the majority from Aussie ‘floaters’). If it was not for some epic work at the break down from Christian Thing and the defensive liveliness of Harry Botterill across the park we may have fallen on our own sword. We were lucky to concede only three as shortly after our last try we turned over in our half again but the opposition took heed of our defensive qualities and took the points from a soft penalty. Having been camped on the halfway for about 10/15 minutes a quick turnover allowed space for the unflappable Alex Stott beat his man to lay off to the on-coming Harrison who ran it in against the run of play.

15 -3 HT.

The second half started much the same as the first with us coming out with the jets turned up to 11. Jacko bossed the pack well, giving us a little more control at the breakdown enabling us to create space for Young and Brownrigg to punch holes coming into the line from deep. The Heavies were working hard to get to the breakdown and with Tommy Whitcombe turning over ball in the centre of the park, it allowed Gordon to break through and cross early in the second half putting pressure on Farnham. 20-3. It felt as if they were about to crumble but Farnham rallied well and started to control passages of play themselves, protecting the ball from Badger Botterill. The opposition continued to press and we found ourselves defending our line for some time but it felt we were still in some control of the game yet, not for the first time, Harrison got caught with his hands on someone else’s balls. That will be 10 for Mr H then. The next 15 mins of play became very scrappy with tackle after tackle holding them out, notably Brownrigg, Phil and Geoff (in his fancy orange socks) coming in from his wing at the right time to defuse the overlap. Farnham worked themselves into a good position, drawing in the forwards from a few pick and goes then shipping it wide to score and convert. 20-10.

All OWs from here on in as we lifted as a team and went straight back at them. Douglas pulled the strings, putting us into some great attacking positions and from a line out, a few pick and goes, space opened up for yours truly to score what some have already been talking about as the try of the season by slicing through the opposition and scoring in a fashion even Jerome Simpson would be envious of(-ish). Douglas took the extras.

27-10 FT.

Not for the first week Man of the Match is a tough one to decide with Doug and Andy being up there for giving us great momentum going forward; Jamie playing his best game so far; Jacko ‘s all round control but this week I think it goes to George Hampson. A centre playing second row – he competed in the lineout, was all over the park and even after needing stitches to his eye refused to come off and weaken the defence when we needed him most. Great game lad, more of the same please.

D**k of Day, again, not an easy choice with Doug (second nomination) for his yellow, Mark’s drop goal attempt (bit harsh), Ibru and the no show (almost took it) but in the end there was only one winner. Step forward and take a bow Mr Tommy ‘ The Wrecking ball’ Whitcombe for possibly the worst choice of footwear to enter the clubhouse. Man Uggs, and both different shades of brown. What were you thinking? Great game lad, less of the same please.

Match Report - 14/01/2012: Old Wellingtonians 2nd XV 27 - 10 Farnham

Match Report - 7th January 2012: Old Wellingtonians 31 - 3 Old Freemens

The closing weeks of 2011 saw the OW 1st XV win their final three games of the year, taking 14 league points from a maximum of 15 to position us nicely in the top half of of the table. The first fixture of 2012 was always going to be a test, having only just beaten Old Freemens in the final play of the game way back on a sunny September afternoon at the start of the season. However going into Saturday with an 18-strong squad and a dry, albeit chilly day, with three back to back wins in the tank we had every reason to be confident.

Things started well, with early pressure at the contact area being rewarded with around the OF 10m line. With some marginal assistance from the wind, Alex Barker opened the 2012 account with a nicely struck 3 points from the boot. Eager to get back into the game, the OF pack were showing a great deal of physically and enthusiasm at the breakdown, but unfortunately for them their backs were up a little to fast, and again they were penalised. This time the shot at goal didn't quite have the legs on it, and drifted just wide. Following more sorties into enemy territory we were awarded another penalty that was sent into the right-hand corner for an attacking lineout. Jonny Carey picked out his man beautifully and the pack began a rolling maul - something that has been used to good effect from close range this season. The ball was moved to the rear of pack and back into the hands of JC who had the simplest of groundings from the back of the maul to score our first try. The conversion was unsuccessful, but we had a healthy 8-0 lead after the first quarter of the game.

The majority of the first half was played in OF territory, although there were two clear chances to score that went begging. Elliott Freer made a fantastic break up the left hand touchline, only to spill the ball within inches of the line after being tackled, despite having an unmarked James Dennis screaming for an inside pass. The roles were reversed shortly after, as James went on a similar jaunt towards the OF try-line. He was tackled, and the ball was sitting nicely to be picked up and dotted over the line. The Ruxley Butcher was motoring up in support, but his hands failed him yet again as he couldn't quite scoop up the ball, and the opportunity was gone. Never mind El.

After further attacking pressure from the OWs there was another infringement from the visiting team. This time the referee had had enough, and sent their no.7 to the sin-bin for killing the ball in the red zone. Barks made no mistake with the kick at goal, and spirits were high going into the half time break 11-0 up.

Some jovial banter was had on the sidelines, with many remarking upon the fact the Santa Claus appeared to have brought a sun-bed down the chimney for Sean Starling, and there was a sweepstake on how long Simmo would last before he threw up (he'd had one or two drinks the night before). Anyway, the second half was under way. Not a great deal happened in the first few minutes, but at around the 50 minute mark, Simmo had had enough, and came off for Chris Daly, who made an immediate impact by giving away a penalty for playing the ball in an offside position while floundering on the ground. OFs kicked for territory, and in their subsequent attacking play we had a prop sin-binned for much the same reasons as they lost a man in the first half. So it was a case of "out of the frying pan, into the fire", as Simmo had to come back on, only this time he was playing in the front row. Oh how we laughed on the sidelines. OFs kicked the points from the penalty, and at 11-3 with 14 men, we had to hit back.

And hit back we did. Having gained territory in the OF half, another rolling maul made further inroads allowing Billy Price to make a strong break from the back about 10m out and muscle over for a some try pie. The conversion didn't quite have the angle on it, but given that we were a man down, to come out of that 10 minute period with a net score of +2pts was a testament to the commitment and composure shown by the whole squad on Saturday. Barks added another penalty that stretched our lead to 16-3, and then the backs began to tear holes through the OF defence seemingly at will.

Our third score of the afternoon came from Pete Byre, who really made his presence known in the final quarter. After the ball was sent through the hands on the right hand side, Pete kicked on the afterburners and ran in a great try from just inside the OF 10m line, and the successful conversion brought the scoreline to 26-3. With only a few minutes remaining and a try scoring bonus point to play for, it was time to bring on the super-subs. Rich Gower was to say the least not enthusing about the prospect of coming on, reportedly having complained of a dodgy knee upon waking on Saturday morning, although the fact he was out boozing until 6am had nothing to do with this. In any event, he came on to replace Mark Stringer, who'd had another solid game in the centres. The all important fourth try came through typical OW flare, and it was champagne rugby at it's finest. Nick Kertesz fielded a kick just outside our 22, and with space to run in he set off on a powerful burst, eventually offloading to Pete Byre who went on another scything break, tearing through several OF defenders. The ball went all the way across the pitch and though many pairs of hands, eventually finding Rich Gower on an arcing support line that saw him break clear down the left hand touchline to score with what was probably his second touch of the ball. The conversion was unsuccessful, but that didn't matter at this stage, with the score now a comfortable 31-3.

The final whistle blew shortly afterwards, and another win was securely in the bag, with a bonus point to boot. For all of my cheapshots at everyone in this report, I have to say that everyone played excpetionally well, and it's all just a bit of fun!

Picking a Man of The Match from this encounter is a hard one. Nick Dennis had another great game in the lineout and in the loose, and to a man, we had our opposition well shackled. However, a position that often gets overlooked but is hugely important is scrum-half. From the sidelines we all agreed that Billy Price had as good a game in an OW shirt as any of us could remember, and he made plenty of sniping breaks from behind the pack, marshalled 1-8 very well and capped off a very solid performance with a well taken try. Congratulations Billy, you are this week's Man of The Match.

Next up are Winchester, who we lost to narrowly towards the start of the season. They are always a tough side to beat, especially away, and we'll need to be at the top of our game to get a result down in Hampshire this weekend. However, on the back of four straight wins and looking at the squad I have every confidence that the OW 1st XV can go down there and put in a performance that does the badge justice. Best of luck boys.

Match Report - 07/01/2012: Old Wellingtonians 31 - 3 Old Freemens

Match Report - 17/12/2011: KCS Old Boys 12 - 17 Old Wellingtonians 1st XV

The OWRFC 1st XV entered the final fixture of 2011 on the back of consecutive victories over Andover and Purley John Fisher, and closed out the year with a win over KCS Old Boys, putting to bed some of the demons from the second fixture of the season back in September. The home fixture on September 17th was lost by two points in contestable circumstances, after a KCSOB drop goal that apparently fell a good 3m short was awarded by the referee.

With thoughts of revenge and a solid end to 2011 in mind, the OWs began ferociously and purposefully, only to find the referee very hot on the whistle in the opening stages of the game. Overeagerness at the breakdown saw us penalised many times in first 20 minutes, but KCSOB were unable to convert their chances. Ultimately the first score came from our forwards, with Sean Starling punching over from close range in the corner. Even with the tight angle, Alex Barker was on song with his conversion, giving us a seven point lead.

It was a bitterly cold afternoon, so much so that I had to put one glove on while holding a pint of Guinness, prompting Doug Harrison to call me a pussy. However it was probably more the case that Doug was still wrapped up warm in his beer-coat following his works Christmas party the night before (a 630am finish by all accounts) and didn't feel the cold as much. He was not a well man. Anyway, back to the game. There was a fair amount of attacking intent shown with plenty of hard yards being made by forwards and backs alike, and for their part KCSOB were also showing good endeavour, breaking our line a few times and putting the ball into good places through some smart tactical kicking.

After initially incurring the wrath of the referee with painful regularity, we sharpened our game and cut down the infringements at the breakdown. Despite the modest 7-0 scoreline, we were beginning to take control of the game, with our back row of James Duncan, James Simpson and Nick Kertesz working exceptionally well together - something later remarked upon after the game by the opposition coaches*. As a reward for the hard work being put in across the park, we extended the lead through Andy Digweed, who is becoming more and more of a danger to defences around the opposition 22. He saw a half-gap and cut through to dot down underneath the posts allowing Barks to add the simplest of conversions to make the score 14-0.

However, the home side were not going to just roll over, and KCSOB managed to pull a score back to reduce our lead to just seven points. After a further foray into opposition territory, we ground to a halt in the KCSOB 22, and with nothing really on Billy fed the ball back to Diggers who was sat in the pocket, and coolly sent the ball between the uprights for a drop goal that made the score 17-7 in our favour. This left KCSOB having to chase the game in the last 10 minutes if they wanted to take any points from the encounter. As it happened we were soon awarded a penalty in the opposition 22, that should have been a regulation kick for Barks to extend our lead to 13 points. However, Nick Kertesz had other ideas. In a move that was later described as 'promotion management', he took a tap-and-go and after becoming isolated was pinged for holding on.

Now with possession, KCSOB kicked for territory, and after a breakaway down the right wing they managed to cross in the corner, although the conversion was missed. The score was now 17-12 in our favour, and stayed that way until the final whistle blew, leaving us with a satisfying victory to celebrate in The Armoury in Wandsworth, replete with Christmas Carols and Festive Jumpers.

It was hard to pick a Man Of The Match (mainly because I'm writing this report three weeks after the game and I can't even remember everyone who played), but I think it's fair to give it to the whole back row as a shared accolade. James Duncan has been a valuable addition to OWRFC this season, and has fit in superbly both on and off the field, consistently putting in solid performances. Simmo as always leads from the front with ball in hand, and is never one to shy away from contact while in defence. This was particularly evident when he ended his friend on the KCSOB team inside the first 15 minutes, prompting one spectator to mutter "Merry Christmas" as the hit went in. Kert was his usual self making the yards and picking fights, and as previously stated, there was a very good balance to the back row that day.

Well done boys, a great way to finish 2011.

* coach n. - Sports: A person who trains or directs athletes or athletic teams.

Match Report - 17/12/2011: KCS Old Boys 12 - 17 Old Wellingtonians 1st XV

Match Report - 10/12/2011: Purley John Fisher 0 - 26 Old Wellingtonians 1st XV

The OWs continued their strong form on the back of a bonus point win over league strugglers Andover the previous week to deliver another 4-try display against Purley John Fisher in a game that never really got going. When you only have a squad of 15 players on a cold December day the odds are stacked against you no matter the quality of the opposition.

As it happened, everyone managed to stay standing and our boys managed to muscle out a solid bonus point win. The OW 1st XV enjoyed the rare luxury of getting the rub of the green with a number of refereeing decisions - although this is not to take anything away from the performance put in by 1 to 15. You can only play to the ref, and that is what we did. From the sidelines it looked to be a forward dominated dogfight, despite the backs outscoring the pack three tries to one.

Nick Dennis opened the account after getting on the end of some slick handling that saw a charge down the left wing, and once the scoring pass was made, Nick skirted under the posts to leave Elliott Freer with a regulation conversion. 0-7, and it was a positive start. PJF struggled to maintain possession at the breakdown, and the referee found many a reason to penalise them, although as I have said, you find out the limits early on and them play as close to them as you can - just ask Richie McCaw. In any event, the OWs brought play deep into the PJF 22, but possession was lost at the breakdown. We subsequently infringed trying to reclaim the ball, and the referee played advantage to PJF. The term 'advantage' can be defined in different ways, but I doubt any referee worth his salt would say that losing 7m of territory and then spilling the ball in your own 22 is an advantage. However the chap with the whistle called 'advantage over' and the PJF players seemed to stop, expecting him to blow for their penalty, just as Andy Digweed stalked through like a velociraptor and scooped the ball in one hand to cross the white-wash for our second score about 10m in from the left hand touchline. The partisan home supporters were up in arms, but admitted to me that despite the questionable nature of the refereeing, the try itself was an absolute corker. Conversion missed, the score was now 0-12.

The rest of the half was very much a push-pull affair, with lots of scrummaging on a pitch that looked very heavy underfoot. Lots of whistle, lots of complaining from the frustrated PJF players, and the occasional heated moment saw the first half draw to a close without any further acts of scoring. If memory serves, there may have been a couple of penalty kicks from PJF that hit the uprights, but I can't be sure.

The half-time team talk was upbeat and enthusiastic, with everyone still in one piece and very much enjoying what had so far been a tough encounter. The second half went much the same way as the first, with lots of play in the middle of the park, interspersed with some seemingly random decisions from the referee. From the sidelines it was surprisingly easy to have a certain amount of empathy for the PJF players, with the referee being inconsistent - not overtly biased - although to be fair to us as a club, we've had too many games to count where the boot has been on the other foot.

With good ball being secured by the pack, the backs were given some opportunities to make inroads, and with the likes of Nick Kertesz popping up on the shoulder (when he wasn't scrapping with his opposite man) and good supporting lines being run by Pete Byre, play remained largely in the PJF half. There were moments when they gain territory and put us under some pressure in our 22, but the defence was resolute and not once did they cross for a score. The third OW try came from a trademark Digweed show-and-go, where he spotted a forward standing in the defensive line and made a dart for the line to dot down under the sticks for his second score of the match. Extras added by Elliott Freer and the game seemed no longer in doubt with a healthy 0-19 lead going into the final 10 minutes of the match.

Again, the whistle was the main feature, and the PJF supporters were getting a little peeved, clearly wanting the game to be over so that they could go lick their wounds with a pint. The way the game ended really did make me feel smug as an OWRFC club member. In the final two minutes, one of the aforementioned grumbling PJF supporters made the remark "the ref should just call time now, neither team can get anything else out of this game". "Well, we only need one more try for a bonus point..." was my retort. His counter argument couldn't have been more sweetly timed, as no sooner had he said "Neither team has looked like scoring in the last quarter and you're on your own 10m line" did Diggers slice between two tacklers to set off on an arcing run that found Elliott on a great angle to touchdown for the fourth try that sealed the bonus point win. Elliott converted his own score to make the final score 0-26, with the OWs taking maximum points and denying PJF even a consolation score.

All in all, a workmanlike performance that got the job done as best could be allowed given the underfoot conditions and the stop-start nature of the game. Man of the Match has to go to Andy Digweed for two tries of his own, setting up the all important bonus point try and some deft tactical kicking.

Match Report - 10/12/2011: Purley John Fisher 0 - 26 Old Wellingtonians 1st XV

Match Report - 3/12/2011: Old Wellingtonians 1st XV 48 - 20 Andover

At the hands of the new master, Dr Anthony Seldon, Wellington College is steadily climbing up the league tables in terms of academic results. However, it appears his arrival was just too late to offer any sort of cerebral redemption for some. When new kid James Dennis turned up at 1400, his excuse was that he thought Elliott's email asking everyone to get there 15 minutes earlier than stated in the previous message actually meant you only had to roll up 15 minutes before KO. Anyway, once someone had informed a rather panicked Sean Starling that James had arrived, the OWs were ready to rock.

Things started well with good shape being shown by the boys, and after a short while the rewards were there to be taken. An Andover infringement saw Alex Barker send play deep into enemy territory with a great touch-finder, and it was up to Jonny Carey to hit his man at the lineout. Possession retained, and there was a break from the lineout that went through a couple of phases around the fringes, before Nick Kertesz went on a powerful charge to cross for the first points of the afternoon. Conversion narrowly missed, 5-0. Eager to capitalise on the momentum, we were playing with a great will, but unfortunately not always the clinical edge that would see us blitz any team in this league. However, after another period of sustained pressure the scoreboard kept ticking over after Billy Price scrambled across the line underneath the posts from the base of a ruck. It must be noted that Barks and the half dozen people outside him on the left - including myself and Roy Freer on the touchline - were all screaming for the ball to go through the hands at this point, but thankfully Billy didn't butcher it. Extras added, a healthy 12-0 was established after the first quarter of the game.

So we were two tries to the good, but as much as it pains me to say it, this is typically when the OWs are at their most vulnerable. After a series of scrums that the referee deemed had been illegally wheeled by the home side, we found ourselves deep in our own 22. An infringement at the breakdown gave Andover another penalty from which they ran an old school tap and go move, resulting in their rather sizeable number 3 barrelling over by the posts. Conversion successful, and it was now 12-7. Having seemingly pressed the snooze button and gone to sleep, we woke up again and rallied well. Moments of brilliance and some great offloading saw us camped in the Andover 22, and when a clearance kick was charged down we took possession, sending the ball silkily through the hands to dispatch a thankfully clean-shaven Robbie Thomas into the corner. Touchline conversion missed, the lead was now stretched back to 10 points, with the score at 17-7 shortly before the break. From the resulting restart we managed to cough up possession due to some indecisiveness in our own half. Once again be became the victims of our own endeavour after being penalised for handling in the ruck, and the Andover kicker put his sizeable boot to good use, stroking the place kick through the uprights, closing the gap to seven points. At the half time whistle the score read OWs 17 - 10 Andover.

Some water, oranges and much needed honest words were taken in at half time, yet the opening stages of the second period were nothing short of disastrous for the OWs. We were awarded a scrum on our 22 which was won against the head by the chunky, agricultural Andover pack, and after shipping the ball through the hands their winger touched down near the sticks. The successful conversion levelled the scores at 17-17, but just as soon as we had restarted the game, we found ourselves under our posts again. A penalty for not releasing the tackled player saw Andover take the lead for the first time in match. 17-20 down, and it was time to rally.

From the sidelines it looked like a physical encounter, with hard work being done by the forward pack, notably Ed Caesar and Nick Dennis in the boiler room, in addition to Starling, Carey and Ibru acquitting themselves admirably against a front row that had a considerable amount of bulk on them. From 1-15 the lads tightened things up, and after some good yardage made by the likes of Elliott Freer, Pete Byre and James Duncan, play was back in the Andover 22. A kick to the corner gave us good position, and a rolling maul from the lineout bought the advancing OW backline to within striking range. The move ended in points, as Barker jinked to create a gap, and sliced through to go under the posts. Successful conversion, OWs were now back in front 24-20, having also bagged a bonus point with our fourth try.

Shortly after regaining the lead, injury struck in our back row, with Will Lowden having to leave the field after damaging his shoulder. This was a real shame, as he had been playing well and making a real nuisance of himself at the breakdown. Gordon Young entered the fray, and we were ready to restart play in the Andover half. I'm not quite sure how the next score came about as I was off in the club house getting some ice for our injured man, but I re-emerged to see Sean Starling rollicking down the wing, swatting away the final defender to score in the corner. Despite the conversion being missed, the lead was now extended to 29-20. Having had a taste for the tryline, it was now time for the OWs to really cut loose, and the final quarter was typical attacknig OW rugby. Plenty of hard yards were made through the midfield, with Mark Stringer and Elliott combining nicely to put our back three into some space. Next up the try of the game occurred, and as the referee said to me at the bar afterwards, it was the moment that decided - for him - who the man of the match was. Fielding an aimless Andover kick just inside our own half, James Dennis set off on a jinking run, linking superbly with Pete Byre who made some yards of his own. Pete was snagged and held, but not before offloading to Jonny Carey who, in full-on Schalk Brits mode, burst through into the Andover 22 breaking tackles as he went, then stepped the defending winger to tuck into some try-pie. Barks converted to make it 36-20, but the guys were far from finished.

Despite only having 14 men on the pitch (they had only travelled with 15 and lost one to injury in the first half) Andover still had some juice left in the tank. They threw a lot at the OW wall, but having scored six tries at this point, the lads were finally in the right frame of mind. All attacking advances were met with solid defence, particularly around the fringes by our pack, led from the front by Caesar and Nick Dennis who put in some hefty challenges. Once we had regained possession it was time for our back three to shine, as Pete Byre got on the end of a pass that followed several phases of very smart play from the OWs. The conversion was missed, but the game was now no longer in doubt as the scored rattled up to 41-20. Not content with just scoring, Pete was again in the thick of it as he made a big run through the midfield that eventually saw James Dennis latch onto the final pass to skirt under the posts completing a tidy hat-trick for the back three, leaving a regulation conversion for Barks. Final score 48-20.

While the scoreline may flatter us, we certainly made it harder than it needed to be. When you're playing the team who sit second from bottom of the league and who had to play with 14 men for about 60 minutes, you don't expect to be 17-20 down in the second half. However, don't let that take away from what was a blistering final quarter for the OWs. If the same cool heads and enthusiasm can be shown from the first whistle each game, then the league should be ours to conquer. A solid win to build from as we inch ever closer to Christmas and the infamous Carols at the Alma on December 17th.

Man Of The Match: Despite some difficulties with the lineouts on a windy day, this week's award goes to our hooker - Jonny Carey. Echoing the referee's sentiment about 'that' step on the way to his try, JC's all round game has been a huge asset to OWRFC for the last two seasons. Several bursts into space and some dogged tackling, capped off by a fine try seal the deal for this week's MOTM.

Dick Of The Day: James Dennis. See opening paragraph.

Match Report - 3/12/2011: Old Wellingtonians 1st XV 48 - 20 Andover

Weybridge Vandals 21 - OW's 21

With the Sunshine extending late into October, the OW’s were pleased to welcome back old favourites Jacko and Mossy into the squad and also a happy return from a short break from the one and only Pete Byre.

The opposition, Weybridge Vandals, also returned to the league from a years sabbatical in London South West 2, who despite missing a few familiar faces from years gone by still presented a well-drilled outfit alongside strong touch line support.

A slow and tense start to the game saw Welly take an early lead of 3-0 with a converted penalty from returning Fly-Half Mark Douglas. This was however somewhat soured by the premature departure of key player James “Sunbed” Simpson to an unfortunate groin injury. Unlucky for him, the best the side-line could offer in the form of a physio was the injured Robbo. Simmo politely declined Robbo’s advances.

A swift shuffle of Schneider into the centre and Stringer onto the flank and the boys were as good as new. The forwards began to win some good ball with all front 8 getting around the park in lively fashion with some imposing ball carrying from Kert and Big Sean. James Duncan impressed yet again in both attack and defence and is proving to be a valuable signing this season. This pressure and effort lead to another penalty from Douglas resulting in 6-0 lead.

What came next was an unfortunate turn of fate with the OW’s staying true to the club philosophy and showing willingness to run the ball, attacked from their own try line. Pete Byre injected his usual pace to beat his man, running it up to the half-way line and with great support the momentum was maintained into the oppositions 22 with champagne rugby from the entire 15. Unfortunately Weybridge Vandals were able to quickly stamp out the OW fire, intercepting a pass and running it home from 75 metres out. Conversion made, 7-6. Half Time.

The second half proved to be a looser affair, perhaps due to fatigue, but also as both teams showed eagerness to play running rugby. As a result, possession yo-yoed and defences were stretched. Vandals were first to get off the mark with some shoddy tackling allowing their centre to burst through and score their 2nd try. With the conversion made, score was now 14-6.

A long-range effort from Douglas, despite the side-lines scepticism, got the OWs score line ticking over, 14-9. The pack once again began to assert themselves over their opposing numbers, highlighted by turnovers at the scrum. Special mention must go to James Moss who for the first time ever looked in better state than his opposite man. Jonny “The Power” Carey hit the bulls eye at every lineout allowing the forwards to maximise one of their most effective tools – the rolling maul. From one such lineout, a series of pick and goes led to Sean Starling smashing over the white-wash. Conversion missed: 14-14.

With the scores level and time fading away, defence was crucial and the OW’s held firm for a long period of time with all providing an incredible work-rate especially Nick Dennis. Pressure grew, and after a phase-building passage of play, the Vandals were able to find a gap from close range with their powerful lock diving over to score an important try, which was swiftly converted. 21-14.

With time running out, the OW’s once again summoned their “Never say die” attitude, which proved to be a deciding factor in the end result. Billy Price barking orders to his pack, getting them over the gain-line constantly with Mark Douglas pulling the strings in the back-line putting Elliott Freer into frequent holes. It came down to the forwards again, with some solid rucking and ball presentation, pick and drives managed to set up the chance for hero of the moment – Jonny Carey – to barge his way through and make a long stretch for the line under the posts. Douglas converted under pressure to level the scores at 21-21.

The clock put a stop to both teams’ efforts and the match finished a draw. On reflection a fair result from the days play.

The only thing left to do, is to award the MOM. Special mention must go to Sean and Kert for the continuous ball-carrying and also the supreme effort from Nick Dennis and James Duncan in the loose. However there can only be one winner and Saturdays man is Jonny Carey for his immaculate line-throws, Schalk Brits-esque runs and match-saving try.

Well Done All and have a good weeks rest.

See you at Ruxley Lane next weekend for the visit of Old Blues.

Katz & Barn

OW'S draw against Vandals

On Saturday 24th September the Old Wellingtonians faced off against top of the table opposition Old Freemens at the City of London Freemen's School. It was another beautiful Autumn day, with perfect conditions for some trademark flare rugby from the OWs. However once we kicked off we were immediately our own worst enemies, conceding countless unnecessary penalties, which the Old Freemens' kicker dutifully converted. At several points in the first half periods of sustained pressure saw us come close to scoring, but in the end our overeagerness became our downfall as we ran some adventurous plays when what we really should have done was just work the phases around the breakdown. In any event, our defence was holding firm enough, and we went into half-time trailing 6-0.

After some much needed water and oranges, and some wise words from stand-in skipper Sean Starling, we began the second half galvanised and rejuvenated. The game plan was simple - kick for territory and put pressure on Old Freemens at set piece. Our scrums were solid, but the lineouts were being fiercely contested by the opposition jumpers. OWs were the first to draw blood in the second half, with Sean Starling rampaging over the whitewash after Billy Price at scrum-half bossed the forwards into a more organised set of skirmishes around the fringes. We bled another penalty shortly after this, within the long range of the OF's kicker, but hit back with a superb team try that saw Pete Byre finishing in the corner, making the score 9-12. With our tails up we continued forward, with James 'I should play 12 every week' Simpson staying strong in the contact and muscling over the line to ground the ball successfully. Having scored three tries, typical OW mentality took over and we switched off a little, allowing Old Freemens to counter-ruck and win a turn over, before their backs make it past our scramble defence and cross our line for the first time in the match, taking the score to 16-19. But, with our lead reduced we hit straight back. OF indiscretions at the breakdown allowed us to kick for territory, and after a further infringement at the lineout Will Lowden seized an opportunity by taking a quick tap and darted over for our fourth try and with it a bonus point.

At 16-26 and with 10 minutes to go we should really have put the game to bed, but on a pitch that was in retrospect far to narrow for us to play our normal expansive game, we got isolated too many times and lazy rucking allowed the Old Freemens to claw their way back into the match. An unconverted try saw our lead halved, but with just over 5 minutes to go it was looking like we might eek out a victory by 5 points, as long as we played sensible rugby. Unfortunately on a day when bodies were being drained in the heat, and the energy levels were sapped we missed too many tackles, allowing OFs to cross in the corner to level the scores. With the kick missed, is was 26-26 with only 4 minutes to go.

The hosts threw everything at us but the wall held firm, and when we secured turnover ball in our 22, replacement winger Tom Joyce managed to collect a neat grubber kick through from fly-half Scott Lowden, and was racing down the touchline, only to be dragged down agonisingly short of the tryline by lone covering OF player. We arrived in numbers, yet the OF tackler was not releasing the man on the ground, thus preventing us from playing the ball. The ref duly ping him, and we had a penalty 15m in from the left-hand touchline, 10m out. It was the final play of the game, and up stepped Scott Lowden to take the shot at goal. With great relief we watched the ball sail between the uprights, and the OWs had gotten out of jail.

Final score: Old Freemens 26 - 29 Old Wellingtonians.

Last minute penalty secures Bonus Point win against Old Freemens

Old Wellingtonians 10 - KCS OLD Boys 11

On Saturday the team took on a buoyant KCS team who had notched up a decent win the week before on their league debut. With a much changed side the OW team performed admirably though unfortunately lost in controversial circumstances in the dying minutes of a hard fought, rain affected game.

Within minutes of the kick-off the referee stamped his chubby foot on the match and ensured that he would become the main talking point of the club-house bar in the post-game synopsis. A dodgy kick-off reception by us led to turn over ball and the KCS fly-half attempted an outrageously audacious effort at a drop goal from just inside the Old Wellingtonians half. As expected when the player kicked it, the ball fell short by 3 metres, although the referee with his obviously superior view from the half-way line unilaterally decided that the ball had gone over the bar and the visitors were awarded their first three points.

As all Old Wellingtonian sides do in times of hardship the sons of heroes from Sunny Sunny Crowthorne put this injustice to the back of their minds and returned for a kick-off; which resulted in turn-over ball after a thunderous tackle from one of the boys a KCS backrow. This tackling bythe pack was something KCS would soon become all too familar with as all continued the afternoon in the same fashion and there will undoubtedly be some KCS players nursing some big bruises this week. From the turnover we placed some decent amount of pressure on oppo which resulted in a penalty from Barker and the scores were soon tied at 3 a piece.

At this stage the rain set-in and in monsoon like weather the arm wrestle began. In past times Wellington teams have not been ideally matched to such conditions though on this day players one to fifteen stood tall and rose to the occasion. A lot of territorial pushing and shoving characterised the remainder of the first half and unfortunately we went into the break 8-3 down with KCS making the most of a decent catch and drive move from inside the OWs 22.

The half-time talk was not one of panic and with level-heads we returned to the game with a set game plan and began to dominate proceedings. Mark Douglas controlled the game from fly-half very well and kept KCS in their half. On one such occasion a precisely angled Gary Owen sent up by Mark resulted in a spilled catch by the opposition fullback and the OWS were rewarded with a prolonged period of encampment in the KCS twenty two. This eventually resulted in a scrum infront of the opposition sticks about 10 metres from their line.

With the backs itching to unleash what would have been a piercing move the ball unfortunately flew out of the back of the scrum and all plans were thrown out of the window. It was at this point an Orange coloured man by the name of Simpson scooped up the bouncing ball and set-off on a key run that saw him beat three defenders before setting up a ruck 5 metres short of the KCS line. Some slick passing from the break down saw the ball end with Kertesz who down danced his way past two defenders and eventually beat the on rushing full-back to the line. With a successful Kick the score now stood at 10 - 8 and the work of protecting the lead now began.

With a little less than half an hour left in the game we continued to try and turn the screw and despite a complete dominance of possession, territory and some very brave defence from both backs and forwards we could not land the killer-blow, which ultimately meant KCS remained within touching distance. The conditions by this point were abysmal and although a few try scoring opportunities were made the final pass was too often misjudged and the soap-like ball became a major hindrance.
With three minutes left and having been camped in the KCS half for most of the second period a questionable penalty was conceded. The KCS fly half kicked a long ball for touch and now we knew we would have to defend for the closing period. Still KCS could find no way through a wall like defence, as during the rest of the game, our players continued to repel any advances over the gain-line and the end was now firmly in sight. It was at this point the second heartbreaking moment of the game arrived. KCS had been driven back from within metres of our line and were now left to try and play from outside the twenty two metre zone. A huge hit and some superb rucking by our forwards saw the ball come back our way, though unfortunately the referee judged that a hand was used in a ruck and an easy penaly was awarded and scored. With little time left in the match the game was up and although a moral victory was achieved the scoreboard said 11-10 and the OWS were left waiting for a very winnable rematch later in the season.

OW 1XV vs KCS Old Boys

Old Wellingtonians 49 - Alton 5
Saturday 10th September 2011

The first game of any season is a momentous occasion and I will try and do it justice. There was clearly excitement in the air and it was nice to see that i wasn't the only one that had been waiting impatiently for this since April. We had a few new faces and some old hands back on deck, the Lowdens looked good in the OW kit and Mark Douglas is now all man. We even had Sam Martin with us looking gloriously fresh.

We started brilliantly, playing a simple and sometimes brutal style of rugby. The pack was magnificent setting up a platform for Diggers to play really flat and invite runners into the holes he was creating. We scored a procession of great tries - it goes to show if we hold onto the ball and ruck well, nobody can live with all of the strike runners we have. Elliot also obliged by not giving me the ball in a try scoring situation, probably not for the last time this year. Did anyone else think Els looked dashing with his beard?

We lost our way a little bit and as always it was due to everyone waiting for the ball to come to them without enough people committing to winning it. However, we still made plenty of incisions through Carey, Douglas, Simpson et al and our defence was solid with Barny and Lowden everywhere. The new streamlined Billy marshalled proceedings very well, please all make sure you compliment him on his liberal use of promax in the offseason.

Even though the intensity dropped in the second half, we scored some sensational individual tries. Gower's long range effort was a peach and Diggers finished his try really well . Barks squeezed in the corner after finally backing himself and taking Alton on. One sour note, Simmo kept cutting inside went it was on my side, hopefully he'll learn his lesson soon.

Robbie was clearly ecstatic about the prospect of naked male flesh once again and played with energy and brains when he came on, Scotty looked dangerous from the base every time he touched the ball and the wrecking ball Stringer was attracting multiple defenders and still kept going forward - what a beast . However, my favourite part of the day was when the venerable Eddy C got angry and smashed into rucks constantly for what felt like ages. He and Nick were imperious in the lineout and were defintely the main reason we managed to keep our shape.

MOM - this week it was a tough decision. Gower scored some wicked tries. Caesar and Sean were dominant in a dominant pack and Lowden was everywhere. However, Diggers controlled the game brilliantly and injected plenty of flair into everything.

Old Wellingtonians 49 - Alton 5 - Saturday 10th September 2011

Old Wellingtonians 34 - Fordingbridge 14
Saturday, 31 January 2010

Did anyone else notice that the referee turned up in Fordingbridge kit? As I saw the match official perform a few light stretches decked head-to-toe in New Forest Powder Blue, my mind was cast back to an unpleasant episode in OWRFC history. Who can forget turning up to play London South Africa in our
2008 league decider, only to be greeted by a South African ref with a Tom Selleck moustache and the thickest Durban accent you've ever heard, discussing with their players the merits of Castle Lager and a good braii?

I needn't have worried. The ref was strong, the pitch in good nick, the weather fine. What's more, we had 18 lads ready to do the business - an infrequent luxury. The stage was set for a classic Old Wellingtonian performance. And so it came to pass. We were seven points down before we'd touched the ball, or attempted to make a tackle, or even, if we're honest, turned our thoughts to the prospect of playing a game of rugby.

But then, in traditional O Dub style, we turned on the fireworks. Brownie, playing with insouciance at 10, kept finding Gauley on some electric angles.
It should be noted at this point that Gauley is starting to bear an uncanny resemblance to the Right Said Fred singer, and gay rights activist, Richard Fairbrass. His "Deeply Dippy" matchup against Fordingbridge's dreadlocked Mick Hucknall lookalike was a thrill for those on the sidelines.

As I was saying, with Browneye and Gauley beginning to fizz, we began to switch on the heat. The pack rumbled ominously, responding to a lively performance by Jacko at 9. We hit our jumpers in the lineout with regularity, and Barnie, our very own Scrappy-Do at 7, continued to prove himself a nuisance at the breakdown. Dougie, Horse, Starling, Dennis and Kert all barrelled forwards at every opportunity.

Heroically, our front row also held their own. When we played down there earlier in the season, James Moss was a late call-up at prop, and was, by his own admission, murdered. On Saturday, with ample support from Sean Starling and Robochat, we took them on up front. Mossy hit straight and hard, and continued his good work from last week at Ellingham and Ringwood - Horse declared him "a pleasure to push behind". Rare praise indeed.

We had soon hit back through a penalty, and then a try by Jacko following a Freer break and a hack on. The try was unconverted, but the force was strong with us. Even with Pete "Pinball Wizard" Byre having a bit of a shocker with his hands in the first half ("he couldn't catch a cold," as the late, great Bill MacLaren might have said), we were well on top.

Half time. Oranges. Wise words. And then we cut loose. Elliot, Robbie Thomas and Pete B started to find huge gaps and ineffective tackling out wide. With Pete's magnetic repulsion of the tryline, it was always going to be a case of supporting his mazy running, and Gauley did just that by scoring the first try of the second half. Too sexy!

Our subs all made a good contribution. Harty smashed it up, Crispy Thing kept up the good work in the front row, and Wilmo was, as ever, a bundle of energy and a pain in the arse to tackle. It makes a huge difference, particularly to a team who does not train, to have 18 good players in the squad.

The tries kept coming. Elliot scored two on the day, and narrowly missed out on a third when the ref adjudged his elaborate triple sulko routine by their posts to have been a "double movement". Dougie scored one late on by running, slowly, on a wide angle, and using his ample paws to repel defenders - it is fast becoming his trademark move. But the team performance was summed up by a late, ferocious run by Sean Starling, who jinked, battered, and rolled his way through about 8 of their players.

A great win, let's keep the momentum up against Midwives - who, as we all know, do not respond well to serious pressure. It was a real team effort, and Man of the Match is a tough call. Kert was outstanding at the breakdown, winning balls he had no right to win. Gauley took the ball over the gainline at every opportunity. But MOM this week goes to Elliot, who has re-found his try-scoring touch, and provided the cutting edge we needed.

Old Wellingtonians 34 v Fordingbridge 14

Andover 22 - Old Wellingtonians 17
12 December 2009

If London South West Three is Afghanistan - and I think we can all agree that dealing with the RFU authorities is uncannily similar to doing business with Hamid Karzai's kleptocratic regime - then the Old Wellingtonians are surely the Taliban. Dressed in irregular kit, commanded by a diffuse array of leaders, and very, very difficult to beat at home (just ask the Russians/London South Africa) we have enjoyed significant advances and suffered some humiliating reverses this season. Like the Taliban, we lack heavy artillery but have a good supply of guerrilla fighters. And, like the Taliban, we only employ curvy, blonde physiotherapists who like to get semi-naked and neck Bulmers on the Taliban tour bus. End of metaphor.

Andover. Big pitch, agricultural opposition, tough encounter. We were all over them for 25 minutes of the first half, during which Elliot Freer scored one long-range effort and Crispy Thing scored another not-quite-so-long-range effort after a rolling maul. We looked like a professional outfit - our rucking was good, our lineouts were immaculate (for which we thank Newse, Horse, Robbo, and the slow-wittedness of Andover's front five), and we were quick to pounce on mistakes. Simmo and Barney were characteristically fiery over and on the ball, while Steve B, Robbie T and Pete Byre were cutting swathes through Andover's lukewarm defence. After the match a spectator said our own PB was "like an electric eel", a description not successfully employed in a rugby context since Bill MacLaren got wood over Simon Geohogan in the mid-1990s.

In truth, with Blackwell and Burgess running the show, and AJ cutting some mean lines inside, we should have scored five times in the first quarter.
Instead, we preferred to throw forward passes, not back our pace, or knock the ball on when in sight of the line. Our profligacy would come back to haunt us.

Still, good start. It was only when Robbo was sin-binned on 29 minutes (for falling over in his 22) that the balance of power shifted. Our scrum, already under the cosh, started to reverse faster than Tiger Woods'
sponsors. Two or three scrums later, Andover had been awarded a penalty try.
The men in red had their peckers up, which they celebrated by giving Newse a black eye. We were looking down the barrel of a 12-7 half-time scoreline that did not reflect the balance of play, and turning to run up a hill that Horse ensured us was "worth 20 points".

Second half, we started missing some tackles, still couldn't win a scrum or deliver a scoring pass, and watched as their scrum-half - who, in fairness, had a good game - ran in a couple. 22-12 with ten minutes to go. Still, we believed. With 15 to go, on came Dougie, our very own Osama Bin Laden (I know I said I'd stop, but the parallels are too good to miss), a man who has grown accustomed to delivering rousing tirades from his cave in South Waziristan/SW15, but whose taste for hand-to-hand combat is obviously undimmed.
With five minutes to go, Burgess made a blinding break up the near-side, but again the killer pass eluded us. When Stevey B made a similar break three minutes later, he finally delivered the pass to break Andover's defence, and Osama bin Dougie romped over, carrying two members of the opposition on his considerable back. Conversion made. Whistle blown. Final score 22-17.

A deeply disappointing result, but we're not far away lads. If we convert scores when we're on top, and defend with more vigour for the full 80, we'll put 40 on these mugs next time. We have Old Mid-Whitgiftians next week, who have a bulky pack that needs to be stopped early and often. Huge game, performance needed. The spirit is immense this season - let's convert that into a big pre-Christmas win.

Simmo was very close to MOM this week . But the winner, by a (very) short neck is Pete Byre. He will receive 77 virgins in heaven.

Andover 22 v Old Wellingtonians 17

Old Wellingtonians 21 - Camberley 34

After 2 weeks off from any action and the memory of the Gosport gales still fresh in the mind it was a pleasant return to a sunny Ruxley lane that awaited us early Saturday afternoon.

We won the toss and decided to have a crack up the slope. Our visitors Camberley who have been sitting down the bottom of the table came out of the blocks firing and there was no doubt they were intent on getting out of there. Their prop-like 10 had a healthy boot on him and used the slight crosswind and the slope to pin us in the corner. Brownrigg who was hoping to ease into the game with his tight hamstring was sent back time after time to deal with tricky balls. Eventually, he was forced to nudge one out on our 5 meter line and Cam were able to used their considerable bulk and roll the maul over the line. Converted (0 – 7).

This tactic was then repeated but with our pack hitting them back bravely through Caeser, Simpson and Gower they decided to spin it wide and with a set move went through a couple of arm tackles and straight under the posts (0 – 14). This lead was emphasised further when we tried to do too much on the back foot at the break down under the nose of the referee and the subsequent penalty was knocked over (0 – 17).

It was now clear more than ever that we were going to have to fight hammer and tong to get back into the match and our reaction could not be faulted. Their long kicks were getting fielded well and returned with interest by the back 3 Thomas, Byre and Brownrigg who’s positioning, running and kicking was superb all day. We managed to get some much needed phases together with Starling and Gaule hitting in up, Jackson poaching around the fringes, Simpson, Gower and Barnard rucking hard, picking holes in the defence and Digweed spinning it out when necessary and taking it on with his infamous steel hand bear paw when not. Eventually Simpson was the man to break through the tired defence and power over the line in some true champagne rugby style; a great 15 man try (7 - 17).

After this the whole side grew with confidence, we spent a decent spell in their half and when they had ball in hand attack they never looked like breaking through. Eventually one of their men got isolated and Michael “koala” Barnard did what he does best and wrapped himself around man and ball, got to his feet quickly and forced the pen. The attempt sailed just the wrong side of the left hand upright (7 – 17). Then just before half time we lost the impressive Jackson to a jarred knee and therefore Gaule moved to 9 and after a long time away from us AJ made his return at 12. Half time called and with a lot to take from the first half everyone was hungry to get going.

Digweed floated up another high one off the kick off and Simpson thumped man and ball back down the pitch. Cam though managed to withstand the defence and scrambled another big kick up the line. The ball rolled rapidly and just as Thomas and Brownrigg came to meet it, a sudden change of direction infield fooled them both and fell into grateful winger’s hands who trotted over for the score under the posts (7 – 24). Bad luck but this did not upset the keenness to get back into the match and we hammered back into the Cam defence. Gaule and Digweed pinned Cam back into their corners and when their retaliating kicks were thumped down Thomas’s throat he managed to hoist up a Gary Owen and drive the opposing Full back towards his own line, whilst poaching the ball. The forwards hit up in their monstrous fashion and with a beautiful inside ball from Digweed, twinkle toes Staling flew in under the posts. (14 – 24)

From this the pack continued to build momentum, the scrum improving and the line out lead by Newsome and Caeser secured Robbo’s throws and disrupted the Cam ball. A break by the backs and a delicate chip over the full back by Thomas nearly put Byre in under the posts only for an unfortunate bounce to take it back over their heads to the chasing Cam. They scrambled a clearance and although Cads got back well Cam chase and momentum forced a Penalty (14 – 27). A fortunate escape for Camberley and one that could have turned the tables if it had gone the other way. Simpson then had to depart the field due to 2 calf strains but had a storming return to the side. The ever utility AJ came on in the front row, Byre moved to 12 and Cadwallader made a return to the wing after only 2 weeks of rest from a torn AC! Cam kept using the same formula of their big pack and their 10s boot and we were only able to attack from deep. Our pack looked to be getting stronger as theirs tired however on one scrum the ball popped out and Cam managed a quick flick to their charging 10 who just evaded the sporadic cover. More frustration as he popped over the conversion (14 – 34).

With the ball in our hands we always looked dangerous and when we managed to get some phases together….Gaule darting, Starling and Caeser smashing it up, AJ and Byre making some good ground, Brownrigg and Cadwallader penetrating from the flanks, eventually the ball was fired quickly wide and Thomas showed some quick hands to put Freer in the corner (21 – 34 Final Score).

We didn't so much as lose, we just ran out of time. As the final whistle went we were the team still wanting to play. That’s not to fault the effort that went in, it was simply frustrating to be on the wrong end of a result when we all felt we had a lot more to give. Let’s start how we finish and hope the luck of the bounce goes our way next time. You make your own luck, fortune favours the brave.

Special mention this week must go to the men fighting back from injuries: Simpson had a stormer and showed how dynamic he can be in attack and solid in defence, and Cadwallader, Gaule, AJ and Brownrigg all putting in good performances in despite not being 100%. Other mentions to Thomas covered a lot of ground at 15, always collected the many many kicks and was always able to beat a few men on the counter with the infamous Spencer step. Ed Caser was very close to getting MOM with a tackle count of a young Serge Betson and always first to want to take it on. However, this weeks MOM goes to Sean Starling who was everywhere, as mentioned doing his job with some hard hits in the loose and in the scrum and then when he found himself receiving a long kick he has the ability to be able to put on the gas step his man, chip over the top with the outside of his boot and chase down any counter, considering he also went over the whitewash not bad for a prop!

Old Wellingtonians 21 v Camberley 34

Old Mids 20 - Old Wellingtonians 28

After the joys of the week before having 2 teams overflowing with talent and players we unfortunately took a step back last week when a wealth of player were either injured or away. However with some late call ups and some new blood coming into the side we managed to have 16 players at the ground with a cool 10 minutes to go. It was left to newcomer and centre Richard Gower to fill the 6 shirt and Will Looker fresh from an overnight flight in economy from the States to park himself on the bench.

Sadly, despite some energetic defending we got off to the worst possible start conceding 2 early tries through some early season holes in the middle of the park. After this frustration all of the guys kept positive and their heads high and after Digweed sent the restart high into the bright sky our hungry and mobile pack, epitamised by Kertesz, Gower and Caeser in the back row put the pressure on, hit hard around the fringes and turned over ball. Eventually this led to a penalty in front of the sticks but a distance back which Douglas sent just wide.

The confidence was growing though and the pressure on Old Mids to produce something against a solid wall of defence mounted and eventually after another hard hit the ball was spilled. The ball was then scooped up and with no one at home optimistically hoofed forward for Robby Thomas to pin his ears back. The luck of the bounce was not there but after chipping it further forward and being sensible enough not to go for the slide on the rock solid ground he managed to stretch out and get our first points on the board. So 10-7 and the Old Mids kept pushing us, with some predicable pick and goes and using there bigger men in the inside channels. Douglas and Digweed stayed strong in the 10/12 channel as did the forwards, and on a hot day it was impressive to see the front row of Sean Starling, Valentine and Robbo haring around the pitch making tackles and competing viciously at the breakdown.

Starling, one of the new boys to the OW’s made a big difference in the front row adding his considerable bulk and power to sure up the scrum and give the team a solid platform. It was only matter of time before some ball in hand came and after a decent scrum and some broken play the ball came out to Brownrigg deep into our own half and seeing plenty of space outside of him beat the outside man and tore towards the full back. Deciding not to risk the solo effort he shipped a perfectly timed inside ball to Freer who then put away Caeser showing great pace to finish it off. Try converted and then shortly after the kick off after some scrappy play Digweed opted to not wait for any collection of phases and decided to head straight for the Old Mids pack and then handing off all but one of them and then glide straight through under the posts 21 – 10 and half time.

After half time the referee decided that he was bored of adjudicating fairly and made a conscious effort to penalise us at will. Some bizarre calls and some even stranger explanations made it tough work but with ball in hand we always looked dangerous. This was proved when with simple running lines and quick hands down the line Newsome found himself in acres of space with 30 yards to go. He was being chased down by a couple of the Old Mid’s backs but he didn’t panic. Instead of passing to his hungry support on his inside shoulder perhaps thoughts of the ’97 lion tour to South Africa must have come flooding through his head as he pulled off a Matt Dawson over the head dummy fooling the chasing opposition and allowing him to run in over the line. Johnny Douglas slotted the conversion to give us some real breathing space.

However, with the ref like he was and the Old Mids desperate to do something in front of the increasingly aggravated home crowd they threw everything at us. The forwards again tackled hard time after time and tried to steal precious ball, but after conceding a few penalties one was easily in range and our lead began to be slightly eroded. By this stage they were starting to fling it around a bit and the tackling became more desperate the full width of the pitch, the back 3 of Byre, Brownrigg and Thomas positioned themselves well and staved of waves of attack. Johnny Douglas and Digweed were kept solid in the 10/12 channel which for 2 out and out fly halves of the more slender build took a lot of determination. Eventually though camped in our 5 metre line a line out nipped over the top and their 12 came into a gap at full tilt to give his team some more hope.

Looker came on to replace the excellent Chris Crawford in the second row and add some fresh legs to the pack. But, it was more of the same for the last 15 mins and with Pete Byre getting 10 in the bin for what was mainly tackling to aggressively it was time to baton down the hatches. This was done particularly well because of the heat, the fast, hard nature of the ground and the fact that we had been defending for a very large part of the match. The final whistle was a welcome one and we celebrated a victory of 28-20 away from home against a potentially dangerous team.

Everyone on that pitch made a tremendous effort to get that victory this early in the season when we are not quite at our best. Special mention must go to the 2 news boys Gower and Starling who added some much needed energy and strength in all areas of the pitch. Ed Caeser, Pete Byre and Nick Kertesz were again solid and tackled bravely. However, MOM this week goes to Digweed who scored a great solo try, tackled way above his weight and even had a dabble at counter rucking and stealing ball.

Next week we are home against the Isle of Wight people and the 2s are away (only to Wandsworth though). Please make yourselves available and we can try and keep this unbeaten start rolling!

Old Mids 20 v Old Wellingtonians 28