A tough week for Warlingham, as they said farewell to club legend Mark Bright, ended with a display of running rugby and a win that would have made him smile.

The Wars visit to Reigate’s remarkably dry pitch enabled them to play the quick and fluid rugby they enjoy and they wasted no time in racing to a 0 - 21 lead, orchestrated by a virtuoso performance from fly-half Louis Rossi-Jones.

The Wars enjoyed front foot ball from the start. Powerful long runs from Morgan Gillam, Spencer Clifford, Harry Cave and Jonah Clay, gave dynamic young scrum half Jackson Stevens opportunity to scheme around the fringes. He picked out centre Olly Wilson on the blind side who sent rampaging back row Andrew Dearden over for the first converted try. The next score wasn’t long in coming and the excellent set piece work and interventions in the loose of Simon Townsend, Olly Gill and Matt Healey gave Warlingham chance to play. Rossi-Jones’ short pass enabled Wilson to break the line powerfully and send outstanding centre Moses Bisatu to burst through, rounding the fullback and touching down for a brilliant try, again converted by Rossi-Jones.

Momentum was with Warlingham, and from fielding the Reigate kick off securely and driving up the pitch, Rossi-Jones picked up the pieces in the 22 and dashed through for an individual score and conversion that his efforts throughout the game deserved.

Huge credit to Reigate, they fought back fiercely and scored two tries with relentless hard running and pick and goes that frustrated Warlingham, forcing the home side back into the game. Warlingham momentarily looked rattled but good kick and chase helped the visitors back into good territory. Flying full back Mark Chatfield straightened up the running lines and glided through the wide channels multiple times. With the end of the half nearing, the Wars turned down kickable penalty chances to keep pushing for a first half bonus point. Raphael Fudge and Nick Hammond pushed the Wars forward, and with the last play of the first half Wilson pushed away a defender with a big left hand fend and slid over right between the posts for a converted try, sending Warlingham 12 - 28 up at half time.

All the half time talk was focussed on keeping up the momentum, and Wilson repeated the trick with a carbon copy try battering through the tackles and narrowly avoiding the post to force the ball down for another converted try. Young Tom Worrall’s half time introduction added impetus and energy to the pack’s effort, and evergreen Alex Nunn, at the more senior end of the spectrum, added his experience to Warlingham’s endeavours.

With Rossi-Jones continuing to pull the strings, sending a succession of 50/22 kicks down the field, more chances opened up for Warlingham’s wingers Cam Sharp and Noah Clay. Clay popped up on the left wing to finish off a lovely handling move with pace and evasion to get the ball down. Clay then returned to his right wing berth to find space and claim a bullet miss pass from Rossi-Jones, accelerating on to the ball and diving into the corner.

Warlingham’s Shaun Tyler-Free, on his first team debut put in some brilliant tackles and carried like a player with many more appearances under his belt. But Reigate’s big ball carriers marched forward with purpose and again found the spirit to keep fighting and claim a try bonus point of their own with two gritty tries from close range. A never say die attitude that made a really great spectacle of the match - huge credit to them.

A great win on the road for Warlingham as they look forward to a home cup tie next week.

All photos: Hayley Sasserath
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