With the sun shining in a cloudless sky, a light breeze coming from the East, and the temperature a crisp 8 degrees, Warlingham Rugby Club provided a perfect setting for a game of rugby, writes Warlingham Wildcards Touch Head Coach, Craig Aldridge.

FINAL SCORE

Warlingham 27 - 34 London Media

With London Media sitting third in the table, and having handed Wars a hefty defeat earlier in the year, the odds heavily favoured the travellers from Battersea as the two teams took to the pitch. However, what played out was a game full of entertainment with a nail biting finale.

London Media started well, dominating the first quarter of the match, aided by some wayward kicking out of hand resulting in the ball going out on the full. The first score of the day came from Media putting together some lovely backline moves which, coupled with some questionable officiating at the breakdown, Warlingham struggled to contain allowing the visitors in at the corner for a try.

Warlingham really started to find their feet in the second quarter, an improvement in the kicking out of hand as well as sustained possession gave the home team a platform to start asserting pressure. Some fancy footballing skills from Spencer Clifford almost got Warly in for their first score, only to be denied by the opposition full back, but the resulting penalty was slotted by Louis Rossi-Jones making the score 5-3.

London Media added another 5 points following an attacking line out, where they were able to maul close to the line and break-off for their second try of the day. However, Warlingham responded in the dying minutes of the first half following some great attacking play from Jamie Hughes combined with centres Ollie Wilson and Moses Bisatu to draw a penalty deep in the red zone just outside the 22. After securing the ball from the ensuing line out, Warly ran through three phases before sucking in the defence which parted like the Red Sea allowing Moses to run through for an excellent team score; the successful conversion put the score 10-10 at the half.

The second half started off with a bang, Warlingham seizing the initiative off a sloppy kick off return put the team in the driving seat, allowing the team back into the 22. Excellent forward play moved the egg up the field to within 7 metres, with the final strike play coming from Terell Palmer-Simpson coming in from his wing, overrunning the midfield and making the most of the extra man to dash in the second score of the day, making the score 17-10. However, a couple of lapses in concentration ceded the momentum they had built and allowed in two easy scores, bringing the state of play to 17-22. The game threatened to get away from Warlingham after London Media were able to add their third score of the half, bringing the score 17-29, the visitors seemingly taking the game by the scruff of the neck and ready to kill it off.

But Warlingham had other ideas and showed real grit and determination in the final quarter to remind the Londoners that they were in a real game. A beautiful dink over the top of the on-rushing defence nearly put utility player Jamie Hughes, now in the centres, through the middle of the field only for the ball to bounce awkwardly and unfortunately knock-on. The scrum that followed showed the domination that Warlingham had in the pack, driving the opposing scrum backwards and drawing a penalty that ultimately ended with Warlingham’s lineout deep in the 22. Once again, laser precision from Elliot Jones meant that Joe Kelly was able to bring the ball down, and despite the maul being dragged down, a single phase of play gave Rory Sharp the opportunity to dive under the line defence to make the score 22-29.

Warlingham didn't let up, both forwards and backs were dogged in defence and harried the opposition, hitting every player with ferocious tackles, chasing down kicks with incredible intensity, making their presence known at the breakdown and forcing a number of errors that once again found them 35 metres out from the opposition line with another attacking lineout. Having safely secured the ball, a strong run from Moses Bisatu on the wing drew the backs into the middle of the pitch, Jackson Stephens recycled the ball quickly, and a wonderful miss pass from Louis Rossi-Jones found Harry Cave out on the wing with nothing but grass between him and the line for a Rhys Carre-esque romp to the line from 5 meters out.

The final 10 minutes of the game, finely poised at 27-29, were as anxious as they were brutal. Both teams took swings at each other with relentless and vicious attempts to break the respective barricades. Nothing epitomised the state of play more than a curious event about three minutes before time, where a London Media player appeared to throw himself to the ground in an attempt to get one of the Warly players carded, resulting in the referee declaring that he was "embarrassing himself", a sentiment that was shared by everyone on the pitch and the sidelines. With the clock almost in the red, Warlingham seemed to have the go forward, but another ping at the breakdown for hands on the floor gave the opportunity for the visitors to score with the last play of the game bringing the final tally to 34-27.

It was an enthralling game to watch, the boys in blue and white put it all on the line and though they came up short in the end it was a game that could have genuinely gone either direction, and they deserve nothing but credit for the monumental effort that they put in, well done boys!

All photos: Hayley Sasserath
See more photos here: Instagram
Highlights: Instagram | Facebook