Dec 15

Written by: Richard Drage
15/12/2009 11:21

Reigate travelled up to Ewell to play Surrey 4 rivals Old Glynonians this Saturday with a point to prove after their narrow 2 point loss in last week's league fixture.

The spectators expected the firm breeze and Old Glynonians' exposed ground to dominate the tactics during the first half as Reigate played into the wind, but this wasn't to be the case. Both sides chose to run the ball rather than kick and early advantage was determined by who reacted quickest to the referee's strict but accurate interpretation of the offside line. It was the home side who adjusted their positioning more readily as Reigate struggled to adapt their play and conceded two avoidable penalties well within kicking distance that gave Old Glyn's a 6-0 lead early in the half.

The visitors learnt quickly however and with the penalty count mounting, albeit evenly, Reigate chose to take quick tap penalties and run themselves into home territory on a number of occasions. The pressure this created soon paid dividends with the home side being found guilty of stepping beyond the back foot too quickly and slowing down play at the breakdown. Two sure-footed strikes from stand-in stand-off, Bleddyn Davies, saw Reigate gain parity as half-time approached.

With the wind at their backs the visitors started the second half with great optimism and with the dynamism of their antipodeans, Fred Stuart and Will Griffiths, together with the pin-point tactical kicking of full-back, Simon King, Reigate dominated the early play. Some wayward passing saw Reigate concede vital territory however and a swift back-row move from the base of a scrum saw Old Glyn's engineer an overlap that their speedy full-back used to the full, racing in at the corner for an 11-6 lead.

Despite solid scrummaging work and good work in the line-out from the Reigate jumpers, both the aforementioned Stuart and lock Barry Ridler, Reigate again succumbed to a counter-attack as the home side's scrum-half found space down the touch-line to run in to the same corner that his full-back had just scored in.

With the game entering the last 20 minutes, the score at 16-6 and with King's tactical kicking ensuring that territorial advantage was firmly Reigate's, the home side began to concede numerous penalties. With fly-half, Bleddyn Davies, substituted for jack-of-all-trades, Aidan Matthews, and with a gulf of 10 points between the sides, Reigate chose to kick to the corner and maintain the pressure. A solid line-out catch and drive saw the Reigate pack cross the try-line with Andrew Turner emerging from the bottom having done enough to convince the referee that a try had been scored. King converted the try despite it being scored out wide and took Reigate within just 3 points.

With 5 minutes to go a narrowly missed drop-goal attempt from King seemed to signal Reigate's efforts to overhaul the home side would be in vain, but then with the last play of the game the referee awarded Reigate a penalty on the half-way line. With the precision boot of Davies on the bench, King stepped up and tried to repeat the success he had had with the conversion. Despite having the distance, the ball narrowly missed to the right of the posts, leaving Reigate with no league points to show for their efforts.

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