Warlingham ran riot in Dulwich with a complete team performance to cap off a strong pre-season, writes David Halliwell.

A rare trip to face founder members of the Rugby Football Union in Kings College Hospital gave the Wars an opportunity to get on top of their game before the league action begins next week. They certainly took it.

Wily fly-half Louis Rossi-Jones kicked a monstrous 50/22 with his first touch and, from the line out, Warlingham’s dominant props Tom Worrall and Mark Stevenson lead a powerful maul over the line with hooker Andrew Dearden the beneficiary for the games opening try.

Dearden was back over the line 2 minutes later after Wars’ influential inside centre Olly Wilson ripped the ball away from his opposite number in contact and Dearden gathered up the loose ball and dashed in from half way for another converted try.

Although the hosts snapped into action and scored after multiple phases of possession, Warlingham’s defence was formidable and quick off the line with energy and aggression driven by second row Harry Cave.

Wrecking ball back row Michael Mason extended Warlingham’s lead on the half hour mark, crashing on to a weighted pass from creative debutant full-back Eric Sims to dot down next to the post. Lucas Kewell added the first stanzas last try after both centres, Wilson and Moses Bisatu, combined to free elusive winger Harrison Thompson down the right wing. Quick ball inside from the excellent scrum half Jackson Stevens saw exciting back rower Kewell plunge over the line to take the halftime score to 5-28.

Warlingham wasted no time after the break and revelled in the extra space given by their mighty ball carriers. Man of the match Riley Potter made masses of metres carrying the ball through defenders and setting up quick ball. Skipper Morgan Gillam bagged a brace of tries alongside his usual action packed performance in the engine room. Impressive centre Moses Bisatu added two tries of his own, the first from a long range break from Potter and his second a poacher's effort off the back of a scrum driven forward by the evergreen Simon Townsend.

A classic team try put the icing on the cake with passes exchanged between forwards and backs ending up with both wingers linking up on the left wing with pace man Noah Clay unselfishly laying the ball off to Spencer Clifford who glided over for Warlingham’s ninth try. Rossi-Jones had a perfect record from the tee, kicking all his conversions in a virtuoso performance in pulling the strings in a strong team performance.

With league action beginning next week against Glynonians, Warlingham will hope for a repeat of the fluency and power displayed in Dulwich by the men in blue and white.

All photos: Kate Thompson