On a bright but windy afternoon in Esher, Warlingham U22s produced an impressive and hard-fought 41–45 victory to claim the U22 Smith Senton Plate, scoring seven tries in a match that combined physicality with attacking intent, writes Jamie Sharp.

The opening quarter was evenly contested, much of it played around the halfway line with Warlingham enjoying good spells of possession but unable to convert pressure into points. Against the run of play, Esher struck first after intercepting a kick inside their own half, working the ball through a couple of phases to score under the posts and take a 7–0 lead.

Warlingham responded well. After building pressure close to the Esher line through multiple phases, Rory Sharp finished in the corner to narrow the gap. The visitors continued to look the more controlled side in possession, with Riley Potter, Jack Norman, Rory Sharp and Finn Copp all carrying strongly to keep momentum going.

Their efforts were rewarded when Will Knockles chased down his own clever chip through to score under the posts, giving Warlingham the lead at 7–12. A further try from Riley Potter, following a fantastic jinking run from scrum half, Knockles, took Warly to 17 points. However, Esher made good use of the wind before half-time, capitalising on a lineout and then a break from midfield to score two converted tries. A further score just before the whistle gave them a 26–17 advantage at half-time.

Warlingham came out strongly after the interval, now with the wind behind them. A well-placed kick-off from Harry Sturgess put Esher under pressure, and from the resulting play Liam Potter reacted quickest to a loose ball near the line to score under the posts. Harry Sturgess slotted the conversion.

The visitors began to take control of territory and possession, applying sustained pressure inside the Esher 22. After being held up close to the line, following a strong run from Riley Potter, Finn Copp forced his way over from close range to give Warlingham the lead at 26–31.

Confidence grew and the Warly backline started to fire, with strong running from regular 1st XV players, Ollie Wilson and Moses Bisatu. Warlingham added further tries through a second for Liam Potter and a superb 50m solo effort from Jaylen Ryan-Coker, both finishing well after periods of attacking pressure. Accurate kicking from Harry Sturgess and Ollie Jackson ensured the scoreboard kept moving, stretching the lead to 26–45.

Esher responded late on with three tries of their own, taking advantage of a sin bin and a couple of defensive lapses to close the gap to four points. However, Warlingham managed the final minutes well, securing possession from the restart and seeing out the game.

In total, the match produced 12 tries with the Warly forwards laying a strong platform with key contributions across the pitch and enough composure to hold on in a high-scoring contest.

A superb advert for the U22 game and a well-earned piece of silverware for this group, who combined flair, resilience and composure to come through a breathless contest. Huge congratulations to all involved in a brilliant 41–45 victory. Attention now turns to this Saturday, 11 April, as Warlingham host Staines in a double header at the club with both 1st XV and 2nd XV sides in action. Along with our annual Golden Oldies lunch, it promises to be a full afternoon of rugby at Hamsey Green, get down, get behind the teams, and be part of it!

All photos: Hayley Sasserath
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