Category: Match Report

Flashback One – Tunbridge Wells v Sevenoaks (December 12th, 2015)

With the Rugby World Cup now over for 4 years (for me as a Welshman anyway!) minds (mine…) start to turn towards our first A21 Derby of the season with our friends from Sevenoaks next Saturday.

On Tuesday, I will be posting the report from that most recent home game in London One South just over three years ago (which was an arm wrestle to say the least) but first up is the London South East Division Two encounter from December 2015. Later in this campaign we were to deliver two outstanding performances at The Paddock on the ‘Road to Twickenham’ and the League/Cup Double. However, whilst most of us will well remember how close Matson came to ending the remarkable 100% record in the Intermediate Cup Semi-Final do you recall this game? This really was the closest anyone got to beating us…..

Match Report courtesy of the Tunbridge Wells Courier:-

“Tunbridge Wells edged out Sevenoaks in a thriller at St Mark’s this afternoon, 11-6.

In a clash of the two unbeaten teams, a close match was expected and that was exactly what fans of both sides got in tough conditions. Ollie Allman’s two second-half penalties proved the difference as Wells battled back from 6-5 down at half-time to triumph.

The hosts’ defence was outstanding all afternoon, denying Sevenoaks time and time again. Oaks could have won it at the death, but an accidental offside, while camped on the Wells line, brought an end to proceedings.

Wells came flying out of the traps and were immediately on the attack. Full-back Hayden Pope knocked on at a crucial moment, while Ben Speer had a half chance after a brilliant charge down, before they scored the only try of the game on nine minutes.

Oaks conceded a penalty deep in their own territory, Wells kicked for touch and won good lineout ball. Charlie Harding, using all his National League experience, spotted space around the ruck, took the ball on the blindside and ran in unopposed. Defensively it was poor from the visitors. Allman lined up his conversion straight into the howling gale and like a boomerang the ball almost came straight back to him.

Oaks, to their credit, came storming back and had the lion’s share of territory without ever really threatening the Wells line. Nick Doherty and Christian Earle, to single out two, were defensively superb at the breakdown for Wells. However, Oaks took the lead into the break, Issac Winter expertly kicking two penalties following Wells infringements.

Two minutes before half-time Oaks were reduced to 14 men when Atino Vaihu, their dangerman in the middle of the park, was sent to the sin-bin for a dangerous challenge.

Wells tried a few mind games at the break, going back into the changing room and keeping Oaks waiting out on the pitch. While it didn’t necessarily work, they did start the second period well. Alex Maynard went on a marauding run before being stopped, and Wells had a great chance with men over, but James Lineham couldn’t release his pass, being smothered by a fine tackle.

They did find the scoreboard though, Allman putting Wells ahead 8-6 after Oaks were adjudged offside.

But the visitors came back again and they had a sniff when Will Thorpe intercepted a Chaz Spence pass, he offloaded to Winter, but the fly-half took too long to make a decision and was brought down once again.

Conditions were increasingly difficult, with both teams guilty of poor handling and giving away numerous penalties. On the hour, Allman, who had a fine game, played a lovely chip and chase, gathered but was blocked off the ground. A penalty was given and Allman dusted himself off to knock over three more crucial points.

The final quarter was all Sevenoaks and they tried desperately to preserve their unbeaten record. They kept knocking on the Wells door but it was impregnable. With seconds to go they found themselves within touching distance of the line, but Dan Power was penalised for an accidental offside, Wells kicked to touch and the game was over. There really was that much to choose between the two sides.

Squad: Hayden Pope (Sam Newton); Tom George, Alex Maynard, Charlie Harding, Ben Speer; Ollie Allman, Chaz Spence; Julius Redman, Sean O’Connor (Capt), Tone Vaigafa (Tim Collins), James Lineham (Andy Burgess), Christian Earle, Nick Doherty, Mike Hathaway, Matt Cook. “

Graham Withers

Match report – Tunbridge Wells 30 London Irish Wild Geese 17

Wells appeared at St Marks on Saturday to find they had a softish and slippery surface- after 17 days of rain in the month- for their game against London Irish Wild Geese relegated from RFU National 2 at the end of last season.


The surface was to have a big say in the way the game unfolded during the afternoon as it began to dry in this London and SE Premier league encounter.


Penalties were to play a big part in the game as players found it difficult to keep on their feet with approaching 30 handed out during the game equally shared between both teams and it was no surprise as first Ciaran Poynter for the Irish and then Frank Reynolds for the home side swapped easy penalties in the first 4 minutes of the game 3-3.


With Irish enjoying a lions share of the ball as they played downhill towards Frant Poynter picked up another 3 points in front on 12 minutes 3-6.


It took the Wells 15 minutes to put Irish under pressure as both Ben Whale and Nick Doherty put in some straight running to set up a ruck from which Frank Reynolds put an inch perfect diagonal kick to the right which was caught at speed by right wing Richard Webster who scored the try which was converted from well out by Reynolds to give Wells a 10-6 lead.


The last 20 minutes of the half saw parity in the set pieces at scrum and line out  and with plenty of ball being moved wide with neither side getting on top of the slippery surface as they moved the ball laterally.


Despite periods being spent by both sides in the others halves the only scores came when Wells twice strayed offside and Poynter made no mistake in kicking both to give Irish a halftime lead of 10-12.


Irish had looked a workmanlike side and had retained possession through a number of phases in front of a crowd of some 180. If Wells were to win the second half they needed to run straighter and take advantage of the slope and the drying top half of the pitch.


At this point coach Simon Whatling rung the changes with Tauaika and Eukaliti being introduced at prop and second row.


Wells then proceeded to dominate possession with No 8 Nick Doherty putting in two surges which came close to tries. Reynolds nudged the Wells ahead with a penalty on 50 minutes 13-12, and from the kick off Wells built a move through the pack with Ben Whale prominent. With the position gained and with an overlap to the right scrum half Eddie Croft went the difficult route with a diagonal grubber which was gratefully fallen on for a second try by right wing Webster in the corner 18-12 after 54 minutes.


Irish were not finished, however, with ‘pocket rocket’ right wing O’Hagan putting in a number of surges which ultimately created a try for his left wing  Josh Steadman  to bring the score to within 1 point 18-17.


At this stage Wells introduced George Montgomery from the bench who brought some extra bite to the centre. It was Montgomery on 70 minutes who put in a great tackle 30 metres from the Wells line – the ball was spilt- and right wing Max Hobbs was on it in a flash speeding some 60 meters to touch down for a try converted by Reynolds 25-17.


With the Wells pack continuing to supply ball Wells came close to scoring a fourth try on several occasions with Whale, Doherty and Josh Hawkins going close before with 2 minutes of injury time gone Hobbs sealed the win -after great approach work from Ryan Taylor – Dennehy -when he slid some 7 metres on his front into the left corner for his second and Wells fourth try and the bonus point.


On a drier surface Wells may well have added to their try tally but Irish were always difficult opponents with a lot of spirit and it was only in the last 20 that Wells pulled away for their fourth victory of the new season.


Next Saturday sees the town side visit CS Stags 1863 as they seek to move higher in the league than their current sixth position. KO 3 00 pm.

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

Roger Clarke

Elsewhere in the League

Something had to give when the top two met and it was Wimbledon who emerged victorious, ending Rochford Hundred’s 54-match winning run in the process. The visitors put up some fight though coming back from 28-12 down to lead 28-29 before Wimbledon slotted the winning penalty to make it 31-29. The victors did not get the bonus point so move onto 34, with Rochford two points back and Guernsey now onto 29 points courtesy of a thumping 71-20 win over our opponents next week CS Stags 1863.

There is a gap opening to Dorking and Sidcup (winners 25-19 over Bedford Athletic and 23-29 at Guildford respectively) on 21 points. Wells are sixth on 19 points, one ahead of our friends at Sevenoaks who jumped above Hertford after an impressive 12-27 win in Hertfordshire. Hertford stay on 17 points, four ahead of Tring (in ninth) who drew 13-13 at Brighton. The seasiders remain at the foot of the table on 4 points, whilst the four teams above them all lost meaning that CS Stags are 10th on 11, followed by London Irish and Bedford Athletic on 10 and Guildford on 7 points.

Two particular games to note next week see 5th v 4th as Sidcup host Dorking and Sevenoaks will have a clearer idea of their standing once Guernsey have visited.


Match report: TWRFC VETS 36: 5 MAIDSTONE VETS

With New Ash Green, Orpington and Vigo drawn in the league phase of the vets cup the vets were keen to get off to a winning start, and put the disappointment of last season behind them, with a friendly against Maidstone. It’s a crying shame then that nobody explained what the word ‘friendly’ means- to that hairy brutish jock, Mac the strife- or we might have ended the match with 15 on the pitch…and he wouldn’t have had to slink back to the clubhouse in disgrace, his bruised knuckles dragging along the ground. And all this after only 3 minutes of game time. Fortunately for him the red was renegotiated to yellow post match, thanks to the leniency of the ref, the sweetness of ale and the grace of the opposition 6 who, in fairness, was not exactly lily-white where the throwing of punches was concerned.

It also proved a low brow afternoon for Rainbow Rob Harrison who has clearly taken against agricultural pursuits during the summer break (perhaps a farmer turned him down?) and who therefore spent the entire game moaning at team mates who dropped the ball to ’stop shovelling shit’ His mood somewhat improved when he scored and by the end of the match, thank goodness, he seemed to have entirely gotten over his aversion to the passing on effluence. He was joined in his try scoring endeavour by the mercurial Beamo, the greedy Jake (who bagged two), Mr Charles Sleightholme, whose boot served us well all afternoon, and our very own Bilbo Baggins, Mr. Azurdia; standing in for Milo as team midget whilst the latter hitched a ride in Roger Clarke’s pocket to watch the ones play in Guernsey.

Up front Father Ed was back in action after a lengthy lay out. He not only lasted an entire half, leaning against the opposition scrum and causing huge problems simply by virtue of his weight, but also produced a perfect offload – picked up by a marauding Si Parsons which then led to a score. Prop Power! They were assisted in the front row by ten minute Tim McCabe, whose impromptu speeches stirred our souls, and the Methuselah of rugby old man Maynard. Nick Baldock was happy to add to this gorgeous assortment of bulk and heft so it was fortunate that a highly skilled back row of the ever niggardly Tiggy, the awkwardly lumpy Craney, the undeniably heroic yellowman and ever steady Zak, linking up with Rob, were on hand to make it to the break downs. Joking aside some of the link up play in the forwards was first rate with Craney’s impressive ball carrying leading him to be nominated as man of the match.

Not that the girlie backs were shirking. They ran some fabulous lines all afternoon keeping cool heads when playing under pressure. Nick Derbyshire and Charlie Hacker combined well in the centres and barely missed a tackle. Beamo marshalled them well from the back. Jake was a menace with the ball all afternoon ensuring the cocky reputation of scrum halves remains in tact. Steve Daley (happy birthday) and Andy Cunningham were reliable when called on and a great debut from Tim Mole ensured all left the field with heads held high. Indeed it was a great first game against an experience and decent Maidstone side. Bring on the tournament.

Finally a mention to the ref- our very own Croker. He not only red carded one of his own but ensured we knew the new rules by pinging us for every high tackle and every backchat. Not an easy task against the gabbiest of old boys. And so we all trooped back to the bar for a well earned chilli con carne and an excellent game of beer pong. The highlights of which were watching Pengelly taken apart with alcohol. And the suggestion that Mac should get but three grains of rice and a teaspoon of chilli to reflect the amount of work he did on the pitch! Good game, good guys, good banter, good beer pong session. Another good season is brewing for the vets….

Match report – Tunbridge Wells 15 Hertford 34

Tunbridge Wells hosted Hertford on the back of three successive league wins. The visitors finished 5th in this league last season when the fixtures book-ended the Wells campaign. A home win was secured (35-27) at St Marks 12 months ago and in April they squeaked the away fixture 33-32. This season they had won their opening game at Brighton before a pair of losses over the last two weeks. However, it was significant that these were against Rochford Hundred, who have not lost in two seasons, and a close loss to Guernsey who are expected to do well this season.


Wells knew this would be a proper challenge especially as 9 of the players who had beaten Brighton last week were injured or unavailable.

Consequently, it was a much changed side that took the field through the Under 8s ‘Guard of Honour’. Carl Straeche and player-coach Aston Croall started in the front row, the latter as a make-shift hooker. Former player Kyle McGarvie answered an “SoS” to provide specialist cover on the bench. Arek Janezcko made his league debut in the second row following his summer move from Thanet Wanderers, whilst Academy products Tom Follows and Ben Kennard joined Chris Brown in a significantly re-shaped back row. In the backs George Montgomery moved to his preferred position at outside half and was partnered by Eddie Croft as both Charlie Rigby and Frank Reynolds were sidelined by injuries.Richard Murray returned at centre and there were spots on the bench for club stalwarts Tiggy Bartley and Ollie Allman.


The players were greeted by a bright day and a strong south-easterly but largely cross-field wind. Its direction would perhaps negate the major benefits of playing down the slope at St Marks but time would tell? Tunbridge Wells kicked off playing up the hill and in the early stages both Ben Whale and Kamil Wiecaszek were prominent ball in hand. However, it was the visitors who took the early initiative and, indeed, they hardly let their grip of the game slip for the next 80 minutes.


After a series of attacks were thwarted, Wells secured a defensive scrum and Montgomery was able to execute a fine 50 metre clearance kick. It was not long, though, before the St Marks side were penalised at a scrum (sadly a recurring theme throughout the match) and Hertford kicked to touch on the Wells 22 metre line. A powerful rolling maul was set which Wells only halted via illegal means and another kick to touch put the visitors just 5 metres out. The home supporters’ sighs of relief were palpable when the ball was called not straight but  the respite was temporary. With Wells collapsing their set scrum, Hertford flanker Luke Mongston took a quick tap penalty and charged over the line for a try. This was superbly converted from wide on the left by Kyle Lemon to make it 0–7 on 12 minutes.

Hertford were quickly back in possession but a strong Murray tackle dislodged the ball and Richard Webster kicked ahead to gain good field position for the home team. However, the visitors stole the line out and were able to clear. Whale and Follows were robust defenders throughout but Hertford were starting to exert a clear advantage at the set piece as the Wells scrum and line-out came under pressure. On 18 minutes they were penalised again in front of the posts and Lemon struck a penalty to make it 0–10.


The home team were trying to get their attacking wingers Webster and Max Hobbs in play and Webster was prominent with a series of midfield thrusts. However, both he and Murray were thwarted when looking like they might break clear. Sadly, Murray soon departed, after a lively performance, with a painful looking arm injury to be replaced by the experienced Allman. He went to full back with skipper Ryan Taylor-Dennehy moving into the outside centre position after 25 minutes.

On 29 minutes the visitors received another scrum penalty which Lemon slotted to make it 0–13. Frustration with the misfiring set piece was starting to build but Wells continued to try and play ambitious rugby when they did have the ball. Eventually, Wells pressure did produce points when a fine Chris Brown turnover saw Montgomery slot a penalty on 31 minutes. 3–13.

On 36 minutes, though, Hertford were to stretch the lead after the home team were penalised for not rolling away at a ruck. The attacking line-out was secured and after going through several phases of play, a gap opened in the midfield which saw visiting lock Dan Peasnall gallop through to score a try under the posts. With Lemon slotting the conversion it was now 3–20 on 36 minutes.

This only served to reinvigorate Wells who had one of the best periods of play for the rest of the half. Croall twice connected with the Janezcko at line-outs to give better field position and both Webster and Croft made half-breaks. The Hertford defence was pretty tenacious all afternoon and remained steadfast. Eventually, they conceded a penalty in front of the posts deep into injury time which Wells decided to kick for an attacking line-out rather than take the easy three points. Unfortunately, the ball was stolen and half-time was reached. 


The swirling wind made it difficult for all the players but, without doubt, Hertford’s ball retention and territorial kicking game saw them fully deserve the lead at the interval. Unless Wells could start to secure some more consistent set piece ball then the hopes of a recovery looked unlikely. They would at least have the advantage of the St Marks slope in the second period. Half time 3–20.

Any hopes of a famous second-half recovery were virtually extinguished from the kick-off, though. The Hertfordshire side camped in the home 22 for three minutes before a series of strong drives eventually saw Mongston cross for his second try and with Lemon slotting the additional two points it was now 3–27.

Montgomery and Taylor-Dennehy were still doing their best to create chances and Mike Doherty now came to the fore with two strong runs. On 47 minutes McGarvie replaced Straeche and went to hooker which saw Croall move to his more customary position at prop. Indeed, this had an immediate impact as Wells earned a scrummage penalty and Montgomery’s fine kick took Wells to within 35 metres of the Hertford line. From the line-out Taylor-Dennehy beat two tacklers on the outside channel before feeding back inside to Doherty who was able to run untouched under the posts for the try. Montgomery knocked over the conversion and it was now 10–27 on 50 minutes.

Almost instantly, Taylor-Dennehy almost snaffled an interception for a likely try which could have changed the last half hour of play. Sadly the ball went to ground and Hertford were able to clear their lines. The ever-popular Bartley now replaced Follows but it was the visitors who were soon back on the attack and looked likely to score from a rolling maul before a fine steal by Kennard. The visitors pressure was pretty incessant now and they had another attacking opportunity deep in Wells territory. However, pressure was relieved when a penalty was awarded at ruck with Bartley and Brown working hard in the near vicinity…..

On 61 minutes Straeche returned for the injured McGarvie, but the home side were finding it impossible to lift the Hertford pressure. With Wells having already been warned as a team for conceding too many penalties in their own 22, Bartley then received a yellow card for a perceived ruck infringement. Hertford chose the attacking line-out option in their quest for a fourth try and the bonus point. From this penalty a strong rolling maul saw Mongston score his hat-trick try and Lemon completed an immaculate kicking display given the conditions to add the conversion on 65 minutes. 10–34.

Brown and Doherty were two of Wells’ better players on the day and they continued to drive their team mates forward although with time running out any hopes of securing even a try bonus point were now looking slim. However, full credit should be given to the Wells team for their efforts. The visitors had now been reduced to 14 players themselves and, eventually, deep in injury time Whale was rewarded for his industrious performance when he showed great tenacity to twist out of the grasp of two defenders to score an unconverted try. Full Time 15-34.

Hertford are clearly the best team that a (depleted) Tunbridge Wells side have met during this league campaign thus far and they will no doubt learn lessons from this match. The need to shore up the set piece remains evident and, hopefully, with a larger squad to pick from  Simon Whatling and his coaching team can work on this ahead of two tough games on the road over the next fortnight. Next week Wells travel to Guernsey and then the week after they visit joint league leaders Rochford Hundred for the first time.

Squad: Ryan Taylor-Dennehy (Capt); Richard Webster, Mike Doherty, Richard Murray (Ollie Allman), Max Hobbs; George Montgomery, Eddie Croft;;  Kamil Wiecaszek, Aston Croall, Carl Straeche (Kyle McGarvie), Arek Janezcko, Ben Whale, Tom Follows (Tiggy Bartley), Ben Kennard, Chris Brown.

Elsewhere in the League

And then there were two……..

Five clubs started yesterday undefeated but with our defeat and Sidcup’s exciting 37-36 loss at Bedford Athletic this was reduced to three. Wimbledon had an impressive 18-44 win at Tring (always a tough place to play) to maintain their 100% record which left our next two opponents squaring off. It was Rochford Hundred who triumphed 43-27 over Guernsey maintaining their remarkable unbeaten run. Wimbledon and Rochford sit atop the league on 20 points, ahead of Sidcup, Guernsey and us on 16, 15 and 14 points. Hertford come next on 11 points head of London Irish Wild Geese on 10 and Sevenoaks one point further back after both secured home wins against Brighton (38-18) and Guildford (17-3) respectively. The final game saw Dorking win 18-24 on their trip to CS Stags 1863. The Stags and Brighton are the now only sides awaiting a win and they clash next week.

Graham Withers

Match report – Brighton 26 Tunbridge Wells 38

Tunbridge Wells arrived in Brighton to blue skies, and the temperature in the low 20s, as they sought a hat-trick of wins to start the league campaign. Their hosts were promoted via the play-offs last season and were determined to take the honours having suffered defeats in their opening two games.

The starting XV featured three notable player changes. Two strong performances in the previous games from the bench earned George Montgomery a starting spot in the centre, and he was joined in the backs by “one of our own” as Charlie Rigby replaced the unavailable Eddie Croft at scrum half. In the front row, Stuart Nicholls could move to his preferred hooker spot as Brendan Crosilla returned for one last game ahead of his return to Australia, following two outstanding seasons at prop. Two Academy products in the shape of forward Tom Follows and winger Henry Toomer came on to the bench to earn their First XV ‘caps’ after strong displays in the Second XV.

With a firm pitch it was clear from the outset that this would be a perfect day for attacking play from the backs and given how well the Wells three-quarters had performed in the wins over Guildford and Dorking, the travelling support would have had high hopes of a positive result.  However, as has so often been the case in this league, Wells were slow out of the traps and Brighton had all the early possession which was rewarded when a penalty made it 3-0 to the hosts after 5 minutes. 

 
In fact, the visiting backs hardly got a sniff of the ball in the first quarter as the home side played virtually faultless rugby. “Virtually” is the important word here though as they could not turn this pressure into points. This was testament to fine and determined defending by the boys from St Marks who resolutely held the Sussex team at bay.


What was key to the game was how would Wells perform when when the opportunity to play with the ball finally came. The answer was that their first piece of good possession brought an excellent individual try as Mike Doherty ran onto the ball strongly taking a good line and galloped in from 50 metres shrugging off the Brighton full back as he approached the line. The conversion slipped wide. 3-5. Follows temporarily replaced the injured Josh Hawkins.


It was another 10 minutes before Brighton, finally, utilised their possession and they crossed the line capitalising on an untidy line-out to make it 8-5 on 30 minutes.  To the pleasure of the Wells coaching staff, the response from their players was almost instant with centre Doherty demonstrating his strength again, breaking through the Brighton defensive line and making 15 metres before going to ground.  The ball was recycled with the impressive George Montgomery taking it forward before it went through the hands of Doherty again, Ben Whale (industrious as ever) and Nicholls to in-form winger Max Hobbs. He accelerated into the left hand corner to finish a superb team try. Frank Reynolds’ fine conversion took it to 8-12 at half time.  Considering Wells had just about 20% of possession in the first period some would consider the score flattering, but with stout defence, good competition at breakdown via the likes of Chris Brown and Mike Hathaway, some astute kicking to relieve pressure and most of all a deadly attacking force, the second half was eagerly awaited.


Just three minutes into the second half Wells were on the attack again with the backs spinning the ball from the left touchline to the right. Richard Webster did well taking the tackle, and offloading to the ever-supporting Mike Doherty who created the gap and passed to Hobbs who went in on the far left, carrying round to under the posts for his second try of the match, and his fifth in two games. Reynolds slotted the simple conversion. 8-19.


The Wells scrummage was much more secure this week with Crosilla and Kamil Wiecaszek performing well and with the Kent side very much in the ascendancy it looked simply a matter of time before the bonus point try came. Sure enough on 51 minutes the four-try point was in the bank. A set of phases started with Mike Doherty passing to brother Nick who carried strongly. Great continuity saw the ball pass through many sets of hands before finding its way back to team captain Ryan Taylor-Dennehy in the middle of the park. He had three defenders (one of whom was popular former Wells player Jake Thompson) between him and the line, but the skipper is an elusive runner and he left them flat-footed before gliding in under the posts.  With Reynolds’ conversion the score was now 8-26 but with half an hour to go the game was far from settled.  


To be fair to Brighton they never gave up and their response was immediate taking the score to 15-26 with a converted try. At this point the game became somewhat scrappy with Wells giving away far too many penalties which allowed Brighton to build pressure. Two successful penalty kicks saw the score clawed back to 21-26 with 15 minutes to go. 


Nerves were now starting to spread amongst those on the touchline but the players remained confident that their backs would deliver. Wells were an attacking force throughout when in possession and with 10 minutes left on the clock they had an attacking scrum on the Brighton 22 metre line. The ball was fed out to Henry Toomer, who was now on, and he took a lovely line before jinking his way past four defenders for the score in the corner. What a debut moment!  21-31.  


Wells finally put the win beyond doubt three minutes later with their sixth try. The ball was sent across the pitch at pace to the electric Hobbs, about 60 metres out.  He burst past the defensive line and offloaded to Montgomery giving the centre a 40 metre run in eluding a determined Brighton chaser. The try was converted by Reynolds to make it 21-38. It was deep in stoppage time when Brighton got their third try taking the final score to 26-38. 


Despite some definite areas for improvement – the line-out, loose passing and inefficiency at the re-start all made this game more difficult for Wells – these are exciting times to watch Tunbridge Wells with scintillating back-play paired with full commitment to the cause. 

#oneTWRFC


Squad: Ryan Taylor-Dennehy (Capt); Richard Webster, Mike Doherty, George Montgomery, Max Hobbs; Frank Reynolds, Charlie Rigby;  Kamil Wiecaszek, Stuart Nicholls, Brendan Crosilla, Josh Hawkins, Ben Whale, Mike Hathaway, Chris Brown, Nick Doherty. Subs: Luke Hawkins, Tom Follows, Henry Toomer.


Next week (28th September) Wells host a Hertford side who have performed strongly in this league for several seasons. Kick off is 3 pm and all travelling support would be greatly appreciated.

Elsewhere in the League

Wells remain one of five sides to have won all three games thus far. Wimbledon and Rochford Hundred sit atop the league on 15 points, after 50-19 and 19-40 wins at home to Sevenoaks and away to Bedford Athletic respectively. Guernsey won again at Hertford (17-21) whilst fellow Kent club Sidcup continued their fine start to the season with a tight 26-22 win over Tring. The Channel Islanders, the South-East Londoners and Wells then come next on 14 points. Finally, Dorking and Guildford (the teams Wells had beaten previously) recorded their first victories with home wins over London Irish Wild Geese 22-7 (Dorking) and CS Stags 1863 24-7 (Guildford).


Graham Withers

Match Report: Hertford 33 – 32 TWRFC

Wells came to this last League game of the RFU London and SE season with an unbeaten run going back to a draw with Bedford Athletic at the beginning of March and which had seen them win their last 4 games to reach 7th place of the 14 sides.

The Town side saw the return of Aston Croall and Josh Pankhurst to the front row, Christian Earl to the second row, Dave Allen moved to No 8 and Jake Caddy starting on the right wing.
Wells were off to the better start pressurising their hosts and going ahead with a Frank Reynolds penalty despite his borrowed boots in the 4th minute and then scoring a Jake Caddy try after good work from Mike Doherty on the right and adding a Reynolds conversion for a 0-10 lead after 9 minutes. With Wells on top in most aspects of the game this lead was further stretched on 15 minutes as skipper Ryan Taylor – Dennehy made the break, Frank Reynolds taking the move on and releasing Mike Doherty with a great pass for him to score the unconverted try 0-15.

Hertford have an enviable home record – only lost 3 times there this season – and they were always going to come back into the game which they did on 18 minutes as Wells missed a kick ahead and Josh Corcoran got an unconverted Touch down 5-15. Hertford then applied home pressure camping in the Wells 22 where the back row led by Dave Allen – playing his last game before retirement- put in a brilliant defensive shift to keep Hertford at bay. With Croall and Cressila putting in some big hits along with the ever excellent Mike Hathaway.

Halftime beckoned as Wells conceded a kick to the corner after indiscipline and Hertford made no mistake as they rolled the maul over the line for Tim Matthews to score the try and Sam Walker converting 12-15.

Wells were not finished as with half time seconds away they were awarded a penalty and kicked to the corner. The forwards launched towards the try line and a deft little one two pop pass from Croall to Cressilla saw the latter celebrate his third try of the season under the posts with Reynolds converting for a halftime lead to the Wells of 12-22.

Wells came out for the second half unchanged despite Josh Hawkins being off for a period in the first half with a shoulder problem. Sadly he only lasted 4 minutes of the second before being replaced by Matt Symonds.

A number of handling errors characterised the first ten minutes of the second half for both sides before home fly half Rory Seymour unlocked the defence with a deft chip over the top to catch his own kick and go in under the posts for a converted try 19-22.

George Montgomery was the second visiting player to succumb to injury with Caddy moving inside and Rich Murray replacing him on the wing. As the game approached the last quarter Hertford started to enjoy the lions share of possession as Wells had to increase their tackle count. Despite the Wells players coping in general a loose kick which missed Touch was fielded by Hertford 12 Richard Streets who then completed a mazy run to score on 55 minutes with Walker converting to give Hertford a bonus point try and the lead 26-22.

If Wells were to win they would have to do it the hard way by winning more possession and by occupying a higher field position by using the stiff NE breeze and for a period of fifteen minute this they managed to do. Wells drove to within a meter of the home line on 65 minutes and showed great patience as they eventually went for the line with scrum half Charlie Rigby ensuring the touch down for a try bonus 10 metres wide of the posts. Reynolds could not convert but Wells were back in the lead at 26-27 and just to prove they were not done launched a brilliant attack from the restart with Mike Hathaway scything through the Hertford defence to launch the speedy Hobbs at the line to score halfway out to extend the lead to 26-32 on 67 minutes.

Wells now had to defend this lead against a side who were keen to preserve their home record and with numerous injuries had almost 20 minute to run as Stu Nicholls replaced Josh Pankhurst at hooker.

Wells in the main managed this well with Hathaway, Allen and Earl continuing to physically police Hertford in the tackle but home pressure saw most of the last 10 minutes play taking place in the away 22. A succession of penalty scrums saw Hertford suck in Wells defenders and in the 88 th minute the ball was moved wide to centre Streets who just got the ball down despite close attention from Taylor- Dennehy. Time was up and Walker had a kick 15 metres in from the touchline against the breeze and somehow managed it to seize a one point victory from the jaws of defeat.

This was a monumental game from Wells as both sides scored five tries. It was also farewell to Dave Allen who has graced Blackheath 1st XV, England Counties and the Barbarians before 2 years as a player coach with the Wells. It has been a privilege to have him as part of the town set up and everyone wishes him the best and maybe deep down hope he will change his mind as next season looms large on the calendar.

In the meantime Wells will look at first half of the season lack of consistency as a strong second half secures 7 th place with 2 points earns against Hertford.

Roger Clarke.

Match Report: TWRFC 17 – 10 Sidcup

Four games ago both Tunbridge Wells and Sidcup hovered on the verge of the relegation battle in the London & South East Premier League. However, the Kent rivals had struck such rich veins of form that by the time they met at St Marks the teams had risen to mid-table safety, sitting 8th and 9th respectively on 60 points. Wells had won three and drawn one of these four games whilst the visitors had won their last four so this was very much a case of two in-form sides meeting with county “bragging rights” at stake. Games between the two clubs had been tight affairs in recent years and this had been evident again when the sides played in South London before Christmas where Sidcup triumphed 10-9.

Tunbridge Wells made two changes to the starting team from the win against Dorking with Carl Straeche and Ben Isbell stepping up from the bench to replace the unavailable Aston Croall and the suspended Nick Doherty. Josh Pankhurst, Christian Earle and Jake Caddy returned to the squad as replacements.

Wells kicked off down the St Marks hill with the strong south-easterly win behind them. The home side started on the front foot but a loose pass from Frank Reynolds to Mike Doherty brought the attack to a halt. This was to epitomise a lack of precision that characterised much of the boys in blue’s attacking play in the opening period and another factor was ill discipline that saw the excellent referee penalise Wells frequently. An offside penalty was followed by a tackle offence and on 4 minutes Sidcup outside half Josh Twyford slotted a 35 metre penalty into the wind for a 0-3 lead.

Dave Allen (in what is likely to be his last home game before retirement) and Doherty were evident throughout with ball in hand but whenever Wells lost the ball Sidcup were quick to pounce, sending the ball back into Wells territory. It needed a fine Charlie Rigby clearance kick to relieve the pressure. This was just temporary relief though and when a Reynolds kick was blocked it needed an alert Matt Symonds to recover the ball. A series of attacking line-outs and scrums for the visitors ensued but with the front row of Straeche, Stuart Nicholls and Brendan Crosilla having a clear edge in the scrums, the home team were able to keep the visitors at bay.

Eventually, Wells did get a foot hold in Sidcup territory after strong Allen and Mike Hathaway runs. Even though they could not retain possession Josh Hawkins charged down the attempted clearance kick and looked likely to score a try before the ball skipped away from him on the firm spring ground. Doherty made two good half-breaks but just as he looked about to escape fine last-ditch tackles kept him at bay. This was to prove just a temporary hindrance though. An attacking penalty earned another scrum penalty and from this one Rigby was able to feed Doherty who crashed through two tackles to score a deserved try under the posts making Reynolds’ conversion a simple one on 30 minutes. 7-3.

A raking George Montgomery 50 metre clearance put Wells back into Sidcup territory but the visitors exhibited an effective “catch and drive” game all day and used this to relieve pressure. Indeed, it was they who had the next opportunity but a long-range Twyford penalty fell short into the wind. The men in white looked the more likely to score at this stage but a fine Lucas Scully defensive kick gained 40 metres.

As half-time approached, play was halted as a scuffle took place, much against the spirit of the match to date, which ultimately saw both Wells’ lock Hawkins and Sidcup’s scrum half James Munton sent to the sin-bin for 10 minutes. Sidcup were awarded a penalty but the home-team held firm against the attacking line-out to take a 7-3 lead into half time.

There were understandable concerns as to whether this slim lead would prove sufficient playing up the slope and into the wind but in the wise words of the club President “the wind and slope never makes a lot of difference to us” given the ball-in-hand ambition and nature of the Wells’ play. What was needed was more control and slicker play when in possession and there were to be enough periods of this to secure the win.

However, yet again, the initial signs were ominous as the home side failed to deal with Sidcup s kick-off. This led to an attacking line-out 25 metres out and whilst Wells were aware an attacking catch and drive was the most likely option, knowing it and stopping it are two different things! After moving inexorably forward for 15 metres the maul had seemed to come to a halt but Sidcup remained patient. A second surge then built more momentum and it was second row Joe Thomas who got up with the ball having scored the try. Twyford’s conversion made it 7-10 on 42 minutes.

Sidcup were soon back on attack after a clever Jamie Cutler kick but Wells exhibited super skill sets when great hands from Isbell to fellow Academy-product Scully released the winger into space. He had Montgomery in support but opted to kick-ahead and not only did the ball evade the chasers but Sidcup ran it back and it needed a typically robust Hathaway tackle to bring this to a halt. From the turnover it was Wells who went close as Reynolds was thwarted deep in Sidcup territory. Max Hobbs came off his wing at the attacking scrum but when the ball was spun wide it was lost and Sidcup were able to clear. On 50 minutes hooker Pankhurst replaced Straeche, who had been powerful in the tight, and Nicholls moved sideways to prop.

Sidcup now camped in Wells’ half for 10 minutes but could not turn this pressure into points. Crosilla, Pankhurst and Isbell made big tackles as the blue defensive line held firm. Caddy made a welcome return from injury to replace Scully and soon after Wells regained their lead through a superb individual try. There did not seem to be that much threat when the ball was fed to Doherty on the blind-side 40 metres out but he beat two men with pace and guile before showing strength to power through the last tackle for a terrific try. He had touched down wide on he left making the conversion seemingly impossible for Reynolds into the wind but he struck the ball magnificently to make it 14-10 on 61 minutes.

Shortly after skipper Ryan Taylor-Dennehy, Hobbs and Caddy linked well and a high tackle saw a home line-out 35 metres out. Sidcup were then caught offside and Reynolds cleverly used the wind to send the penalty kick through the posts from 30 metres out on 66 minutes. 17-10.

A fierce Hathaway run from the re-start took Wells back up-field and when Hobbs contested a Rigby box-kick he earned another penalty. This time, though, Reynolds’ penalty shot fell just short. A period of aerial “tennis” then took place before a high tackle by Allen saw the stalwart number 8 given a yellow card and 10 minutes in the sin-bin. With ten minutes of normal time to play could Sidcup take immediate advantage?

The answer was to be a resounding “no”. Their attacking line-out saw a forward drive up the middle but Hathaway secured a crucial tackle turnover and penalty. Into the wind Montgomery took a clever quick tap penalty before linking with Taylor-Dennehy to bring the ball clear. The ball was moved across the pitch and Isbell looked to have released Nicholls for a gallop to glory but the ball went down. Earle now joined the fray for the hard-working Symonds.

Sidcup had several more attacking opportunities but the combination of imprecision and intense pressure from the home side kept them at bay. Reynolds made a long clearance kick and Caddy made good ground via a run as Wells endeavoured to run down the clock. Allen returned and immediately Wells turned over a Sidcup scrum. Time was up and Wells had just edged a hard-fought match.

With one last game to play (away to 5th placed Hertford) Wells move up to 7th on 64 points but will be looking for a win to end their season on as they know that should a series of results go against them they could yet drop to 10th. Kick off is at 3pm and all travelling support will be very welcome.

Squad: Ryan Taylor-Dennehy (Capt); Lucas Scully, (Jake Caddy), Mike Doherty, George Montgomery, Max Hobbs; Frank Reynolds, Charlie Rigby; Carl Straeche (Josh Pankhurst), Stuart Nicholls, Brendan Crosilla, Josh Hawkins, Matt Symonds (Christian Earle), Ben Isbell, Mike Hathaway, Dave Allen.

By Graham Withers

Match Report: Dorking 18 – 23 TWRFC

Having assured themselves of a third season in the London & South East Premier League, the remainder of the Tunbridge Wells campaign is focused on securing as high a finishing place as possible and develop momentum into the fast-approaching off-season.

Wells travelled to Surrey to take on a Dorking side who whilst sitting in 6th (compared Wells’ 11th position) were just four points ahead of them illustrating how competitive this league is. Three players came into the squad with player-coaches Aston Croall and Dave Allen coming in at loose-head prop and flanker and highly promising Academy product Lucas Scully making his First XV debut on the wing. Other changes saw last week’s substitutes Stuart Nicholls, Matt Symonds and Max Hobbs starting at hooker, second row and wing respectively.

The warm sunny afternoon and dry ground conditions at Big Field were in stark contrast to the wet December day at St Marks when Wells had won the reverse encounter 18-3. In front of a large crowd the scene looked set for an exciting and open game and it was the visitors who kicked off playing down the slope.

Wells had a terrific start. Nicholls connected well with his jumpers most of the game and smooth line-out ball set up an attacking position which Dorking could only halt with a penalty. Scrum half Charlie Rigby took a quick tap to set his backs moving and after a typical strong run from the highly-impressive Mike Doherty it was Allen who was in support to power over for the opening try after just three minutes. the conversion from Frank Reynolds slipped wide but it was a heartening way to begin. 0-5.

From the re-start Dorking attacked with gusto and powerful wing Jospeh Mogaji made the first of several runs bursting tackles as he did. However, the Tunbridge Wells cover defence was a feature throughout and all the home team were able to get was a Killian Wilson penalty for offside on 8 minutes. 3-5.

The scrum was proving to be an early bone of contention with refereeing inconsistency sadly contributing much to this. A penalty to Dorking for wheeling put them back on the attack but when they chipped over the cover the ever-reliable skipper Ryan Taylor-Dennehy was there at full back to cover it. Shortly afterwards though the men from St Marks found themselves down to 14 men much to the delight of the home crowd when Wells talisman Nick Doherty was red-carded. The prospect of playing 65 minutes without such a key player produced an ominous feeling for the visiting supporters (especially when Wilson added a second penalty on 17 minutes) but instead they were to be rewarded with an outstanding performance combining committed defence with some periods of exciting attacking play. 6-5.

Wells seemed to be incurring the frequent displeasure of the referee but were holding firm with Mike Hathaway, Josh Hawkins and Brendan Crosilla very prominent in defence. In fact, it was the visitors who were next on the scoreboard on 23 minutes when a high tackle was penalised and Reynolds slotted a penalty to make it 6-8.

The next 15 minutes was to prove the pivotal period though as Dorking dominated possession and territory. Wave after wave of attacks saw the home side exerting immense pressure on Wells and despite some excellent clearing kicks from Rigby and Reynolds, it seemed just a matter of time before the lead changed hands. Dorking’s forwards hammered away at their opponents but Allen, Nicholls et al held firm despite being a man down. When the home team then looked to use their backs, clever defence from Mike Doherty and Hobbs, in which they flew up to smother both man and ball, thwarted the hosts. Hobbs also earned a ruck turnover penalty, before Taylor-Dennehy had to make a brave last-ditch tackle which left him with a dead leg but the line kept in tact.

As half-time approached Dorking were still camped on the Wells line and had an attacking scrum. Could the 7-man Wells pack hold firm? The answer was a resounding yes with the experienced Croall earning his side a crucial penalty. A fine kick from Reynolds saw the ensuing Wells line-out take place just 15 metres from halfway but it needed a determined Allen to secure scrappy ball. The ball was moved into the centre for what was to be a magnificent solo try. Mike Doherty first burst through his opposite number, then side-stepped the full back, before accelerating away to complete a 60 metre run and dive over. A simply superb score which deserved the additional two points when Reynolds kicked the conversion. 6-15. HALF TIME.

Wells had already exhibited immense character to rebound from the disappointment of the red card but it seemed inevitable that the mental and physical exertion would take its toll. Yet, amazingly, it was they who were to look the fresher and stronger team in the second half. Hathaway and Hobbs did a lot of important work carrying balls in different manners – one all power and the other with dancing feet. George Montgomery now also started to exert a more significant influence over proceedings.

On 45 minutes Wells stretched their lead further with a fine team try. Crosilla, Symonds and Hobbs carried before Mike Doherty again found space. He fed Taylor-Dennehy 30 metres out who evaded the first tackler before charging into the Dorking 22. He had Montgomery and Scully in support but then realising he also had the pace to beat the home full-back he dummied and went over himself for a cracking score. Reynolds conversion faded wide but it was now 6-20.

Before long Wells were back on the attack again when good hands from Scully gave Montgomery some space on the outside. His clever chip was gathered by a defender but unfortunately the late tackle on him was not seen and Dorking were able to clear their lines. The game was now opening up but was becoming imprecise in nature. When Dorking went forward Wells’ robust defence was thwarting them and unlike the first half the home side were not able to build momentum and possession. Despite being a man down, Wells were looking increasingly comfortable but their determination to win was going to be even more severely tested when Hawkins received a yellow card for a late tackle on 56 minutes.

It was now 15 against 13 and it must have been demoralising for Dorking that they could not take sufficient advantage of this. One shuddering Hathaway hit and Taylor-Dennehy clearance kick epitomised the visitors efforts although Dorking did cross for one try on 61 minutes when centre Ryan Jeffrey forced his way over. 11-20.

Indeed, Wells themselves came close to scoring when a powerful rolling maul that saw backs join their forward pals was only halted on the line. Ben Isbell joined the fray replacing Hawkins as they were restored to 14 men. Wells were now looking the more likely side to score and whilst an intelligent Rigby kick was collected by Dorking’s Wilson it resulted in an attacking line-out 5 metres out. Could the boys in blue turn the screw? Sadly, there was an accidental offside at the maul but Dorking were simply unable to relive the pressure. Scully (on his way to being awarded Man of the Match) linked well out wide with the industrious Nicholls and when the ball was passed to Reynolds he was tackled high by Rory Mitchell and the Dorking replacement received a yellow card. With Reynolds kicking the penalty it was now 11-23 on 73 minutes.

Wells soon put themselves back into Dorking territory as Allen and Mike Doherty made forward thrusts, ably supported by Symonds and Isbell. Carl Straeche replaced Crosilla. Time was now running out and Wells were on top. An excellent phase of play saw Taylor-Dennehy in space again. With an overlap out wide the bonus-point try looked on but an interception 15 metres from their own line set Dorking away and despite valiant covering efforts from Scully and Hobbs home flanker Josh Grant scored a try that was converted by Wilson. 18-23. There was no nerve-jangling ending though as the final whistle was blown.

Given the circumstance of playing 65 minutes with 14 men (and 10 with 13) this was a superb effort from Tunbridge Wells, and a performance from which Head Coach Simon Whatling and his players can derive an immense amount of pride. They now move up to 8th in the league ahead of the final home game of the campaign this Saturday when they host Kent rivals Sidcup. Like Wells their opponents have hit a rich vein of form, winning their last 4 matches to avoid relegation and move up to 9th. Having lost by a single point in a bruising game at Sidcup when they last met, the home team will be looking for a win in front of their home support and kick off at St Marks is 3pm.

Squad: Ryan Taylor-Dennehy (Capt); Lucas Scully, Mike Doherty, George Montgomery, Max Hobbs; Frank Reynolds, Charlie Rigby; Aston Croall, Stuart Nicholls, Brendan Crosilla, Josh Hawkins, Matt Symonds, Mike Hathaway, Dave Allen, Nick Doherty. Subs: Carl Straeche, Ben Isbell, Rich Murray.

Match Report: CS Stags 19 – 31 TWRFC

Wells travelled to Chiswick on a very windy Saturday afternoon to try and right the wrongs from the week before, when they threw a 17 point lead away in the last 5 minutes of the game. The squad had worked hard during the week knowing that CS Stags would be a very tough opponent. On the very open sports field the wind was howling down the pitch and Wells chose to play into the wind first half. The game kicked off and was stalemate for the first 25 minutes before back rower Nick Doherty was sin binned after a team warning. Stags took advantage of the extra man and 3 minutes later scored between the posts after the ball was fumbled at the back. They converted making it 7-0 and soon after scored again off a lineout which they converted taking the game to 14-0. Doherty returned and Wells were soon on the attack, with wave after wave, though pick and drives, Hathaway powered over the line which Reynolds successfully converted. Wells came out for the second half playing with the wind and they came out of the blocks very quickly. A quick line out between Crosilla and Pankhurst, saw the ball go through quick hands with Montgomery taking a straight line which split the Stags defence for him to be driven over the line by his pack. Again successfully converted by Reynolds. 14-14. Soon after the physical and attacking defence took its toll on Stags, with the Stags second row, their most influential player taking a head knock and having to leave the field, soon followed by the scrum half and a back row player. This soon told and Wells started to take a hold of the game and they scored further tries through Taylor-Dennehy and Mike Doherty.

The back row of Doherty, Hathaway and Isbell were immense, making driving runs and putting up a solid defence, with strong carrying by Crosilla making scrum half Rigby’s afternoon mainly on the front foot. With 5 minutes to go Stags broke through what had been a solid defensive wall and scored out wide taking the score to 19-24. Wells had learned their lesson from the week before, they kicked off, Rigby turned the ball over and the forwards took control once again. From 10 phases of play and excellent possession of the ball, it was spun wide for Mike Doherty to round off an excellent team performance and score between the posts for Reynolds to convert. Final score 19-31.

Wells will take a lot of positives from this game and now look to secure their place in the London & SE Premier League when Chingford visit St Marks in two weeks time on 23rd March. 3pm KO. Wells will need 5 points from that game to secure their place for next Season.

John Crees
Tunbridge Wells RFC Chairman

Match Report: TWRFC 26 – 5 Chingford

Tunbridge Wells hosted Chingford at St Marks in their penultimate home game of this season’s London & South East Premier League campaign. There has been close recent history between the two clubs with Wells winning a promotion play-off at Chingford in extra time two years ago by 2 points and then losing by the same margin when travelling to Essex before Christmas.

Added spice was provided by the fact that Wells knew that a victory, coupled with results elsewhere, would guarantee their place in the league for next season and subject their visitors to the disappointment of relegation. Whilst Chingford had lost 7 of their last 8 games, five of these had been by just one score and they had also drawn against Wimbledon who sit second in the league so this was unlikely to be an easy game. However, this is a resurgent Wells team who bounced back from conceding three late tries in a home draw against Bedford Athletic to record a crucial win at CS Stags two weeks ago. The home starting XV was unchanged form that which had won in Chiswick with the only change being Matt Symonds coming onto the bench.

The home team kicked off playing down the hill with the strong cross-breeze behind them and were immediately on the attack. Initial thrusts were thwarted but when Chingford were penalised (which was a recurring theme of the day) Wells gained a new foothold and opened the scoring on 8 minutes. Good carries from prop Brendan Crosilla and wing Jake Caddy took Wells into the visitors 22 before outside half Frank Reynolds scythed through the defence and passed to the ever-excellent Mike Hathaway. The flanker touched down under the posts making Reynolds’ conversion a simple one. 7-0.

The nerves stemming from the importance of the match were evident throughout and were typified by a Wells knock-on and penalty from the restart. To the relief of home supporters Scott Meakin’s penalty attempt went wide. The strong running Number 8 David Ogufere broke tackles for the visitors but a knock-on halted progress. However, Chingford’s pressure was to be rewarded on 16 minutes. A powerful run from centre Sam Kendall put the Essex side on the front foot and when the ball was spun wide prop David Banfield stepped a defender and showed great pace to score the try. However, the conversion was missed. 7-5.

Wells bounced back immediately. Caddy, Nick Doherty and George Montgomery combined well but an excellent last-ditch tackle thwarted the men from St Marks. The ensuing defensive scrum proved to be something of a turning point though. The Wells front-row of Carl Straeche, Josh Pankhurst and Crosilla had the edge in the scrums throughout and when Ogufere tried to drive from the base of his scrum he was upended by Charlie Rigby and Hathaway and not only was a scrum awarded to Wells but he suffered an injury that was to hinder him thereon in. From the attcking scrum Nick Doherty and Hathaway drove onwards before the impressive Crosilla plunged over between the posts. Reynolds’ conversion made it 14-5 on 24 minutes.

Chingford missed another penalty before a clever kick by scrum-half Rigby put Wells into the Chingford red zone again. The match was becoming something of a clash of styles with Wells looking to put the ball through the hands and use width whilst Chingford’s game was much more direct in its approach. Ill discipline was costing the visitors and at one stage three successive penalties saw Wells make 65 metres. Despite a fine Christian Earle catch and drive Wells could not stretch their lead and frustration was evident. It needed a thrusting run from skipper Ryan Taylor-Dennehy to settle his team down. The injured Caddy was replaced by Max Hobbs, who was to have an exhilarating second half.

As the game moved into stoppage time the home support were desperate for another score down the hill and they were to be rewarded by an excellent team try. A Montgomery kick pushed Wells forward and patient play, highlighted by runs from Straeche and Hathaway, saw the ball spun out and good hands from Rigby and Montgomery put second row Josh Hawkins into space. The athletic forward galloped over for the try. Unfortunately, Reynolds’ conversion attempt hit the post but it did result in a more comfortable 19-5 half time lead.

With the visitors now playing down the St Marks hill and with the wind at their backs, the game was still very much up for grabs. The first half has been staccato in nature and Wells had benefited from some imprecise play by their opponents. What Wells needed was a strong start but it seemed ominous when they were turned over from the kick-off. However, this was not to set the tone for the half though as Wells were to see off the threat posed by Chingford relatively comfortably.

The irrepressible Hathaway earned a turnover penalty as the penalty count against the visitors rose ever upwards. It was, therefore, very much against the tone of the game when Crosilla received a yellow card on 53 minutes for what was deemed to be a dangerous tackle. Stuart Nicholls came on as a temporary replacement for wing Rich Murray to cover for Crosilla. The game had now became very scrappy which did Wells no harm given they were ahead and it took two thrilling counter-attack runs from Hobbs to elevate the standard of play. Chingford were determined in their efforts as they tried to save their season but one particularly fine Mike Doherty run took away their momentum.

On the hour Chingford were awarded a penalty 30 metres out and, with Wells a man down, the attacking line-out that looked destined to follow set alarm bells ringing. Much to the relief of home fans the kick was sent dead and this was to be the key moment in the game. Shortly afterwards a 35 metre Hobbs run took Wells into the Chingford half. The brothers Doherty made strong runs to set Wells back on the attack and after another “typical” Nick Doherty break and offload, Reynolds linked superbly with Montgomery who cruised over for the very popular bonus-point try which Reynolds converted. 26-5 on 64 minutes.

Matt Symonds and Nicholls now joined the fray for Earle and Straeche who could be satisfied by a job well done. Chingford continued to make one-out attacks but nothing more came from them with both Murray and Ben Isbell making crucial tackles. Taylor-Dennehy and Hobbs linked well to gain territory but despite a series of good attacking positions the home team were not to cross the line again. Beating off strong competition Charlie Rigby was named man of the match.

Full time was reached with a 26-5 win and with Brentwood losing to Sutton & Epsom, Tunbridge Wells had secured their place in the league for 2019/20 with three games to spare. Now the aim is to achieve as high a league position as is possible in a highly-competitive division to gain momentum into the off-season. This quest begins on Saturday (30th) with a trip to Dorking. Kick off is 3pm and all support would be gratefully received by the players.

Squad: Ryan Taylor-Dennehy (Capt); Jake Caddy (Max Hobbs), Mike Doherty, George Montgomery, Rich Murray; Frank Reynolds, Charlie Rigby; Carl Straeche (Stuart Nicholls), Josh Pankhurst, Brendan Crosilla, Josh Hawkins, Christian Earle (Matt Symonds), Ben Isbell, Mike Hathaway, Nick Doherty.

Scorers: Tries – Hathaway, Crosilla, Hawkins, Montgomery; Cons – Reynolds (3).

Graham Withers