Tunbridge Wells started this season’s London South East Premier League with a flourish but 2019 ended as something of a damp squib with two disappointing (and heavy) defeats in December. Brighton might well have arrived at St Marks in a relegation spot at 13th but they were just 16 points behind the hosts in 7th and had showed much-improved form in the past few games. With Wells’ next three games being against teams in the top four this was a game that they could ill-afford to lose.

The match day squad featured four changes from the last game at Dorking and, in particular, featured the very welcome return from long-term injury of Rich Murray and the hugely influential Mike Hathaway. Player-Coach Aston Croall came in at prop for his first game since impressing against Sevenoaks and flanker James Pancaldi was also back after his man of the match effort in defeat at Sidcup. This saw something of a reshuffle in the starting XV. Josh Hawkins moved into the second row as Charley Smith went to the bench, to be joined by Ben Isbell as Pancaldi and Hathaway edged ahead of them in the back row; in the backs skipper Ryan Taylor-Dennehy returned to his customary full-back spot as Murray replaced him at centre and Angus Horne had his first start on the right wing.

Bright sunshine and a blue sky greeted the teams and the playing surface had recovered well. Tunbridge Wells kicked off playing down the slope with an unusual north-westerly breeze behind them. A switch of direction that was dealt with by Brighton via a boxed clearance kick However, Taylor-Dennehy seemed back to something approaching his best form throughout and he returned the ball into the visitors half before connecting with Horne who made ground.

It needed a fine break by Brighton skipper David McIlwaine to relieve early pressure as the outside half took the ball back towards the halfway line before his pass to his supporting runners went into touch. When the Wells line-out was over thrown Brighton had a scrum put in. Wells were, though, to have a significant edge at the set scrum all game with Tui Tauaika strong and Croall exerting huge pressure from the tight-head position. Agy Eukaliti and Hathaway took the ball on before Reynolds made an excellent break, only for his final pass to go astray.

Wells was soon back on the attack with a superb Nick Doherty charge making 25 metres before the supporting Hathaway was hauled to ground with the ball. A try scoring opportunity was still on offer but when the ball went wide to the right the Brighton defence was up quickly exerting pressure and forcing a knock on. The visitors clearing kick was well dealt with by scrum half Eddie Croft who linked with Taylor-Dennehy and Mike Doherty before Reynolds made further in-roads with ball in hand. However, McIlwaine was able to steal the ball at the ruck and was awarded a penalty, enabling his team to clear their lines.

Isbell was now on as temporary blood replacement for Nicholls. Wells were very much in charge at the stage and after another series of phase play they were awarded a penalty which Reynolds converted from 30 metres in front of the posts. 3–0 after 16 minutes.

The tide was starting to turn in Brighton’s favour (despite one outrageous Croall pass between his legs!) as Wells started to fall foul of the referee. Discipline issues saw a rapid series of penalties in favour of the visitors so that after 25 minutes the count was 5-1 in favour of the men from Sussex. Imprecision was hurting them, though, and one misdirected penalty kick to touch simply gave Reynolds the opportunity to fire a wind-assisted drop out deep into Brighton territory. Nick Doherty was clearly enjoying have his long-standing back row colleague Hathaway back, and they combined again before a fine Taylor-Dennehy touch kick took Wells into the visitors 22. Hawkins seemed to have stolen the ball legitimately at the next breakdown but was (perhaps) harshly penalised and Brighton received another penalty to add to their collection……. 

This led to another period of Brighton being encamped in the home half. An attacking line-out produced a dangerous maul that appeared to be moving inexorably towards the Wells line before it splintered and went to ground. Unfortunately, Mr Lamb (who was to have a very good game) deemed it to have been halted illegally and another penalty awarded. The line-out was knocked on to Wells’ relief, and the home front row then once again put their opponents under pressure and were awarded a clearing penalty.

Neither side’s line-out worked particularly efficiently in the first half but it was Brighton who had the lion’s share of possession in the second quarter and they looked to use an expansive game to exploit this. The Wells defence was proving robust though, with the likes of Eukaliti and Croall making influential tackles in wide channels. After several minutes of attacking play it was Hathaway who secured a key turnover and Taylor-Dennehy’s kick took Wells back into their opponents half.

The game was very open at this stage and this suits the way Wells want to play. An excellent Pancaldi offload put Hathaway surging into space and he burst through a tackle as he made 25 metres. Brighton’s scrambling defence prevented him from finding the supporting players he had on either side, but when he was eventually dragged to ground he was just 10 metres short. Croft was able to get quick ball to his backs and Mike Doherty’s eye for a miss-pass saw him find winger Horne who crossed for his first try at this level. With Reynolds’ straight-forward conversion it was now 10-0 on 35 minutes.

The try-scorer was soon back in the thick of the action when he chased up his own kick and delivered a thumping tackle that belied his physical stature. It was certainly well received by the 150 or so predominantly home supporters! The last few minutes of the half saw Max Hobbs and Tauaika link well in attack and some further impressive Eukaliti, Pancaldi and Hawkins defensive work as Wells secured a hard-earned but deserved half-time lead. 10-0.

On returning to the field for the second period Brighton would have been justifiably optimistic of turning matters around with the advantage of the slope and breeze. However, it is something of a truism that in recent years Wells seem to have played their best rugby playing up the hill towards the clubhouse and this was to be the case once again. In fact, the second half was to witness as good a 40 minutes of rugby as the boys from St Marks have produced all season.

Wells had a lot of good field position in the first half but, thwarted by robust Brighton defence and poor discipline, they had struggled to convert this into points. There was no doubt that their supporters would have liked to see an early score in the second half to settle any anxieties and they were to get their wish.

Reynolds was having a huge influence on the game and when another of his long territory-gaining kicks was only partially cleared, the home side had an early attacking line-out 35 metres out. Tauaika hit Hawkins before the prop (come ‘thrower-in’) peeled around the tail and into the heart of the Brighton midfield defence. Reynolds then put centre Mike Doherty into the sort of midfield gap the ‘try machine’ thrives on. Bursting clear from 30 metres he showed too much power and pace for the defenders before diving over for a try that Reynolds converted with aplomb. 43 minutes played and it was now 17-0.

From the re-start number eight Doherty took responsibility for the clearance kick. McIlwaine tried to launch another attack for the visitors but after his initial break the follow up pass went forward and Wells had a scrum 10 metres inside their own half. The scrum set-piece was much improved by the presence of Croall and Brighton were penalised again for collapsing.

This gave Wells a fine attacking platform that they were to exploit to its full potential. Hawkins again soared high to secure the line-out before a powerful maul was set. This made 20 metres before the ball found Horne coming off his wing for an incisive run that ended with him slipping a lovely pass to the supporting Murray, for the ever-popular centre to mark his first game back with a try. That it was virtually under the posts made the score even better as Reynolds popped over the extra two. 24-0 on 48 minutes.

Although there was still over half an hour to play this felt like the decisive moment in the game. From the kick-off Eukaliti was able to secure the ball with ease and Wells were soon back in the Brighton half. Tauaika and Hathaway again drove powerfully forward before Nicholls received more running repairs. The hooker has become an integral part of the starting line-up this season and all were relieved to see him continue.

It was, therefore, somewhat against the run of play when Brighton eventually troubled the scorers. A penalty saw an attacking line- out and after McIlwhinie’s initial break, full-back Maxx Morris showed exquisite footwork and good pace to cross for an unconverted try. 24-5 after 55 minutes.

To be fair, though, this was the only time the visitors were to threaten the Wells line until deep into injury time. It was the home team who resumed control and then further extended their lead. After a Brighton forward pass, Wells again secured their own solid scrum ball and this enabled a typical Nick Doherty power-packed run. He linked with Reynolds who found the ever-eager Croft. When the ball was released from the ruck to Reynolds again, the Kent County 10 made a thrusting run breaking two tackles before a sublime offload to Hathaway who became the second returning player to cross the whitewash. It was fitting that it was these two players who combined for the bonus point try as on a day of excellent individual performances these were arguably the stand-out pair. Reynolds added the extra two to complete a satisfying 100% kicking day too. After 61 minutes this made it 31-5.

Harvey Colangelo replaced Murray (which saw the versatile Horne move to outside centre) and Charley Smith came on for Hawkins in the second row. Another Nick Doherty run took play away from the Wells line before a raking Reynolds clearance kick made 40 metres. Hathaway should have been mightily pleased with his comeback game and now made way for Isbell. 

Brighton, to their credit, were still trying to create opportunities but Wells now had their measure and even a seemingly clever kick through was comfortably dealt with by Isbell. Indeed, this put Wells back on the front foot as Taylor-Dennehy burst forward before finding Tauaika. As Wells tried to go wide a Brighton defender knocked the ball forward and as this was correctly deemed deliberate, the visitors were now temporarily down to 14 men as a yellow card was shown.

Wells opted for the attacking scrum and a slick backs move almost saw Horne get outside his opposite man to put Hobbs into space on the left. Fine continuity saw the ball make its way to Nicholls on the right-wing and he beat two men before finding Colangelo with an inside pass. Just as the replacement looked like he might get over desperate defence thwarted him. However, it was at the expense of a penalty 5 metres out and with such scrum dominance there was no surprise when Taylor-Dennehy opted for the set piece. There was a certain inevitability about the outcome as the men in blue moved towards the Brighton line and a deliberate collapse gave the referee little option but to award a Penalty Try. 38-5 after 76 minutes.

As the game moved into injury time Brighton looked likely to cross in the right corner but a superb Mike Doherty and Colangelo combined tackle thwarted them in front of the eagle-eyed linesman. Hawkins returned for Nicholls and Murray replaced a limping Taylor-Dennehy but even though replacement Smith received a yellow card for illegally halting a rolling maul, Wells were determined to prevent any further breaches and they managed this until a Reynolds kick to touch brought the final whistle. 

With such a tough run of games ahead of them this month, this could prove to be a crucial bonus-point win. It will, however, be the manner of this win, as much as anything else, that will undoubtedly please Head Coach Simon Whatling. The return from injury of important players and a much stronger set-piece will be other encouraging elements to take into this week’s preparation for the task away next week at 4th placed Hertford. Kick off is 2pm.

Squad: Ryan Taylor-Dennehy (Capt); Angus Horne, Rich Murray (Harvey Colangelo), Mike Doherty, Max Hobbs; Frank Reynolds, Eddie Croft; Tui Tauaika, Stuart Nicholls, Aston Croall, Agy Eukaliti, Josh Hawkins (Charley Smith), James Pancaldi, Mike Hathaway (Ben Isbell), Nick Doherty.

Elsewhere in the League
Guernsey continue at the top of the table, but only just, after leaving it late to win a hard-fought game 14-8 against Wells’ opponents next week Hertford. Rochford Hundred’s 59-7 bonus point win over Bedford Athletic means they are now just one point (67 v 66) behind the Channel Islanders. Despite having a game in hand. Wimbledon are now 6 points back in third after Sevenoaks’ superb 24-16 bonus point win over them at Knole Paddock. This keeps Sevenoaks in fifth place on 40 points, one behind 4th placed Hertford, and one ahead of Dorking (who came from 26-8 behind to win 26-30 at London Irish Wild Geese) and us on 39 points. Sidcup won 22-34 at Tring to stay 8th on 35 points ahead of the team they beat on 30.

It is getting very tight in the relegation places with the 5 remaining teams covered by 10 points, and with bottom side Guildford showing some real fight as epitomised by a 10-10 draw at CS Stags 1863. Stags are 10th on 24, ahead of Bedford Athletic (on points difference), Wild Geese on 22, Brighton on 18 and Guildford on 14. 

Next week’s stand out games are at the top and the bottom. It doesn’t get much bigger than when first play second as Guernsey host Rochford Hundred, whilst at the bottom Brighton v London Irish Wild Geese could also prove highly significant. Wimbledon will be looking to bounce back at home to Tring.

Graham Withers

The final whistle had blown and despite having witnessed another pair of typically robust performances from his sons Mike and Nick, Mr Doherty senior turned to me and said “The only positive is that it didn’t rain”. That was not completely fair as once again one could not fault the 18 boys in blue for their effort and commitment but it did sum up the palpable sense of frustration felt by players and supporters alike. Let’s be honest –  Dorking deserved their win, but a lack of spark and precision by Wells coupled with being on the wrong end of some key refereeing decisions at crucial times thwarted their efforts to take anything from this last game before the festive break. Oh, and then the heavens opened again anyway….

The locals colloquially refer to their ground as “Big Field” so it was a shade ironic when the match was switched from the usual First XV clubhouse pitch to a more distant one. This was small (which was to be to our detriment given our preferred expansive style) and had a slope running down the pitch that makes St Marks seem almost flat!! However, the surface was excellent given the wet weather we have all experienced and Dorking should be applauded for getting the game on.

Wells made three changes to the team that started at Sidcup. Ollie Allman had a well-deserved start at full back, which saw skipper Ryan Taylor-Dennehy move into the centre. Richard Webster returned from injury on the right wing and university student Ben Isbell replaced the unavailable James Pancaldi in the number 7 shirt. One additional change saw Academy and Tonbridge School product Angus Horne come onto the bench ahead of earning his first cap.

With the advantage of the slope in the first half, Dorking kicked off via a cheeky grubber kick to try and take advantage of the slippery surface which was well fielded by Isbell, earning a scrum. From this first opportunity, inside-centre Mike Doherty burst into space to beat three defenders before being finally brought to ground 50 metres from where he had started. With all the Dorking back-Iine offside just 10 metres out a penalty looked inevitable but, unfortunately, it did not come and and when Allman was halted he ball was lost and the hosts were with able to kick clear.

Indeed, Dorking’s ability to relieve pressure via the use of the boot was a major difference between the two teams as they consistently won the kicking battle. Home full back Killian Wilson, in particular, was a notable thorn in the side of Wells throughout in this regard.

Dorking earned a penalty at the next scrum and kicked the ball deep into Wells territory before a massive Taylor-Dennehy return of almost 50 metres put the ball back to halfway; when the home line-out was disrupted Wells were able to gain a scrum feed. The Wells scrum  has struggled under pressure this season but this was to be a much better effort against a bigger pack with Tui Tauaika, Stuart Nicholls and Carl Straeche  more than holding their own for most of the match (even taking one first half set-piece against the head). On this occasion, it did need some excellent Nick Doherty tidying up work at the base of the scrum to release scrum half Eddie Croft, and his kick made ground.

Shortly after, Dorking did win a scrum penalty and kicked deep into Wells territory. From the line-out their forward surge was thwarted with a  particularly big Nicholls tackle being well received by the significant travelling support. However, a penalty was given at the ruck for players being off their feet and home outside half Cameron Pimlow slotted the kick from directly in front of the posts. 3–0 after 9 minutes.

The visitors from Kent spent quite a bit of the first period in the opposition’s half with Josh Hawkins and Agy Eukaliti getting through a lot of work, together with the irrepressible Nick Doherty. However, Wells’ attempt to gain a toe-hold in Dorking territory now was thwarted when the home side’s flanker Freddie Dalton was able to secure fine turnover. It was to be the first of several he managed to do in the game.

Whilst the Wells scrum was performing better, the line-out was sadly, having something of a “hit and miss” sort of day. On 17 minutes an overthrown ball was collected by Straeche who made good yardage before setting up a platform from which Taylor-Dennehy looked to attack. However, when the ball was turned over another booming 50 metre clearance from Wilson soon put the men from St Marks back in defensive mode. For the best part, the Wells defensive effort was a robust one with Charley Smith, Hawkins and and both Doherty brothers very much to the fore.  On 22 minutes a strong surging run by the younger Doherty took Wells back over halfway before a neck roll by a supporting player was spotted and  penalised. 

This gave the home side another sound attacking platform and this time they were not to be denied. Although the initial maul was successfully sacked, Dorking remained patient in the face of strong tackling from Eukaliti and co but 15 driving phases later, home lock Jean-Pierre Alberts powered over under the posts for a try converted by Pimlow. 25 minutes played and it was now 10–0.

Soon after, a crucial flash-point was to occur which could have seen the match turn out very differently. Following a strong Straeche tackle on halfway,  Hawkins legally tackled the scrum-half as he got his box kick off. However, this seemed to upset the home forwards and a melee ensued in which some punches appeared to be thrown by a player in red and white. The referee looked to have an excellent vantage point for the incident but decided that the best course of action was a general warning to both sides and to restart with a set scrum. It has to be said that both sets of supporters appeared to be somewhat bemused by this.

Shortly after, another roll of the dice seemed not to go the Wells’ way. A fine Reynolds territorial kick seemed to have done the trick when it glanced off Wilson’s foot and went behind dead at the Dorking end. Surely, this would give Wells an attacking scrum 5 metres out? However, the referee determined that the ball had not touched the home player and, consequently, the Surrey side had a scrum 10 metres inside their own half. This proved the catalyst for a major momentum shift after Allman’s clearing kick drifted marginally out on the full. The line-out gave Dorking a chance to build an attacking platform and although they was held at bay they were rewarded with a scrum. The back row attacked forcefully and despite several last-ditch tackles from Wells, home hooker James Catton burrowed over for a try, converted by Pimlow to make it 17–0 after 38 minutes.

Despite not getting the rub of the green, the visitors were still very much in the game given they were playing up the hill, and finally got on the board as the clock ticked into injury time. Another powerful 25 metre Nick Doherty run was well defended by Dorking but the back line was caught offside in the next phase, and outside half Frank Reynolds slotted the kick from 18 metres. Half-time 17–3.

In spite of the slippery conditions, both teams had shown a good level of ambition in the first 40 minutes. With the advantage of the slope Wells was certainly in the match at this stage and would have been hoping to use this to build pressure and then try and release their most dangerous runners….. neither Webster or Max Hobbs had received any ball to use in dangerous positions. Indeed, in Hobbs’ case I am not sure he had his hands on the ball in any position! 

I think it is fair to say that the second half was very much one for the purists, or at least for those supporting the men in red and white. The initial signs were positive for Wells when they were able to charge down Dorking’s first clearance kick to gain a foothold in the opposition 22. Isbell, Tauaika and Smith carried strongly but it was troublesome home flanker Dalton who again snaffled the ball at an attacking ruck. 

A good Croft box kick put pressure on the home side but when they were able to kick clear themselves this led to a game of “kick tennis”. Such interludes can be quite satisfying when you emerge with the ball or territorial advantage at the end of it. However, this was not to be one such occasion for Wells. Indeed, as play suddenly opened up, Dorking spotted that there was a mismatch on the left wing as Tauaika was exposed trying to defend against outside backs. As the left-wing made ground down the outside  it took a fine Nick Doherty and Webster combined cover, tackle to haul him to ground just three metres short. To be fair, home forward Jasper King had done exceptionally well to be in support but it looked to all in the near vicinity that he was held on his back over the line when trying to ground the ball. However, the referee blew his whistle to award a try just before he rolled on to his front to ground the ball. Did his support deserve a try?  Yes. Did he get the ball down? I am afraid to say that it was certainly not clear. Horne now made his First XV debut replacing Webster on the wing and the score stretched to 24–3 after 46 minutes.

The match now turned into something of an arm wrestle played between the two teams 22 metre lines. There were only a small number of  promising phases for both teams but for Wells Tauaika was driving hard and Straeche was much more prominent in the loose than in recent games. With 25 minutes to play, the home team could (and perhaps should) have been down to 14 men for at least 10 minutes when Tauaika was tackled high 5 metres out from the try line was in front of the referee. He adjudged (helpfully telling the crowd) that the tackle had started on the upper chest before rising to his head only to then surprise the nearby spectators by deeming a penalty sufficient justice. Wells still had a good attacking opportunity but the ensuing maul was turned over and Pimlow made a siege boot clearance away from danger.

The visitors were still able to secure a decent supply of ball but everything seemed a bit frantic behind the scrum. If anything, it seemed to be a case of players trying just a little too hard, perhaps born out of frustration that moves were not being carried through with the requisite precision.

Croft was making a nuisance of himself around the ruck and was able to steal a ball that set up another powerful Tauaika drive up the middle and he was supported well by a fierce Hawkins clear out. However, epitomising the afternoon that the Wells backs were now having, slow ball was knocked on and Dorking were again able to kick the ball deep into the visitor’s territory. With 13 minutes to go Wells now made the first of their final substitutions with Tom Follows replacing the industrious (but injured) Hawkins, and shortly after the bench emptied when Harvey Colangelo replaced Hobbs.

To be fair to the hosts they were looking increasingly comfortable in dealing with whatever Wells threw at them and although other another strong Nick Doherty run made good yardage, a lack of support saw the ball turned over again. Wells kept working hard and Follows, in particular, was unlucky when a perfectly good steal was adjudged to be a knock on. Sadly, for Wells, this was to be a precursor for a disappointing end to the game. 
Somewhat out of the blue, a determined Dorking drive earned a scrum penalty which was kicked for an attacking line-out 15 metres away from the Tunbridge Wells line. After a series of drives, a penalty was awarded and with the home crowd baying for a yellow card, the unfortunate Nicholls was sent to the sin bin. Another line-out was set but Wells did well to again take it to ground legally. Dorking continued to hammer away at the Wells line before prop Brenton Greaves was deemed to have grounded the ball over the line although witnesses were not so sure as to whether the ball have actually left his grasp or not……The conversion from Pimlow completed a 100% place kicking effort for him and although Wells did have one last attack stemming from an offside penalty nothing was to come from it.

Full time and it was Dorking who left the pitch to the raucous cheers of the home followers with a deserved win and the four-try bonus point; a bonus point that was the see them replace Wells in sixth position in the league, with Wells now 7th at Christmas.

Squad:  Ollie Allman; Richard Webster (Angus Horne), Ryan Taylor-Dennehy (Capt),Mike Doherty, Max Hobbs (Harvey Colangelo); Frank Reynolds, Eddie Croft; Tui Tauaika, Stuart Nicholls, Carl Straeche, Agy Eukaliti, Charley Smith, Josh Hawkins (Tom Follows), Ben Isbell, Nick Doherty.

Elsewhere in the League
Guernsey will go into Christmas on top of the table on 63 points after a comfortable 7-47 win at Brighton. Rochford Hundred remain second after toughing out a 10-22 win at 4th placed Herford. They did not pick up the try bonus point though, so are now just one ahead of Wimbledon (61 and 60 points) who did collect all 5 points in a 43-10 home win over CS Stags 1863, and have the game in hand at St Marks in February. Hertford are 20 points back in 4th, and with the Sidcup v Sevenoaks game waterlogged, our friends up the A21 stay in 5th on 35. Dorking’s late bonus-point try moves them to 6th on 34 points, ahead of us on points difference ((+42 v -31). Sidcup sit 8th on 30 points, now just one ahead of Tring who had an important 24-38 bonus point win at Bedford Athletic. The Bedfordshire team are 5 points back on 24 (after collecting a 4-try bonus), two ahead of CS Stags on 22. London Irish Wild Geese will have been very disappointed to go down 22-13 at bottom-placed Guildford and fill the first relegation spot in 12th on 20. Brighton (our next opponents) are 13th on 18 and Guildford should not be written off quite yet it seems on 12.

A well-earned festive break now ensues but there are some big games to look forward to on 4th January. After two heavy defeats on the road, our home game v Brighton is now a very significant one if we do not want to get dragged in to the bottom-half dogfight. First take on 4th as Guernsey host Hertford and 5th play 3rd as Sevenoaks entertain Wimbledon. At the bottom, Guildford will be in need of a positive return from CS Stags. 

Don’t forget the Boxing Day charity game as TWRFC All Stars take on Skinners Old Boys with an 11am kick off at St Marks. Further information from Fran Colangelo francolangelo@me.com.

I hope to see some of you at the club for a Pepsi Cola and, in the meantime, offer the very warmest of festive wishes from the Withers Family.

Graham Withers

Tunbridge Wells travelled to South London to face a Sidcup side who were pleased to welcome back some key players from injury. The visitors were able to make just one change from the side that had beaten Bedford Athletic two weeks ago with Josh Hawkins covering Ben Whale’s pre-arranged sabbatical in the back row, and Tom Follows coming onto the bench.

Sidcup are able to play their games under floodlights, which can add to a raucous home atmosphere, but with little breeze to speak of and good underfoot conditions the healthy travelling support were justifiably optimistic of an open game and a Wells win. Sadly, whilst it was indeed an “open” match, it was the Sydney Road faithful who were sinking the celebratory post-match beers.

The home side kicked off playing towards the clubhouse and the opening 10 minutes was characterised by a mixture of kicking for territory by Sidcup and Wells trying to counter by moving the ball wide. The in-form wing Max Hobbs was very much involved but sometime, perhaps, the desire to get the ball to him was at the expense pf creating space first. The Wells back line seemed a shade flat throughout – both in terms of positioning and energy – and this was to lead to both interceptions and spilt ball as the home side played on the edge of the offside line.

Having received a penalty at the first scrum of the game, Sidcup kicked to gain an attacking line-out and it needed strong defence form Agy Eukaliti and Josh Hawkins to hold them at bay after a good back-peel move. James Pancaldi was industrious throughout and he made a fine steal to relieve the pressure. However, the next scrum saw a further penalty and it was surprising that the home side’s excellent goal-kicking outside half Josh Twyford pushed his kick wide from 35 metres.

Sidcup’s indside-centre Colby McMahon was used effectively and another bustling run put Sidcup on the attack prior to Pancaldi and Eukaliti combining to steal the ball. Hobbs set off down the left-wing in a dangerous looking counter-attack but when his inside pass went astray on halfway it was Sidcup who reacted quickest. Switching the ball fluidly to the opposite wing it was centre Oli Vidgeon who dummied and went over from 30 metres for a try converted by Twyford on 13 minutes. 7-0.

The hosts were in the ascendancy and despite another important Pancaldi tackle, a clever grubber kick pushed Wells back. However, Tui Tauaika and Eukaliti connected at the line-out and Frank Reynolds cleared well. Sidcup had the ball again on half-way but when it was lost Eddie Croft fed Nick Doherty who found his brother Mike to kick-start a dangerous counter-attack. George Montgomery took it on and released Reynolds but he was hauled down agonisingly short. Tauaika, showing great mobility for a prop, was thwarted as he tried to drive over but Nick Doherty was typically opportunistic reaching over from the base of the ruck for an unconverted try. 7-5 after 24 minutes.

Sadly for Wells, every time they scored Sidcup came back strongly as the men from St Marks proved to be imprecise at the re-starts. A clever Sidcup kick put the visitors back deep in their own 22 and when the hosts were awarded a free-kick for a line-out offence the alarm bells started to ring. Opting for a scrum, Sidcup earned a penalty when the Wells pack collapsed. There was then a certain inevitability when the next scrum did likewise as it moved backwards and the referee correctly awarded a Penalty Try. This made it 14-5 after 28 minutes. 

A scrappy period of play now ensued during which the ever-willing Hobbs received a heavy blow to his leg and was replaced by Ollie Allman, who moved to full-back with Taylor-Dennehy going onto the wing. When Pancaldi earned a penalty at the breakdown Wells had the first of three attacking line-outs but it took good work form Carl Straeche to secure the ball when a maul went wrong, and keep the visitors on the front foot. Soon after Tauaika burst clear and earned a penalty 20 metres out and Reynolds will have been disappointed when his kick slipped wide.

Despite this it was Wells who ended the half looking the more dangerous of the two teams and were unlucky when a late Mike Doherty attack was thwarted when he was adjudged to have been in touch as he tried to find the supporting Stuart Nicholls. Half Time 14-5.

What Wells needed was a positive start and they most certainly got it. However, it also proved the catalyst for a rather ‘bonkers’ nine minutes that saws 4 tries culminating in a controversial (and perhaps crucial) second Penalty Try. Nick Doherty put Wells on the front foot linking with Allman and Harvey Colangelo. The ball was then spun to Taylor-Dennehy who made a superb arc-ing outside break from 35 metres out. He then found Reynolds on his inside shoulder who cleverly drew the defending full-back before giving it back to the skipper to score under the posts. With Reynolds adding the extra two it was now 14-12 after 43 minutes. 

Sidcup came thundering back though. Having gathered the ball from the re-start, lock Freddy Ruff then found a glaring hole in the Wells ruck defence and burst clear 30 metres out before powering through Allman’s despairing last-ditch tackle and scoring under the posts. With Twyford’s conversion the lead was stretched to two scores again after 45 minutes. 21-12.

And then back came Wells. Croft was able to gather a charged-down ball and made ground. Nick Doherty found Eukaliti and when he was tackled it looked like the chance might have gone begging. However, this was not to be the case as clever play down the blind-side saw centre Mike Doherty power his way over for a try that was superbly converted from the left touch-line by Reynolds. 47 minutes played and with 3 tries in 4 minutes it was now 21-19.

In what had now become attack v defence Sidcup were soon back in Wells territory but solid defence from the boys from St Marks held them out and they were then able to launch a counter-attack on halfway when Nick Doherty came away with the ball. Unfortunately, when a Wells pass went to ground it was McMahon who reacted first and kicked the ball ahead. He was some 5 metres clear as he put boot to ball again but Mike Doherty made flying strides to get back and, in a shoulder-to shoulder challenge, dived first on the ball a metre short of the line. However, to the incredulity of the visiting supporters, the referee awarded a Penalty Try and showed Doherty a yellow card too to further compound the anguish. 28-19 on 52 minutes.

Sidcup tried to turn the screw now and received two more scrum penalties to gain territory. However, a fine Montgomery clearance kick gave the boys in blue an attacking line-out on the host’s 22. The ball was overthrown and the home side cleared before a skirmish ensued on halfway. The game had been played in a competitive, but fair, spirit up to this point so it was a shade surprising when Josh Hawkins and Sidcup flanker Lennie Bush received yellow cards on 57 minutes. It was now 14 v 13…..

The game went into something of a lull which clearly better suited the team in front. A good Wells attack started by a strong Nick Doherty carry faltered when an Allman kick went straight into touch but the replacement almost immediately redeemed himself when he chased and gathered his own clearance kick. Tuauika made further in-roads before Colangelo took the ball on. However, as was too often the case a pass went astray and Sidcup were awarded the scrum. A penalty then enabled them to clear.

Mike Doherty returned from his unlucky sin-binning and although both teams were still showing some ambition the next phase of the game was characterised by rather wayward kicking. Eventually, Sidcup were awarded a scrum just inside the Wells half and when this moved inexorably backwards, and then sideways, the referee had little option but to award a penalty. Twyford stepped up a sent a mighty 45 metres kick between the sticks to stretch the lead to 31-19 with 12 minutes to play. Chris Brown now replaced the fiercely-competitive Hawkins.

The game was to be pretty much settled on 71 minutes and again it came from careless Wells play after an initially impressive attack. Montgomery and Mike Doherty combined to set the latter away down the right wing. The ball was recycled quickly but a wide, looping, pass to the left was picked off by home wing Andre Patterson who held off two defenders to run the ball in from 65 metres. With Twyford’s conversion the game was pretty much settled at 38-19.

This was a disappointing day at the office for Wells but they continued to battle – no one more so than Nick Doherty who made a 40 metre break from his own line. In all honesty they did not look like securing the try bonus point and also lost Eukaliti to a yellow card for a “no arms” tackle as time ebbed away. Sidcup fully deserved this victory and whilst they undoubtedly had the rub of the green on some important decisions, Wells really did not show enough to earn a win in a game that could have gone either way until the final quarter. Another reminder (if needed) of how you can be hurt by all the teams at this level if you drop your own standards by just a few notches.

The games do not get any easier for Wells as this week they host league leaders Wimbledon, who will no doubt be smarting from losing their unbeaten record at home to second-placed Guernsey. Kick off at St Marks is 2pm.

Squad:  Ryan Taylor-Dennehy (Capt); Harvey Colangelo,Mike Doherty, George Montgomery, Max Hobbs (Ollie Allman); Frank Reynolds, Eddie Croft; Tui Tauaika, Stuart Nicholls, Carl Straeche, Agy Eukaliti, Charley Smith (Tom Follows), Josh Hawkins (Chris Brown), James Pancaldi, Nick Doherty.

Wells Second XV’s game at Sidcup was called off, so it was the Third XV who restored some pride with a convincing 45-17 win over Hastings & Bexhill II. Ciaran Lee scored a hat-trick of tries, Jack Beaman got a brace and Alex Mason and Jamie Piggins dotted down as well. Piggins also kicked 5 conversions.  

Elsewhere in the League

It was Guernsey who emerged with the honours in their top of the table clash at Wimbledon. Their 16-22 win ended the host’s unbeaten record and narrowed the gap to two points with Wimbledon on 55 and Guernsey on 53. Rochford Hundred join the channel islanders on 53 after a thoroughly convincing 38-3 victory over our friends at Sevenoaks. Hertford’s tight 15-22 victory at bottom-placed Guildford sees them leapfrog us into 4th on 36. We come next on 34, then Sevenoaks on 31 and Sidcup’s well-earned bonus point win moves them to 7th on 30 points. Dorking drop to 8th on 28 after a home 21-21 draw against a much-improved Brighton. There is a 5 point gap to Tring and Bedford Athletic on 23 points, after both had encouraging home bonus-point wins against CS Stags (42-31) and London Irish Wild Geese (26-17) respectively. Stags and Brighton are then jointly on 17 points, London Irish on 15 and Guildford remain at the bottom on 8 points.

The two main games to note next week are our clash with the league-leaders Wimbledon and it will be interesting to see how a resurgent Brighton get on when they host Rochford Hundred.

Graham Withers