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1st XV
Matches
Sat 28 Sep 2013  ·  London 2 South East
Warlingham RFC
1st XV
40
19
Heathfield & Waldron
Encouraging performance gets League campaign up and running.

Encouraging performance gets League campaign up and running.

Peter Wrightson29 Sep 2013 - 12:29

Report by Peter Upton.

A major accident left the referee, James Davies marooned on the motorway and delayed kick off until 4pm. Despite the delayed start Warlingham galloped out of the blocks and within a minute scrum half Steven Murtagh had darted over the tryline from broken play giving full back Joe McEvoy an easy conversion

Heathfield then had a long spell of possession and territory but Warlingham's defence, particularly from Belgian Under 18 international prop Yassine Boufaied and flanker Jack Wrightson, kept the Warlingham tryline clear. The visitors cause was not helped when they had a clear overlap sand the final pass went behind the winger.

Frustration crept into the Heathfield game and they gave away unnecessary penalties, one of which McEvoy converted. The Warlingham back line looked much improved with fly half James Agate spreading passes long and wide. One such training-pitch move saw McEvoy steam through the centre to score the second, but unconverted, try.
With captain Zack King and James Delderfield punching holes in the visitors defence another score looked on the cards. McEvoy duly converted yet another penalty to bring the first half to a close.

The second half saw Heathfield re-energised and they threw all into attack and were rewarded with a try but from the restart a sharp Warlingham back line move gave centre Brad Saffery the opportunity to make a penetrative run to turn his opposite number inside out and the third try was scored. Heathfield then butchered another certain try with a knock on and, from the ensuing run out of defence Agate eventually got the ball to Saffery who weaved his magic for his second,
bonus-point try converted by McEvoy. Within a minute Agate again released Saffery into space and the centre dotted
down for his hat trick and the result was effectively sealed.

With the hone side's foot off the gas, Heathfield struck back with two well-taken converted tries and they were determined to
salvage a bonus point with a fourth try. But a typical bone-crunching tackle from No 8 Ollie Dodwell put paid to those aspirations.
The game was brought to an end when McEvoy put the final nail in the coffin with a penalty and Warlingham posted their first league win of the season lifting them three slots off the bottom of the table. After the game Club Chairman Peter Wrightson said, "After losing our first two games this was effectively a Cup game in that we had to get the show back on the road. The guys responded well at training this week and their determination shone through today. We still have a lot to work on but this was much better."

Next week Warlingham travel to Tunbridge Wells who are fourth in the table.

Warlingham: McEvoy, Green, Davies, Saffery, Kozminski, Agate, Murtagh, Boufaied, J Delderfield, Scutt, Ray, Dodwell, Osborne, King(capt) J Wrightson, A Edwards, Morrison, Smyth

Match details

Match date

Sat 28 Sep 2013

Kickoff

15:00

Competition

London 2 South East
Further reading

Team Sponsors

Minis Section Sponsor - Hawke Financial Services
WRFC Club Supporter - M S Webb Baliffs