Tunbridge Wells’ trip to Chiswick was, perhaps, something of a case of “after the Lord Mayor’s Show” following England’s thrilling World Cup semi-final win that morning, but for the players involved this was an important game in it own right. CS Rugby have had a topsy-turvy season beating the likes of Hertford but also losing what would be perceived as easier games. They also needed to bounce back from an a 71-22 thumping last time out in Guernsey. Wells, on the other hand, were looking to build on the hard-fought win over London Irish Wild Geese that ended a run of three defeats.

Wells made one alteration in the backs with George Montgomery starting at centre which saw skipper Ryan Taylor-Dennehy revert to his customary full back role and Ollie Allman move to the bench. In the forwards, new Kiwi signings Tui Tauaika and Agy Eukaliti started at prop and lock respectively after robust debuts from the bench last week. In addition, there was a 1st XV debut for Skinners School and Heathfield product James Pancaldi at flanker after some strong efforts in the Seconds, emphasising the squad approach that is being built. The ever-reliable Ben Whale moved back into the boiler room.

Unsurprisingly, ground conditions were damp and the weather did its best to hamper any constructive play as it got progressively wetter as the afternoon went on. The men from Kent started positively playing into the wind and after good approach play to the left, a switch back to the right was to earn a penalty shot which Frank Reynolds converted on 4 minutes. 0-3.

Wells were awarded a scrum penalty but sadly this was not a sign of things to come as the set-piece again came under pressure and faltered – in the first half anyway. The visitors were playing well ball in hand but perhaps could have taken a more pragmatic approach and kicked a little more for territory given the conditions. The Stags were certainly happier to put boot to ball and this enabled them to have a sustained period of play in the Wells 22 on the quarter of an hour mark. When the Wells scrum collapsed the home team looked to take advantage by opting for their own attacking scrum and from this they opened their account when their centre crossed for a try that their outside half converted. 7-3.

When Taylor-Dennehy was taken out after kicking the ball forward, Wells had a penalty kick 22 metres out that Reynolds will have been disappointed to miss. However, this was not to be crucial as the Wells forwards took control of the ball on 23 minutes and Whale forced his way over after a superb series of pick and drives. Reynolds slotted the conversion to make the lead 7-10.

The team from St Marks were enjoying a dominant spell with Tauaika and Pancaldi prominent. Whale has been a yeoman ball carrier since the campaign started and another great drive put Wells on the front foot. Showing great vision Montgomery spotted Richard Webster out wide and (in an echo of their under 15 season together) he struck a sweet diagonal kick that the in-form winger gathered before diving in for the try. The tough conversion was missed but this made it 7-15 on 28 minutes. 

Stags narrowed the lead almost immediately with a penalty but then Wells struck back after a powerful Tauaika surge saw the home team penalised in front of the posts and Reynolds made it 10-18 on 32 minutes.

With Montgomery, Whale and Nick Doherty carrying well the visitors looked the more likely team to score again as half-time approached. However, Stags kicked into the Wells 22 when the visitors conceded another scrum penalty. From the line-out they seemed powerless to stop a fine Stags rolling maul which went 20 metres to score out wide. An excellent touchline conversion made it 17-18 at half time.

As the second half started hopes will have been high that Wells would be able to put the game to bed. They now had the wind advantage and had looked the better side in the first 40 minutes, but there was a need for more precision (admittedly difficult in the conditions), a more secure set-piece (although there had been more positive signs in the line-out) and a more astute kicking game for territory. 

If it was more energy that Head Coach Simon Whatling had asked for in the interval then he certainly got it. Excellent approach play put Wells just 5 metres out only for a knock on to spoil the good work. As the rain got heavier so, disconcertingly, did the penalty count against the visitors. Back-chat and another scrum infringement gave the momentum to Stags and it took a sustained period of robust defence to force a knock-on and alleviate the pressure on their line.

It was a time for experience now as Croall (who was to make a major difference in the scrum) replaced Wiecaszek and Allman took over from Webster. On 58 minutes Reynolds slotted a third penalty goal after Stags were caught offside but at just 17-21 the game was still up for grabs.

Indeed, it was the home side that now seemed to have taken the game by the scruff of the neck. Wells were themselves caught offside on halfway and from the attacking line-out Wells were penalised again and to make matters worse Whale was shown a yellow card. Sensing this was the time to strike Stags opted for a scrum and were able to cross with ease for a converted try that took them into the lead at 24-21 on 65 minutes.

This Wells side is nothing if not tenacious though and, although they were a man down, they now seized a grip of the game that was to see them home for  the win. Despite being the man short in their forwards (and Montgomery playing as a makeshift flanker!) the visitors earned a hugely significant scrum penalty. Would they opt for the easy three points on offer to tie the scores or, sensing a momentum shift, would skipper Taylor-Dennehy roll the dice and take the braver option of another scrum despite being short-handed? A scrum it was and when Stags were penalised again it was they who now lost a player to the sin bin. This time another scrum was a less controversial option and when Mike Doherty crashed through under the posts for the try the decision was fully vindicated. Reynolds had supported Doherty, and the outside half now added the extra two so with 5 minutes plus injury time to play it was 24-28.

Luke Hawkins was on for Tauaika (with ever dependable Stuart Nicholls moving to prop), and Whale also now returned from his spell on the naughty step. The question was could Wells now close the game out and the answer was definitively “yes”. Stags were penalised for killing the ball and Reynolds struck a booming penalty from the halfway line on 78 minutes before taking advantage of an easier opportunity two minutes into injury time to kick his fifth three-pointer. This put the win beyond doubt at 24-34.

No bonus point this week then but that should certainly not take the gloss off another praiseworthy away win for Tunbridge Wells. Make no mistake, this is a game that Wells could have lost and indiscipline needs to be worked on. The conditions also made their standard ball-in-hand based game plan a difficult one to execute as both the ball and ground were slippery. There might, therefore have been an argument for not being so dogmatic and putting boot to ball more often but that’s easy to say from the sidelines and this was still another strong performance where they had to dig deep. Reynolds had a pleasing 19 point haul to reflect on; Whale, Montgomery, both Doherty brothers and Allman showed aggression and intelligence at crucial moments, whilst Croall’s technical excellence at the scrum was a defining contribution. 

The Rugby World Cup Final always meant this would be a rest week coming up and the players can look to recover and recuperate ahead of the first fiercely anticipated “A21 Derby” of the season as Wells host Sevenoaks at St Marks on 9th November. Kick off is at 2.30 and a large crowd is expected.

Squad:  Ryan Taylor-Dennehy (Capt); Richard Webster (Ollie Allman),Mike Doherty, George Montgomery, Max Hobbs; Frank Reynolds, Eddie Croft; Tui Tauaika (Luke Hawkins), Stuart Nicholls, Kamil Wiecaszek (Aston Croall), Agy Eukaliti, Ben Whale, Chris Brown, James Pancaldi, Nick Doherty.

Elsewhere in the League

Wimbledon and Rochford Hundred both secured bonus point wins at home – against Guildford (52-7) and London Irish Wild Geese (26-0). They now sit on 39 and 37 points respectively and have stretched the gap back to Guernsey in third on 33 who again left a try bonus-point behind in a hard-fought 10-17 win up the road in a” mud-bath” (Guernsey’s words) at Sevenoaks. This provides a reminder (not that we needed it!) that the Oaks will be tough nut to crack in a fortnight. Sidcup are now fourth on 25 points after beating Dorking 23-11, and we sit fifth on 23, ahead of Dorking and Hertford on 21. The last-named earned local bragging rights in their always fiercely-contested ‘Derby’ game at Tring with a 9-14 win. Sevenoaks are 8th on 19 before a 5 point gap exists to Bedford Athletic (20-10 victors over bottom-placed Brighton) and Tring on 14. CS Stags are 11th on 11 points, followed by London Irish (10), Guildford (7) and Brighton on 4.

Graham Withers

This Saturday 19th October we have: 

1^st XV – Home to London Irish Wild Geese

2^nd XV – No game

3^rd XV – Home to Cliffe 2s

All 3pm Kickoffs 

Last weekend’s results:

Rochford Hundred 24 Tunbridge Wells 9

Tunbridge Wells 2s 10 Old Elthamian Dev Squad 5

Read Graham’s match reports here

Lunch this week is almost  a sell out but Kathy Skinner has a couple of spaces. If you would like to go to lunch please let her know.  First come, first served.

We had a fantastically successful mini festival at the club on Sunday so thank you to all those involved and especially to our sponsors NFU Mutual

The clubhouse will be open early Saturday for the England v Australia RWC Quarter Final.  More details to follow….

#oneTWRFC

Tunbridge Wells travelled to Essex to face Rochford Hundred for the first time. Having won their first three league games they were hoping to get their league campaign back on track after defeats to Hertford and Guernsey but the portents were ominous given that the home side had not lost since April 2017. Indeed, they had enjoyed a remarkable 53 successive bonus point wins since then encompassing two promotions and five straight wins this season.

The Wells team featured just one change from the side that had battled so manfully in Guernsey with Charley Smith coming into the second row after some excellent performances in the Second XV. This saw Ben Whale move to flanker and Chris Brown on the bench (but, as it was, for not too long). They also came face-to-face with a familiar face with the club’s popular former lock Jake Mills making his debut for Rochford.

The game was played in continual drizzle throughout which very much dictated the style of the game, and was to suit the powerful, forward-orientated, approach adopted by the home side. Having first use of the significant slope it took Rochford just 4 minutes to open the scoring as a series of phases led to prop (and skipper) Aston Bevans-Royston scoring a try that was converted by outside half Cameron Greenhall. 7-0.

What was pleasing was how the team from St Marks responded to this disappointing opening. From the re-start they forced the home side into touch 5 metres out. However, whilst the ball was secured at the attacking line-out the forwards could not force their way over and were penalised for holding on. The respite was temporary, though, as a good catch and mark by Ollie Allman then saw his long kick dropped by a defender leading to a scrum 30 metres out. When Rochford were penalised, Frank Reynolds put Wells on the board with a penalty goal to make it 7-3 after 9 minutes.

Brown entered the fray on 15 minutes to replace the influential Mike Hathaway after he succumbed to an injury. The flanker was to do a good job in the back row, and although Whale now moved forward into the boiler room the Kiwi was as prominent as ever in producing another robust performance. 

Rochford returned to their persistent “pick and go” game down the hill, recycling well and despite Wells’ best efforts home flanker Harry Hudson crossed for their second try on 18 minutes, again converted by Greenhall. 14-3.

George Montgomery now made the first of two appearances as an interim scrum half whist Eddie Croft received treatment for a blood injury. The Wells scrummage has been the subject of much scrutiny in the past few weeks but was noticeably more solid in the first half and it needed to be. The home side have an effective and efficient pack of forwards and their back row ranks as the best the Kent team have encountered thus far this season.

However, Wells were very much in the game. Max Hobbs made a break that was halted by good defence. Aided by a string of penalties awarded against the home side, the visitors spent a sustained period of possession around the Rochford 22 metre line. Playing up the hill Wells were deploying a sensible kicking game to pin the hosts back and build pressure. The key when coming up against the league’s strongest teams (and make no mistake this Rochford side will certainly be one of these) is to turn such pressure into points. Although Reynolds missed one shot at goal that will have disappointed him, he slotted a second kick on 36 minutes and half-time was reached with the score 14-6.

The first period had witnessed a good performance from Wells and with the potential tactical advantage of the slope for the second 40 minutes there were understandable grounds for optimism, despite the quality of the opposition. However, it was Rochford who started the half on the front foot and the visitors were forced to soak up lots of pressure, and soak it up they did. Allman was having a particularly sound game with his defensive positioning and kicking and eventually Wells were able to clear their lines and get back on the front foot. Luke Hawkins replaced Stuart Nicholls at hooker. On 59 minutes another penalty was earned which Reynolds slotted to really put the proverbial cat amongst the pigeons. 14-9.

However, this simply spurred the home side back into action and after a flowing attack a fine cross-field kick was gathered by wing Danny Cleare to score a try out wide on the left. The conversion was missed but it was now 19-9 on 63 minutes.

Wells bounced back though. Nick Doherty and Whale combined to almost release Richard Webster, but this was not the only line break in the game that was thwarted by good home tackling where in other games a try might well have been scored. As time ticked down Rochford seemingly took a leaf out the Wells play-book. They kept the visitors pinned back in their 22 metre area as they went in search for a fourth ‘bonus-point’ try to maintain their remarkable winning run, and they looked to have secured this only for the ball to be spilt over the line. However, the men in black then pushed Wells off the ball, and when they fed the ensuing re-set scrum number 8 Mac Duaibe touched down with five minutes to go.

This was a very resolute Tunbridge Wells performance and the final score was perhaps a shade flattering to Rochford. However, full credit is due to the quality of the tight game of Rochford and for being more clinical in taking their chances. They gradually exerted the upper hand at the set piece and their good, clean line-out allowed them to put pressure on Wells. Even when Wells had the territorial advantage the Essex team did not panic and went through their phases impressively. However, the visitors should be far from disillusioned. This was another highly-competitive effort against a top side and now the focus must be on regaining the winning thread back at St Marks this Saturday (19th October) when we host London Irish Wild Geese with a 3pm kick off.

Squad: Ollie Allman; Richard Webster,Ryan Taylor-Dennehy (Capt), Mike Doherty, Max Hobbs; Frank Reynolds, Eddie Croft (George Montgomery);  Kamil Wiecaszek, Stuart Nicholls (Luke Hawkins), Carl Straeche , Josh Hawkins, Charley Smith, Ben Whale, Mike Hathaway (Chris Brown), Nick Doherty.

Elsewhere in the League

Rochford and Wimbledon remain joint top on a maximum 30 points after the latter’s away win at Sidcup (23-34). Guernsey are third on 24 points after a 3-20 win at our next opponents London Irish Wild Geese. These three are already stretching clear (where I predict that they will stay!) ahead of Dorking (who impressed in a 14-38 win at Tring) and Hertford (who surprisingly lost 8-7 at CS Stags 1863) on 17 points. Sidcup are 6th on 16 points and we slip to seventh on 14 points where we are joined by our friends up the A21 Sevenoaks after they had a hard-fought 14-7 home win over Brighton. Tring and CS Stags come next on 11 points, then it is Wild Geese on 10 ahead of Bedford Athletic who move ahead of Guildford after beating them 29-21. Brighton continue to prop up the table after 6 games.

Tunbridge Wells II 10 Old Elthamians Development Squad (III) 5

At St Marks,Tunbridge Wells 2s hosted the Old Elthamians Development Squad. On a dour wet day the home side started much the quicker of the two sides putting the visitor’s defence under immediate pressure. but they held firm and the big OEs side were able to clear their lines.

There were plenty of mistakes in a highly competitive (if scrappy) first 15 minutes which saw Tiggy Bartley replace El Cureton, who had suffered a frustrating hamstring injury. Despite Wells’ early pressure though it was the visitors who were first on the scoreboard. After an earlier penalty miss they went over for a try on 20 minutes to take a 0-5 lead.

Strong Wells defence from the new centre pairing of Lucas Scully and Harvey Colangelo was needed to keep OEs out and some fine clearance kicking from Tom Burgess saw it remain 0-5 at half time.

There is a great spirit forming in this squad and the young Wells side took the game to OEs in the second half, dominating possession. They went close on 50 minutes after some fine forward play from James Webb, Connor Davis and James Pancaldi (on his debut). A try was ruled out for being held up over the line but Wells were not to be denied and they soon got their reward when Davis powered over for an unconverted try with 25 minutes to play.

The game was very much up for grabs with OEs throwing everything at Wells. However, on 70 minutes it was the home team that countered and took the lead when Webb powered over, Burgess just missing the conversion. The visitors tried everything as the hits got bigger and the penalties more frequent but Wells hung on for a fine victory.
This young team are coming together well and the future looks bright.

Graham Withers