Wells travelled to Hertford and for the first time in 5 weeks it was a dry sunny Saturday with the pitch reasonable under foot. Skipper Chas Spence, player coach Dave Allen , key centre Shaydn Osgood and hooker Luke Hawkins were all injured and replaced by Max Douch, Mac Popham and Blaise Salle with Ben Williams making his debut from the bench and Max Hobbs making his first start for some time.

Whilst Wells looked as if they were still shaking the journey off, promotion candidates Hertford in 4th place caught them napping as they produced a pace of game some 2 metres quicker than Wells and when they did need defence their line speed was superior. This pace and accuracy of pass saw them carve holes in Wells midfield, normally so dependable, and this gave them plenty of room on the edges as the Wells defence proved too narrow. The whole of the Hertford team produced some very impressive rugby but if there was to be a tormentor in chief during this period it was overall Man of the Match for Hertford scrum – half  Ben Creasey who scored on 8 minutes with a burst through the middle, full back  Sean Taylor converting and tries were then produced at regular intervals as Wells struggled to gain ball and to plug the gaps. Taylor was also having an outstanding game for the hosts and it was he who added the second try on 15 minutes 12-0. Flanker Jack Elston added the third on 28 minutes and a rolling maul try after a penalty to the corner saw Hertford add the try bonus point on 29 minutes 24-0. Try no 5 was added a minute later as James Keens one of the second row charged through. ( 31-0).

As the half entered the last 10 minutes Wells did come more into the game as even Hertford could not keep up the pace of the first half hour. Two pick and drive sequences saw Wells close to the home line but patience was lost on one occasion and Hertford line speed defeated the other as the visitors found it difficult to hold onto the ball.

When Wells did have success in gaining field position it was normally fly half Frank Reynolds or stand in skipper Ryan Taylor-Dennehy from the back who got them into the opposition half.

Halftime saw no addition to the score and Wells staring down the barrel of a 31-0 points deficit. As is usual. however, this was a game of two halves, and as the second began on came Ben Williams who immediately brought more aggression to the game which was contagious as Mike Hathaway – who had an outstanding game for Wells, Christian Earle, Nick Doherty and Gus O’Grady started to get into a game they had not been able to influence in the first half.

As a result Wells enjoyed more possession and  Reynolds was able to play- make to get them farther up the field. This meant that Hertford didn’t get close to the line and Wells looked the more likely to score. The visitors went close on 45 minutes after a penalty and line out saw them roll a maul towards the home line. Christian Earle also making a 40 metre line break but not being able to find support to finish the move. However, it took until the 55th Minute for Mike Hathaway to show real physicality to get over the Hertford line with Frank Reynolds adding the conversion 31-7.

Hertford were not finished however and No 9 Creasey dummied his way over from a break down in front of the posts on 60 minutes and then repeated the dose out wide for his hat trick on 65 minutes 43-7.
Wells continued to work at their game getting themselves back into the Hertford half through further Reynolds tactical kicking and some brave counter attacks from the back. Ultimately these paid dividends as first left wing Matt Spicer went in after a great inter passing movement on the left 43-12 and then from a similar move on the right wing  Max Hobbs picked up a third try with some injury time to play.

Wells worked hard to provide the opportunity for a try bonus but couldn’t quite find the right route as Hertford kicked out to end a testing game for the visitors who could at least take consolation from ‘winning’  the second half 17-12 and reducing the incessant chatter of the Hertford commentator!

Wells remain in 6th place but have a vital game at home against Dorking who are only two points behind them at St Marks ‪on Saturday 3rd March‬ KO 3 ‪00pm‬. With only 6 games to go Wells have to target a sequence of wins to maintain this 6th position or if they are to catch Westcliff in 5th.

Squad: Kyle Mcgarvie, Josh Pankhurst, Brendan Crosilla, Ben Williams Carl Straeche, Gus O’ Grady, Christian Earle, Mac Popham, Nick Doherty, Mike Hathaway( Man of the Match), Max Douch, Frank Reynolds, Matt Spicer, Blaise Salle, Mike Doherty, Richard Webster, Max Hobbs, Ryan Taylor- Dennehy (capt).

TWRFC – Hertford – 17th February 2018

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Wells visited Goddington Dene on Saturday and for the third successive week found themselves in the rain on an increasingly heavy pitch. Shaydn Osgood returned after suspension and Richard Webster came onto the bench but otherwise the side was unchanged from that which secured a good win against Sutton and Epsom the week before. Skipper Chas Spence remained on the injured list with Max Douch continuing to deputise at scrum half.

Combe have recruited in recent weeks and a large pack took to the field equipped to give Wells a hard afternoon and that is what happened.

Points were hard to come by and after a flurry  in the first 20 minutes there was little on offer. Combe were first on the scoresheet as their pack took advantage of early pressure with Jordan Saunders ultimately driving over the line for an unconverted try on 4 minutes.

Wells though soon got into the Combe half and stayed there. A dump tackle saw a Combe centre head to the sin bin on 8 minutes and Frank Reynolds made no mistake with the penalty 5-3. However, the visitors could not make advantage of the extra man as Mike Doherty limped off to be replaced by Webster.

Both sides were ironically back to 15 when after consistent pressure Shaydn Osgood broke surprisingly easily through the Combe cover to score a try halfway out which Reynolds converted on 20 minutes 5-10.

For the rest of the half both sides enjoyed equal possession with parity in the scrums but with Wells having difficulty in securing ball in the line out for a range of technical reasons. Both sides defences were in good working order and the only further score of the half came from a 33rd minute penalty from Combe full back Will Robinson on 33 with halftime seeing the score remain at 8-10 to Wells.

If the first half had been  even the second was dominated in general by the home side who had more of the ball and in general occupied a higher field position. Both defences were parsimonious and the Combe half backs  James Cameron and new signing Ed Durki put in some very precise and tactically astute kicks many fielded well by Wells full back Ryan Taylor – Dennehy.

The possession eventually told when Robinson kicked his second penalty for offside on 65 minutes to put Combe in the lead for the first time 11-10.

Combe continued to push up but could find no way through an uncompromising Wells defence

With injury time looming there came the key moment of the game as Cameron made a rare mistake kicking low with the ball ricocheting back behind the Combe defence. Reynolds latched onto it like a greyhound and kicked on to beat the cover and dive for what all thought was a score. Sadly for Wells the referee didn’t and the chance of a win went with this judgement as Combe saw out time and gleefully kicked out.

Disallowed try or not the home side had dominated the second half in favourable conditions for their big pack as they make a late bid to get out of the relegation zone. Wells performance was spirited and competitive and they can now enjoy a rare week off to work on remaining in sixth place in London and SE Premier as they pocketed a losing bonus point.

Squad: Kyle McGarvie, Josh Pankhurst, Brendan Crosilla, Carl Straeche, Gus O’Grady, Christian Earle, Mike Hathaway, Dave Allen, Nick Doherty, Mac Popham, Max Douch, Frank Reynolds, Blaise Salle, Shaydn Osgood, Mike Doherty, Matt Spicer, Richard Webster, Ryan Taylor – Dennehy.

Wells next play Hertford away on Saturday 17th February KO 2 30 PM.

TWRFC – Wetscombe Park – 3rd February 2018

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A dry day gave way to wind and rain as these two sides took to the field with the home side having the wind and rain to their backs in the first half. Max Douch took over scrum half duties as Chas Spence recovers from his jaw injury, Mike Doherty replaced Shaydn Osgood and Max Hobbs came onto the bench for his first game.

Wells started at pace and had well taken tries by Mike Doherty 6 minutes and Ryan Taylor – Dennehy after a Nick Doherty chip forward in the first 10 minutes to which Frank Reynolds added a penalty after 15. (15-0).

It took this long for Sutton and Epsom to get going but with picking and driving they started to get into the game. The Wells defence led by it’s back row were not giving an inch and they could find no way through or over the gain line.

When the home side had the ball they handled very well in the conditions and Reynolds at fly half used the ball intelligently to kick field positions.

As a result more tries followed at regular intervals, through Gus O’Grady after a patient pick and drive 28 mins, through Kyle McGarvie from a pushover on 30 mins (which collected Wells 12 th Try bonus of the campaign) and the try of the game on 38 minutes as Blaise Salle burst up the right and handed the ball on to Matt Spicer whose pace took him the remaining 35 metres and in under the posts. With Reynolds kicking boots well tuned he kicked this from the touchline to make it 4 out of 5 conversions and a halftime lead of 36-0.

If the back row deserved a special mention in the first half with all three, Nick Doherty, Mike Hathaway and Dave Allen having exceptional games the front row of Brendan Crosilla, Kyle McGarvie and Josh Pankhurst were also instrumental in the Wells dominance in the set scrum.

The pace slowed to some degree as Wells faced the wind and Sutton and Epsom enjoyed more of the ball but the Wells defence continued to hold as they added further tries through Frank Reynolds after a kick ahead on the counter from Taylor – Dennehy on 49 mins ( 43-0) and from Mike Hathaway after a 50 metre pick and drive had been repelled but not the ensuing line out and attack out wide to the left. Reynolds kicking both of the conversions to make his personal tally for a great afternoons work 20 points.

With a lead of 50 points by the 67 th minute it was probably not surprising that Wells took their foot off the gas to some degree as the surface became more difficult. S and E upped their game and displayed great spirit as the game went into a long injury time period scoring tries through sub Joe Ridgly on 80 minutes and from skipper and scrum half Steve Munford from a tap penalty on 86 minutes.

Wells Coach Simon Whatling was pleased with the way Wells played in the conditions and said: ‘we had a great Thursday training session with over 40 in attendance. It’s pleasing to see work on the training paddock paying dividends on a Saturday both at First and second team level, where our seconds narrowly beat leaders Sevenoaks in Kent Invicta 1.

This Saturday sees Wells at local neighbours Westcombe Park KO 2 30 PM as they seek to retain a top six place.

Roger Clarke.

TWRFC – Sutton & Epsom – 27th January 2018

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Tunbridge Wells travelled up to Northamptonshire to visit Towcestrians for the first time. Having beaten their hosts 41-7 earlier in the season at St Marks the final score was to be an almost mirror image of that game.

Conditions were difficult for the players with constant rain and the occasional snow flurries making the wet pitch even heavier as the game progressed. Despite this both teams showed good skill sets throughout but it was the power of the Wells pack of forwards that was to prove decisive. From the first scrum the front row of Kyle McGarvie, new-signing Josh Pankhurst and Brendan Crosilla, dominated their opponents. The first scrum saw the home pack shunted back 5 metres and this was to continue throughout the game. With Pankhurst also combining well at the line-out with Christian Earle and Mike Hathaway, this set piece platform enabled number 8 Nick Doherty to have masterful game.

It took 8 minutes for the visitors to open the scoring. A strong rolling maul that covered 20 metres pushed Towcestrians back and when Frank Reynolds popped the ball to inside centre Shadyn Osgood he powered his way through an unavailing tackle to score under the posts. With Reynolds’ conversion it was 0-7.

Wells stretched their lead 5 minutes later. A huge Osgood tackle dislodged the ball and Blaise Salle then made a fine break. Skipper Chaz Spence was quickly in support and kicked the ball through for the chasing Matt Spicer to dot down out wide. The conversion went wide but it was now 0-12. Sadly, this was to be Spence’s last positive involvement as at the restart he received a heavy late tackle as he made a relieving kick and left the field not to return. Mike Doherty came on at centre, Salle moved to the wing and the versatile Max Douch went to 9.

The home team now had their first spell of territory and used their maul to great effect. However, the determination of the Wells defence was a feature all afternoon and they resisted the midlanders efforts. Dave Allen and Osgood made important tackles but all players contributed to a fine defensive effort. A good clearance kick by Reynolds eventually released the pressure. Towcestrians had a defensive scrum 30 metres out but a huge Wells push stole the ball for Nick Doherty to pick up and challenge the home defence. Expertly drawing the final man he passed to Douch to score the third try on 23 minutes. Again the conversion kick was difficult given the underfoot conditions and fell short. 0-17.

Towcestrians came back at the kick off but an excellent Gus O’Grady turnover took away their momentum. At this stage the boys from St Marks were incurring the wrath of the referee at the breakdown but with a solid blue defensive wall they could not break through.  Indeed, it was Wells who were to score next when Nick Doherty stole a home line-out before setting off on a 40 metre run beating three defenders for a spectacular individual try. With Reynolds converting it was now 0-24 on 36 minutes and the try bonus point was in the bag too.

Wells were not satisfied though and on 40 minutes another powerful scrum saw a pushover try for Doherty. Half time 0-29.

The half time team talk will have seen satisfied coaches and players with the hope of a large second half score and the opportunity to rest players was taken with Carl Straeche and Mac Popham replacing McGarvie and Allen. The expectation of a comfortable second half was further enforced on 49 minutes by a second pushover try to secure Nick Doherty’s hat-trick, converted by Reynolds. 0-36.

From the kick-off Reynolds was subjected to a late tackle which infuriated the visiting team and a scuffle ensued. The referee took decisive action yellow carding both the Towcestrians number 8 for the offending tackle and Wells’ Osgood for his perceived involvement in the hand bags.

This seemed to unsettle Wells and as they conceded a procession of penalties the home side dominated territory and possession for the next 20 minutes. However, tenacious defence thwarted all Towcestrians efforts with Earle, Hathaway and Pankhurst to the fore. On 70 minutes Spicer was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on but the home side still could not cross the line. This was real character building stuff from Wells.

Having spent very little time in the opposition half Wells finally got back into the Towcestrians 22. Firstly, Ryan Taylor-Dennehy and Salle almost created a try but then from a scrum the Doherty brothers combined with Nick putting in older brother Mike for Wells’ seventh try on 77 minutes. 0-41.

The 9 minutes of injury time was to prove frustrating for Wells as the home side finally scored a try from a forward drive and then Osgood received a second yellow card for a tackle offence.

This should not over shadow a superb team performance though, both in attack and defence that sees Wells remain in 6th position in the league on 47 points. Next week (27th) they host Sutton & Epsom who are 9th on ‪42 at St‬ Marks with ‪a 2pm‬ kick off. All support will be gratefully received.

Squad: Ryan Taylor-Dennehy; Max Douch, Blaise Salle, Shaydyn Osgood, Matt Spicer; Frank Reynolds, Chaz Spence (Capt) (Mike Doherty); Kyle McGarvie (Carl Straeche), Josh Pankhurst, Brendan Crosilla, Christian Earle, Gus O’Grady, Mike Hathaway, Dave Allen (Mac Popham), Nick Doherty.

TWRFC – Towcestrians – 20th January 2018

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This was a tough first fixture of 2018 for Wells as they had an early morning start to catch the flight to Guernsey where the Premier division leaders lay in wait. The rain held off and pitch conditions were good as Wells took the field in front of the Island’s supporters and a number of past Tunbridge Wells inhabitants now living in the Channel Islands.
Wells started slowly after the three week Christmas break and after some initial skirmishes got pinned in the right hand corner after a penalty.

The home side made no mistake securing the line out and rolling the maul over for an unconverted try from hooker Tom Ceillan . 5-0  after 8 minutes.

Wells enjoyed more of the ball in the next 10 minutes of play and were rewarded as Guernsey were penalised for not rolling away and fly half Frank Reynolds kicked the penalty from in front 5-3 after 13 minutes. Wells continued to enjoy possession but the defensive line speed of the Guernsey team made it difficult at times to get over the gain line.
Captain Chas Spence got away for a 40 metre line break and Nick Doherty just failed to get the ball away to brother Mike down the right but further points would not come.

It was therefore somewhat frustrating that Guernsey sent another penalty to the corner and scored a carbon copy rolling maul try through Cameron Craine to go with their first with fly half Owen Thomas landing the conversion on 23 minutes 12-3.

For most of the second quarter Wells secured good line out ball through the throwing of hooker Luke Hawkins and the jumping of Mike Hathaway, Owain Withers and Christian Earle. The scrum held firm as well with Brendan Crosilla and Kyle McGarvie holding things very steady.
The closest either side came to scoring in this period being Frank Reynolds bouncing an attempted penalty from 40 metres on the crossbar and back into play on 37 minutes as the first half came to an end at 12-3.

All was still to play for in the second half and for the first ten minutes it remained that way as Wells worked some good back moves and also used their back row to make the hard yards up the middle. From one of these moves a diagonal kick to Blaise Salle almost saw the winger in and from the subsequent position Wells picked and drove to the line only to lose control as they looked to go over. However, pressure was maintained and after several phases of play full- back Ryan Taylor- Dennehy picked an immaculate line to score from 20 meters halfway out but Reynolds could not convert 12-8 after 48 minutes.

The next 10 minutes were to win the game for Guernsey as Wells dropped the ball from the kick off and Guernsey showed speed and precision as open – side Dale Martin finished off good approach work from centre Ned Brown, Thomas converting on 52 minutes 19-8.
Wells then lost hooker Luke Hawkins and second row Owain Withers to injury as their play started to look a little tired. The islanders upped their work rate seeking the all important try bonus as Wells found it difficult to secure good line-out or scrummage ball. Nevertheless Reynolds pegged back the score on 55 minutes as he nailed a penalty for obstruction 19-11.

It was inevitably though the rolling maul that delivered the try for the home side as it had done on two previous occasions as Guernsey secured the try but not the conversion on 58 minutes 24-11.

Wells though are a spirited group and for the last quarter only conceded an Owen Thomas penalty 27-11 at the start of the quarter as several breaks earnt territory and threatened the home line.  Taylor – Dennehy continued to look incisive, Max Douche put in a trade mark 40 metre weaving run and Christian Earle made yards as Brendan Crosilla began to feel the effects of an energetic afternoon.

No further scores though could be added to the visitors total as Guernsey continued to demonstrate their aggressive line speed in defence . Wells can take heart that they were competitive throughout at one of the most difficult away journeys in the league but will have to up the overall performance rate for the visit of high fliers Tring KO 2 00 PM at St Marks this Saturday if they are to add to their current points tally for the first time in 2018.

Squad: Kyle McGarvie, Carl Straeche, Luke Hawkins, Brendan Crosilla, Christian Earle, Owain Withers, Gus O’Grady, Mike Hathaway, Nick Doherty, Mac Popham, Chaz Spence, Frank Reynolds, Blaise Salle, Adam Webb, Shadyn Osgood, Mike Doherty, Matt Spicer, Ryan Taylor-Dennehy.

Wells have enjoyed some heady days in the past few weeks in RFU London and SE Premier beating Sidcup, Westcliff and Guildford in the process. This game featuring Barnes in 4 th place and Wells in 5 th would be a real test of the town side’s pedigree as they sought a first ever win against the SW London side.

Only one change to the squad as Mac Popham replaced the injured Hayden Pengelly and great conditions underfoot gave the chance of a very close and competitive game.Wells enjoyed the slope in the first half but were behind after 9 mins as almost total Barnes possession saw fly half Gareth Williams- Davies turn a penalty into points 0-3..However, whenever Wells did manage to gain possession they looked dangerous and from a move into the Barnes half Christian Earle received a great offload from hooker Luke Hawkins and took off on a 40 metre diagonal to the posts with no one from Barnes looking likely to stop him. Frank Reynolds converting 7-3 after 12 minutes.

Barnes continued to control possession enjoying a 70% plus share and despite valiant tackling from the Wells back row and particularly from Mike Hathaway and Dave Allen the pressure began to tell.  This pressure culminated in tries after accurate recycling for Barnes in the 26 th and 29th minutes as first second row Jamie Collins wet over on the left for an unconverted try and fly half Gareth Williams- Davies followed on the right and converted his try three minutes later to give the visitors a7-15 lead.Wells continued to chase the ball which was well protected by Barnes but were unlucky not to score as halftime loomed as Dave Allen put in a 40 metre surge to within 5 before being stopped and penalised for holding on. Frank Reynolds  also hooked a penalty wide as both sides went in at half time with Barnes still holding a 7-15 advantage.

If Wells were to fight back in the second half they would need to get more ball, and tidy up their line out as they played up the hill. Unfortunately for them it was Barnes who scored their third try as they opted to scrum from close to the Wells line and marched them over as No 8 and skipper Alex Hind got the score and Williams- Davies converting to stretch the lead to 7-22 after 44 minutes.

Wells continued to show determination and physicality in defence with Shaydn Osgood and Mike Doherty putting in some big tackles but things got worse as Blaise Salle was sent to the sin bin for taking a Barnes player in the air. Remarkably though this was the signal for the Wells to summon the form of the last three weeks. At the centre of this was skipper and scrum half Chas Spence who single handedly for a 15 minute period took the game by the scruff of the neck as his forwards started to provide more ball. On 55 minutes Spence broke from a ruck chipped over the top into the big dead ball area and won the race for the try converted by Reynolds 14-22. Ten minutes later Spence repeated the dose as he broke again put in a grubber kick and again won the race with Reynolds converting 21-22 on 65 minutes.

Back to 15 men and with more ball Wells pursued the win for the last 15 minutes opportunities came and went. Mike Hathaway put in a huge tackle to dislodge the ball and Spence went for his hat trick only being beaten by inches, two penalties to the corner had the Wells supporters wondering whether a penalty or a drop goal might have been an option. Sadly those elusive points didn’t quite come although it was a mighty close thing as the home side had to make do with a losing bonus point.

Simon Whatling and his support coaches can be proud of his team as they go into the Christmas break with 41 points to their name and a 7 th position. A well earnt rest now before the trip to league leaders Guernsey on the 6 th January.

Roger Clarke.

TWRFC – Barnes rfc – 16th December 2017

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Following on from two impressive wins, Tunbridge Wells were delighted to be able to pick an unchanged squad for the trip to Surrey. It is several years since Wells have met Guildford and in that time the hosts have established themselves within the higher levels of South-Eastern rugby.

With a large crowd having made their way out to pitch-side after a fine festive lunch, Guildford will have been keen to put on a show for their own support and they started extremely well. They kicked off on a cold but still day and after a good attacking maul, a clever inside pass saw skipper Joe Garner burst through from 20 metres out and score under the Wells posts on three minutes. With a Gareth Davies conversion the home side led 7-0.

Both teams were using their kicking games to gain territorial advantage but the Wells half-back pairing of Chaz Spence and Frank Reynolds had the edge in this dual throughout. The Wells soet-piece was also having one of its best afternoons. The front row of Brendan Crosilla, Luke Hawkins and Carl Straeche had the better of their Guildford counterparts and with Hawkins also hitting his line-out jumpers accurately, the visitors started to control possession.

It felt like just a matter of time before the boys from St Marks got on the scoreboard and after a couple of penalty scrums the ball was taken forward by Mike Hathaway, Hawkins and Nick Doherty before a lovely inside pop pass to Christian Earle saw the lock twist through two tackles for the try on 19 minutes. Reynolds conversion slipped wide. 7-5.

Player-coach Dave Allen was turning in a man of the match performance with a massive tackling stint combined with strong carries and it was one of his turnovers that saw Wells back on the attack again. Wells eschewed a penalty shot at goal and Shayden Osgood and Hathaway carried before Reynolds delicately fed an inside pass to the flying Ryan Taylor-Dennehy. The full back offered a constant cutting edge in attack and here he cut a super angled line to cross in the corner on 27 minutes. 7-10.

A crunching combination tackle from Allen and Owain Withers forced a knock-on which led to an good attacking scrum just inside the Guildford half four minutes later. Spence brought the industrious Blaise Salle off his wing and he linked well with centre Mike Doherty who in turn fed Taylor-Dennehy. Again, he made great yardage and after a 30 metre run he found Hathaway in support on his inside shoulder and fed the flanker for the score. With Reynolds converting an easier kick the score was now 7-17 on 31 minutes.

At this stage it looked like Wells might run away with the game but a lapse in concentration saw a kicked charged down and a tenacious Guildford suddenly found themselves in the Wells 22 after a strong Freddie Hopper run. When they were awarded a penalty they kicked to the corner and an effective rolling maul saw prop Ash Williams burrow over for an unconverted try on 38 minutes. 12-17. Half time.

Wells will have been confident at the interval, if a shade disappointed that the home side were still so close from a scoring perspective. What acting coach Mike Whatman will have wanted was a strong start to the second half and that is exactly what his side gave him. Guildford did not exit effectively from the kick-off and after strong Hathaway, Crosilla and Hawkins carries, Allen hit an unstoppable line to crash over under the posts. Reynolds converted the ‘bonus point’ try and a penalty two minutes later after an Allen turnover so after 45 minutes it was now 12-27.

The home side tried to get back into the game but Wells were now very much on top. Withers, Allen and Hathaway were turning in mighty tackling stints and Spence was controlling the tempo of play. On 55 minutes, the visitors crossed for their fifth try and it was a fine individual effort. Mike Doherty cleverly released powerful wing Matt Spicer who broke through several tackles before being hauled down and Salle was then denied close to the line. The ball was spun across the pitch but a lack of precision made it look like the chance might have gone begging. However, that was discounting the determination of Reynolds who hit the ball at pace through the heart of the Guildford defence to dot down and with his conversion it was 12-34.

Kyle McGarvie now replaced the hard-working Straeche and perhaps sensing that the game was won Wells had a disappointing spell. One thing that is already apparent at this level is that all teams are more than capable of exploiting opportunities if they given to them and this is what happened now. A series of missed tackles combined with some good attacking play saw Guildford flanker Tom Devereaux cross for a try that Davies converted on the hour. 19-34. Hayden Pengelly now came on for Nick Doherty,but sadly it was to be a brief appearance by the popular flanker as a recurrence of a shoulder injury was to curtail his pitch time.

Guildford’s confidence started to build as the re-shaped front row came under pressure and the high defensive levels that had been set began to lapse.However, the nerves of travelling supporters were settled by a cracking try on 67 minutes. A crisp backs move put Salle into space which he exploited running 25 metres before perfectly drawing the last defender and passing to Spicer who cruised over in the left corner for a fine score. The conversion went wide but surely now the game was put to bed. 19-39. Richard Webster came on for the irrepressible Taylor-Dennehy who left the field for treatment.

The home team were to have the final say, though, when with four minutes on the clock a smart side-stepping run by Dan Paton saw him cross for a bonus point try of their own, which again converted by Davies brought a final score of 26-39.

This was another robust performance by Tunbridge Wells and with some stronger game-management and concentration levels in the final quarter, when Guildford were allowed to re-build their earlier momentum, then the win could have been by an even greater margin. However, this was a notable win away, again illustrating the importance of continuity in selection.

Squad: Ryan Taylor-Dennehy (Richard Webster); Blaise Salle, Mike Doherty, Shayden Osgood, Matt Spicer; Frank Reynolds, Chaz Spence (Capt); Brendan Crosilla, Luke Hawkins, Carl Straeche (Kyle McGarvie), Christian Earle, Owain Withers, Dave Allen, Mike Hathaway, Nick Doherty (Hayden Pengelly).

With a few bumps and bruises after playing a virtually unchanged squad for the past three games, Russell Shingles’ physio team will be hard at work this week to ensure availability for selection for what will be another tough test at home to Barnes ‪this Saturday (December 16th)‬. The visitors sit 4th in the league on 48 points whilst Wells are now up to an impressive 5th on 40. This win marked the halfway point in the season and with seven wins from thirteen games Wells will be mightily heartened by their progress, especially as they reach this stage of the season playing their best rugby and with their strongest squad availability.

The game is ‪a 2pm‬ kick off at St Marks.

Graham Withers

TWRFC – Guildford rfc – 9th December 2017

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Wells took to a relatively dry St Marks pitch with Matt Spicer starting for the injured Max Douch, with Hayden Pengelly returning to the back row after injury and with Dave Allen moving to the bench.

The home side proceeded to dominate this London and SE premier division game in the first quarter as they played up the hill defending the Sussex end of the ground. This period featured some sharp inter passing, great running angles at pace and some very effective defence as 5^th placed Westcliff looked to put their mark on the game after a great win against Barnes last week.

Wells had threatened on two other occasions before they got points on the Board as Shaydn Osgood and Mike Doherty interpassed on the left for Doherty to do a great job in getting the ball down as he dived into the left corner. Fly half Frank Reynolds bringing his usual accuracy to a conversion from the touchline 7-0 on 14 minutes.

Westcliff enjoyed possession during this period as well and Wells performed magnificently in defence close to the 20 minute mark as they defended 14 phases of play with Westcliff recycling accurately but never really getting over the gain line.

With 21 minutes gone and some accurate prompting from the boot of fly half Reynolds Matt Spicer and Reynolds exchanged passes at speed before setting wing Blaise Salle free to score the try again converted by Reynolds 14-0.

Wells created several other opportunities as the game progressed towards the 30 minute mark but Westcliff also saw action as their left wing was bundled to touch some 3 metres out with the defending side clearing their lines from the ensuing line out, as hooker Luke Hawkins left the field to be replaced by Kyle  McGarvie.

Wells came close on a number of other occasions most notably when No 8 Nick Doherty put in a brilliant break in midfield and then an inch perfect kick in front of the Wells backs. It looked as if Matt Spicer would score but he just failed to gather the bouncing ball 10 metres out. Wells also scorned kicking potential penalties as Reynolds kicked them to the corner only for Wells line out to malfunction as they were pulled up for not straight in promising positions. As it was halftime was reached with the home supporters thinking their side would have been value for another seven points and with Westcliff still just in the game at 14-0.

Wells came out of the changing room for the second half having to make changes as influential fly half Frank Reynolds suffered a recurrence of a shoulder injury with Ryan Taylor-Dennehy moving to 10 and Academy product Richard Webster assuming the full back duties.

With Wells now playing down the hill the side upped their pace with Man of the Match Mike Hathaway, returnee Hayden Pengelly and Nick Doherty outstanding and backed up by the pace of Christian Earle and Owain Withers putting Westcliff under pressure in their own half. It was all three of the back row who carried in a move instigated by Nick Doherty that saw Hayden Pengelly score try number 3 on 46 minutes which Taylor- Dennehy narrowly missed the conversion for. 19-0 on 46 minutes.

Westcliff then dominated the next 10 minutes of play working the left hand touchline and with their set scrum gaining some ascendancy as Dave Allen joined the fray on 58 minutes for Pengelly. Within 2 minutes of Allen’s arrival Wells had their try bonus as the side drove from the line out, held the ball in and then released with a delightful blind side pass to wing Matt Spicer (from skipper Chas Spence) who got in at the left corner for the fourth try. 24-0 on 60 minutes.

It was credit to Westcliff who had taken a bit of a battering and run mainly across the field that they competitively came back into the game in the last 20 minutes preventing Wells from any further score and picking up a converted push over try from their Man of the Match No 8 Joe Vandermolen. This was the last sniff on 68 minutes that Wells gave Westcliff of their line as they demonstrated sound game management  to bring home a very impressive 6th win of the season, despite the loss of their hooker and fly half for a fair proportion of the game.

Wells now need to keep this mini run of wins going as still in 7^th place they visit Guildford KO 2 00pm next Saturday as they look to see if they can force their way back into the top six.

Squad: Carl Straeche, Luke Hawkins, ( Kyle McGarvie,), Brendan Crosilla, Christian Earle, Owain Withers, Hayden Pengelly, ( Dave Allen), Mike Hathaway, Nick Doherty, Chas Spence, Frank Reynolds,  Blaise Salle, Shaydn Osgood, Mike Doherty, Matt Spicer, Ryan Taylor-Dennehy, Richard Webster.

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After three successive defeats, Head Coach Simon Whatling will have been seeking a response from his players when his Tunbridge Wells team travelled “up the road” to Sidcup and, simply put, he could not have asked more. This was comfortably Wells’ strongest all-round performance of their first campaign at this level.

A warm welcome off the pitch before-hand was always likely to be replicated by a “warm” welcome on the field of play despite a bitterly cold cross-field northerly wind. This was the second of Wells’ four Kent derby games this season and the team from St Marks were looking for revenge over Sidcup having lost both games last year when the teams clashed in London One South before gaining promotion together. Sidcup sat 7^th in the league two points ahead of Wells with the visitors in 10^th but by the time they left south London these positions had been reversed.

Wells were delighted to welcome back prop Brendan Crosilla and influential outside-half Frank Reynolds after injury, and on paper at least the squad looked as strong as any that had taken to the field this season.

Wells kicked off and the tempo of the game was set instantly with it being nearly 2 minutes before the first break in play. Crosilla and flanker Dave Allen (who was to be hugely influential all game) carried strongly and Reynolds was back orchestrating play. Max Douch looked for work off his wing position and a half-break by him led to a 40 metre territorial kick by Reynolds pinning the home team back in to their own 22. Wells soon forced an attacking line-out which was taken by lock Owain Withers and a maul was set. The carrying work of Crosilla was evident throughout and he and hooker Luke Hawkins were prominent again before a deft Blaise Salle pass popped Christian Earle into space and the athletic forward galloped 15 metres to the posts for a try converted by Reynolds on 6 minutes. An good start. 0-7.

Before long a searching 45 metre kick from impressive full-back Ryan Taylor-Dennehy had Wells on the front foot again and on 11 minutes Reynolds extended the lead with a penalty kick. 0-10.

Wells felt aggrieved when Allen was penalised from the re-start for not releasing in the tackle when he did not appear to be held but this only served to fire up the experienced campaigner even more. The visitors defended the ensuing line-out well but on 14 minutes Josh Twyford converted a penalty goal from 35 metres to make it 3-10.

A Reynolds kick and massive Shaydn Osgood follow-up tackle (and his powerful defence and carrying was another key feature of the game) gave Wells a scrum just inside the Sidcup half. Tyalor-Dennehy and Crosilla took the ball forward before Reynolds cleverly put Osgood into space. He beat two men making 20 metres before feeding Nick Doherty who easily brushed aside a tackle to score a try under the posts. With the Reynolds conversion Wells were 17-3 up after 22 minutes and this was a fair reflection of their excellent first quarter.

Wells continued to show a desire to be pro-active in attack with tip passes and strong counter-attacks making space and yardage. The line-out functioned impressively all day with Hawkins hitting Earle, Withers and Mike Hathaway with aplomb. The scrum was also more robust and with the pressure Osgood and Mike Doherty were exerting in midfield, Sidcup were hanging on at this stage. However, Wells could not quite turn their pressure into points and on 34 minutes it was Sidcup who scored next via a second Twyford penalty. 6-17. Wells now had one of their sadly customary discipline “lapses” as the referee awarded a series of penalties for breakdown infringements. Eventually, Twyford was back in kicking range again and on 38 minutes he made it 9-17.

The visitors needed another score to more fully reflect their first half superiority and it was to come as the game moved into stoppage time. A penalty was sent 40 metres into touch to set up an attacking line-out. Hathaway soared to catch the ball and after Crosilla and Allen were denied at close range it was Earle who powered over for his second try. With a fine Reynolds conversion Wells were able to take an impressive 24-9 lead into half-time.

What was needed now was more of the same to prevent a tenacious Sidcup team from getting back into the game. To the delight of the travelling support this is exactly what happened. When Sidcup fumbled the ball 35 metres out Withers was on hand to show excellent footballing skills and kick through. Douch flew forward to gather the ball but was thwarted just short of the line. However, quick recycling saw the ball in Allen’s hands and he crashed over for a well-deserved try on 42 minutes. It was converted by Reynolds and it also secured the try bonus point. 9-31.

With strong tackles from Salle and Douch, Sidcup could not get out of their own half and when they did try a speculative kick it was fielded by Taylor-Dennehy on his own 10 metre line. He broke the first two tackles before beating the next defender on the outside and then another on the inside to sprint clear for an outstanding individual try on 47 minutes. 9-36.

With a vocal home support Sidcup were determined to get back in the match and on 50 minutes a strong rolling maul eventually saw James Poland dot down for an unconverted try. 14-36. Shortly afterwards a fine combined tackle by Allen and Douch thwarted a Sidcup counter-attack but it sadly saw the latter dislocate his knee and leave the field. It was an unfortunate end to what had been an impressive display from the young wing. Matt Spicer entered the fray.

Sidcup were experiencing by far their best phase of the game now as Wells started to concede penalties. Messrs Allen, Earle, and Osgood engaged in some fine rear-guard defence but the pressure eventually told when home forward Luke Coughlan looped around a line-out to break two uncharacteristically weak tackles to cross under the posts on the hour. With Twyford’s conversion it was now 21-36.

However, the momentum that Sidcup had built came to an end just three minutes later. Allen intercepted a stray Sidcup pass and as he looked to stride clear he was adjudged to have been tackled high by Jack Dutton, preventing him from making a material advantage of his fine work, and the home lock was sent to the sin bin. Wells were to turn the screw in a very professional manner. Reynolds sent a long kick into the Sicdup 22 and whilst Wells were unable to take advantage of the line-out a powerful scrummage soon turned the ball over. Hawkins and Allen went close but were thwarted before a penalty was awarded. Taking advantage of the yellow card, the visitors opted for a scrum sensing that Crosilla, Hawkins and Carl Straeche now had the edge over the de-powered home pack and this was to prove the case as they marched back their opponents for Nick Doherty to secure his brace of tries at number eight on 67 minutes. 21-41.

Withers gathered the re-start and Wells were back on the attack. Skipper Chaz Spence must have been delighted at the way his team were playing and he had no small part in it himself with his mix of box-kicking, knowing when to bring his big forward runners into play and then when to attack wider with the final Wells try being a perfect example of this. Hawkins hit Hathaway at the tail of the line-out and Spence unleashed his forward runners with Allen and Crosilla again making good yardage. Sensing the opportunity, the scrum half fed the powerful Osgood who burst down the blind-side before feeding Taylor-Dennehy to coast home from 20 metres. A superb team try which deserved the excellent Reynolds conversion it got to make it 21-48 on 73 minutes.

Kyle McGarvie and Mac Popham now replaced Crosilla and Allen, who left to rapturous applause from the Wells faithful. Soon after another huge Osgood tackle dislodged the ball and Spicer kicked through. Just as he looked likely to gather and score, the ball evaded him and fine work by the covering Sidcup defender saw them set off on a counter-attack that brought an attacking penalty. Another series of penalties followed as the boys in navy and white tried to hold out but eventually home hooker Charlie Hopkins scored a third Sidcup try in the final play of the game. Full time. 26-48.

After narrowly succumbing to the new league leaders Hertford three games ago, Wells would have been bitterly disappointed at the way they lost to Dorking and Southend Saxons thereafter. What this game showed is that when they have their First XV available and play like this, they will be a challenge for all the sides in this league. This was a powerful team display epitomised by the efforts of Taylor-Dennehy, Osgood, Reynolds, Crosilla and Allen but everyone contributed to a cracking win. The key will be to keep up this level of intensity and skill, and to maintain this kind of performance throughout the season, especially when given the attritional nature of this league there will no doubt be injuries and absences to deal with along the way. However, the players have now set themselves a high benchmark and that is no bad thing.

This win moves Wells back to 7^th on 30 points – exactly 17 points behind table-topping Hertford and 17 points above Westcombe Park who occupy the final relegation spot. Mid-table but hopefully now casting an eye upwards rather than looking down at the relegation battle. The tough games keep coming though and next-week Wells host Essex side Westcliff, who have won 4 of their last 6 matches and sit 5^th. Kick-off is 2pm and all support will be gratefully received.

Squad: Ryan Taylor-Dennehy; Blaise Salle, Mike Doherty, Shaydn Osgood, Max Douch (Matt Spicer); Frank Reynolds, Chaz Spence (Capt); Brendan Crosilla (Kyle McGarvie), Luke Hawkins, Carl Straeche, Christian Earle, Owain Withers, Mike Hathaway, Dave Allen (Mac Popham), Nick Doherty.

Graham Withers

TWRFC – Sidcup – 25th November 2017

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On a grey and damp Saturday afternoon Wells welcomed Southend Saxons to St. Mark’s. With prolonged rain only stopping shortly before kick off, the players took to a wet surface for the 2.30pm kick off. A fit again Tim Collins came into the front row, Owain Withers started in the second row as did Charlie Dagwell in the back row with Mac Popham and the Doherty brothers returned to the starting line up along with Max Douch and Adam Webb on the bench.

Wells began with 15 minutes of possession with Southend getting little ball and relying on Wells giving away a flurry of penalties to relieve the pressure on their line. Wells needed to score during this period but the nearest they got was Hooker Luke Hawkins being denied a try after a deft crossfield kick from fly half Ryan Taylor – Dennehy fielded by Nick Doherty but the final pass was judged forward.

Southend gradually got back into the game with sensible wet weather tactics and Wells dominance of possession was gradually eroded as the visitors moved down the pitch and were rewarded after 24 minutes with a penalty from 25 meters kicked by fly half  Adam Dobson.

The visitors continued to dominate, as what possession Wells did achieve they kicked poorly out of hand back to the opposition, who then continued to apply pressure by concentrating on the narrow channels and not conceding penalties. This Southend pressure did not immediately reap points but after 32 minutes Charlie Dagwell was yellow carded for collapsing the maul and it did not take long for Southend to take advantage to score a driving maul try through No 6 Daniel Read close to the posts converted by Dobson to stretch the lead to 0-10  on 37 minutes.

With the wind and the slope in the second half Wells were now hoping to keep the score down to no more than this but a succession of penalties for offside and some more tactical errors as Wells were forced across the pitch saw Southend again on the Wells line deep into first half injury time. Despite a brave attempt to thwart the Southend battering of the line scrum half Tony Sprangers spotted a gap and was through at the posts to score a converted try from Dobson. This left Wells a tough ask in the conditions to come back from 0-17 at half time. To do so would require a lot more discipline, tactical understanding and technical delivery than had been shown in the first half.

Despite the slope in their favour the Wells untypically continued to run laterally in the third quarter with an occasional straightening by Christian Earle, Chas Dagwell and skipper Chas Spence. In general Southend maintained possession dominance despite the odd error at the lineout and it was not until substitutions around the 60 minute mark that Wells started to show more penetration particularly from a lively Max Douch on the right wing.

On 66 minutes Wells at last got some momentum into their game as the ever improving Christian Earle broke through and found Mac Popham on his shoulder to ultimately feed skipper Chas Spence for the try converted by Ryan Taylor-Dennehy  7-17. Wells now had the bit between their teeth and the running lines had straightened considerably. Max Douch put in a 45 metre break on 74 minutes to find Chas Spence on his shoulder who fed hooker Luke Hawkins for the try but Taylor- Dennehy could not convert. 12-17.

From the kick off Wells came roaring back down the right as Southend started to look deflated but sadly the lack of a game plan and lack of discipline at the offside line for much of the game cost them dear as the final whistle blew on a match which Wells in normal form would have secured early on.

Credit, however, must be given to Southend for cutting out the errors and adopting simple wet weather tactics to secure the winning points.

Next week is a league blank and the Wells coaches and players will need to look long and hard at how they get the bright early season start to this level of rugby back on track before visiting local rivals Sidcup in two weeks time.

Squad: Tim Collins, Luke Hawkins, Carl Straeche, Kyle McGarvie, Owain Withers, Christian Earle, Mac Popham, Charlie Dagwell, Nick Doherty, Adam Webb, Chas Spence, Ryan Taylor – Dennehy, Matt Spicer, Max Douch,  Shaydn Osgood, Mike Doherty, Blaise Salle, Olly Allman.

TWRFC – Southend – 11th November 2017

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