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Under 21's
Under 18's
Dec 31st Under 21s: Dorking 26 Old Alleynians Under 17Fittingly Dorking Rugby Club finished a fantastic 2008 on a high ending the Christmas Under 21 campaign with an impressive victory over previously unbeaten Alleynians. Under 21s Manager Stuart Catton reflected on a holiday series that had ticked all the boxes. “We definitely ticked all the boxes. Over thirty different players represented the Club in the three games and, significantly, were mostly drawn from our Under 18 and 19 year groups. Despite playing teams two years older, this win, a draw away at Old Reigatians and narrow defeat at Sutton is a decent return and bodes well for the next two years. Alleynians themselves had beaten Reigatians by sixty points the week before. You do have to wonder if they were playing against the same team.” As the old boys team of Dulwich College, Alleynians arrived at The Big Field on New Year’s Eve with a strong rugby pedigree claiming current England internationals Andrew Sheridan and Nick Easter amongst their alumni, and an extremely strong crop of current players as the game was to prove. The Dorking side were predominantly drawn from the Geoff (Ramsay) Mc Donald and Phil Randall A level age group and, cementing the Dorking One Club philosophy, coached by a growing number of our own alumni with Craig Roy and Armand leading a team including Simon Love, Ollie Buckland and Matt Noble. The freezing conditions required a pre match pitch inspection and the second transfer in recent times to the microclimate of the sloping under 13 pitch fronting the A25 before the visiting London Society referee finally gave the go ahead. News that the game was on quickly spread through the pubs and clubs of MVDC to attract a sizeable crowd who gathered for some much needed seasonal sport and predominantly male company. Pre match concerns from the visitors over the state of the surface weren’t immediately apparent as, despite playing up the slope of death, OAs larger pack took to the task much the quicker, benefiting from a series of early penalties. But for brave defence from Rob Chave, Jake Dobson, Ali Davis and the impressive Will Randall the visitor’s advantage would have also been reflected on the far distant scoreboard. Slowly working our way into the game Surrey stand off Will Crowe suddenly started to find the corners, combining intuitively with flying wing James Gaymer in a mini rugby flashback that oh so nearly brought about the opening score. Alleynians continued to play with adventure, their lively scrum half choosing to run the succession of penalties that continued to go their way. Yet it was Dorking who were first to trouble the scorer, with a well struck penalty from full back Stuart Fee. Getting off the mark seemingly energised the Dorking team through Shenton and Evans and Jake Cooper-Woolley reproducing his rumbling talismanic form of former years bouncing off the much bigger would be tacklers amongst the opposing pack. From an attacking line out Phil Shenton hit Jake Dobson flush to produce quality ball for Crow, Randall and Marsh to ship swiftly through the backs to the onrushing Fee. The crowd held its breath as Fee again chose to repeat the rugby league grubber kick that had backfired so badly at Riegate. We needn’t have worried, as the ball worked with slide rule precision behind the shivering defence and Chave reacted first to claim the score. With his new kicking boots from Santa, Fee then converted a penalty following a highish tackle on the powerful Ed Marsh. For all our endeavour a ten point lead going into the break looked a relatively skinny return from the benefit of the slope in the first half. Worse was to follow as Alleynians struck twice to make the prospects for the second half even bleaker still. The visitors had hit back firstly with a penalty and then with a muscular solo score from their sizeable centre ‘JP’ Attlee. The Manchester University student typically turns out in term time for the Sale Sharks Academy Jets team. It transpired that the try scorer has the additional claim to fame as the great nephew of former Labour Prime Minister Clement, later Lord Attlee, founding father of the National Health Service and according to many (outside Surrey) the greatest Prime Minister of the twentieth century. Reference to Woking MP and Dorking VP Humphrey Malins from the home supporters was met with a blank response from the visitors from Dulwich. One point in it at the break and a tough task ahead fro the homeboys. The crowd were initially lifted at the start of the second half by the sight of David Jacques arrival with a vehicle full of refreshments making light of the remoteness of the playing arena from base camp and the bar. The elation was short lived as Attlee the younger again brushed off some weak first up tackling to gallop over from thirty metres for a land slide score and a working majority to the Alleynians. The thirty minutes that followed epitomised all that is good about Dorking rugby as a fabulous team effort improbably turned the game round to a convincing victory. Cooper- Woolley again led the way bullocking into field position from where Alleynians conceded a penalty. Wilko like, Fee found a good touch before Dobson of Lincoln was driven over from the resulting line out by the combatitive Geordie Evans, Johns Langford and Stephens and Camberley Shaun. Augmented by clever use of George Spreckley and the hard working Rob Higson from the bench, Miles Shenton joined brother Phil on the paddock to release Crow and an increasingly threatening Dorking back line. Shrugging off injury Durham St Chads’ star Ed Marsh again broke the defensive line to collect a further penalty calmly converted by Fee to re-establish the lead. Lengthy medical attention to Miles Shenton (thankfully later released from the aforementioned NHS Redhill branch) had the crowd guessing at the unexpired period of play expecting a last ditch effort from the Dulwich boys. With remarkable resolve it was however Dorking who maintained the momentum, Nick Haigh showing his Quins’ pedigree linked with Gaymer to go close before Cooper- Woolley repaid the complement dispersing the south London defenders at will setting up Haigh to crash over. Fee’s conversion completed the scoring and his own Christmas Eve redemption putting Dorking two scores clear and on the winner’s podium. Assistant Coach Craig Roy was as pleased with the performance as the result. “In the second half we were simply awesome. It took some resolve to come from behind playing up the hill against a well equipped bigger and older side. Garlands all round to the 17 year olds in the squad especially Nicky Haigh, but the stand out player for me was Big Jake Woolley. If he continues to develop at this rate he looks set to fulfil his considerable potential from his Dorking Mini days.” Under 21 skipper Will Kruis added: It has been a terrific three match series which we have thoroughly enjoyed both on and off the pitch. Huge respect to Stuart and the coaching team but also to Tracy Catton for all her work behind the scenes. She was awesome.” Man of the Match: Jake Cooper-Woolley (Cardiff University) Dorking Squad: Stuart Fee (Exeter University) Rob Chave (Dorking CC), Will Randall (CLFS) Ed Marsh (Durham University) James Gaymer, Will Crow (Reigate Grammar School), Ali Davis (Unattached), Nick Haigh (Cranleigh) Will Kruis (Durham University), John Stephens, John Langford, Andrew Brint, Jake Dobson (Lincoln University) George Evans (Wellington College) Phil Shenton (Unattached) George Spreckley (Glyn School) Camberley Shaun, Rob Higson, Miles Shenton. 30th Dec - Old Reigatians U 21 14 - 14 Dorking U 21“Christmas is a time for family and friends, for tradition and treats. But let’s face it, when the pressure to entertain and feed builds up the festive season can begin to lose its sparkle….” Nigella Lawson – Nigella Christmas 2008With the Turkey happily soaking in the bath in its cinnamon and bouquet garni seasoning stock, we quietly slipped out of the house, in large numbers as it happened, for an eagerly awaited local derby to be played out by the under 21s. Dorking Springbok Coaches Armand Roux and Craig Roy had selected a strong squad based solidly around the feted English National Cup winning side from two years ago; in effect fielding an under 19 side which bodes extremely well for this competition over the years ahead. Pre match touchline talk was that Reigatians had themselves been bolstered by reinforcements from Exeter University, so it was being served up as a town v gown affair, albeit from slightly further west than had been anticipated. Cheered on by a large, boisterous Dorking gallery significantly outnumbering the home support, the younger Dorking team tore into the scholarly hosts from the first whistle. Dorking favourites Jake Cooper Woolley and Ross Grimstone themselves returning from University rugby duties at Cardiff showed they’d lost none of their competitive edge from Dorking mini rugby days. Meanwhile Catton, Dobson and the brothers Fee and Kruis showed the benefit of first fifteen senior rugby experience as the game shaped and the Dorking forwards started to get on top in the exchanges up front. In fact had it not been for a toiling display from the Reigate back row, Dorking would have made more of the early endeavours of the pack. In contrast, in the opening exchanges OR’s looked to have the more threatening back line. Augmented by the arrivals from Exeter University, this was probably the best back line Old Reigatians have put out in quite some time. Only courageous cover defence from Tom Giles, Ali Davis and Rob Chave prevented any set backs as the home side sought to move the ball away from the bombardment of the Dorking heavy artillery. In response Durham returnee Ed Marsh made a couple of powerful surges of his own set up by gap year play maker Adam Cooper orchestrating matters from out half. From the resulting scrum Robbie Fee picked up at eight and set off on a twenty-metre gallop to the line swatting off the desperate student defenders in the process. With elder brother Stuart adding the extras it was first blood to the visitors. Buoyed by the first score the second half was all Dorking as the home gown talent started to show its potential. Will Kruis was terrier like around the ruck, ably supported by newcomer Shaun in the loose. Miles Shenton showed some nice touches from scrum half before being replaced by Will Crowe as Head Coach Stuart Catton in the spirit of the fixture ensured that as many of the squad as possible had pitch time. Dorking’s Saracen Kruis was joined in the scrum by Nick Haigh of the Harlequins Academy as Dorking started to mount a premier league assault up the hill towards The Black Horse. Fee junior, Cooper- Woolley and Catton all made in roads before the elder Fee took a lateral line and stretched over to touchdown to make scoring a Fee family affair before duly converting, Nick Evans-like, from the wide out. ORs however had other ideas and kept quietly plugging away whenever the opportunity allowed. Eventually they were rewarded with a splendid solo score under the sticks from the outstanding fly half, who spotted the Dorking defence all at sea, before a delicate chip over those defenders who were still in attendance bounced invitingly back into his arms to touch down unaccompanied. Undeterred Dorking were straight back on the offensive. Grimstone showed his versatility switching to centre where he constantly threatened against his old school side. His absence up front was barely noticed as Dorking drove Reigate back in successive scrums Catton taking two against the head. The returning Greg Lowe, Haigh and Kruis played repeated pick and drive effectively moving towards the Reigate line. With the white wash in sight, Dorking went for broke chosing to move it through the hands wide up the right where full back Fee looked to have found the overlap to put the game out of sight. Astonishingly, in a hero to villain moment his attempted chip through landed straight in the Reigate ten’s grasp who hit the gas and sprinted away out stripping the scrambling defence for an eighty metre break away and levelled the score against the odds and run of play. Even then Dorking came back once more. Cooper and Kruis broke through the first up defence only to be denied by desperate last-ditch defence and eventually the whistle for no side. Dorking Under 21 Manager Stuart Catton commented; “ This was a terrific match. While obviously I am extremely disappointed we weren’t able to close the game out after leading twice, the real winner will be the long term playing strength of the Club. Through the holiday fixtures we are able to look to the future providing a gangway for these young players we’ve developed through our mini and youth section over recent years into senior rugby at the Club.” Dorking Squad: Stuart Fee (Exeter University) Tom Giles, Ed Marsh (Durham University) Rob Chave, James Gaymer (St John’s Leatherhead) Adam Cooper (Epsom College), Ali Davis (St John’s Leatherhead) Robbie Fee (St John’s Leatherhead) Will Kruis, Ross Grimstone (Cardiff University) George Kruis (Saracens Academy) Jake Dobson (Lincoln University) Jake Cooper- Woolley (Cardiff University) James Catton, Shaun, Miles Shenton, Will Crowe (Reigate Grammar School) Nick Haigh (Cranleigh and Harlequins Academy) Greg Lowe, Phil Shenton (Ashcombe School), Will Randall (City Free), Fergus Grady (Worth School) George Evans (Wellington and Welsh Exiles)
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We would like to thank the fo
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Dorking Rugby Football Club, The Pavilion, The Big Field, Brockham, Surrey RH3 7LZ ( 01737 844282 |
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