The highlight of the weekend for some, especially those who’d braved the wintery conditions to put on a team jersey (some for only the first or second time!), was a Club XV encounter against what was supposed to be an equally-skilled social squad from Old Whits.

Unfortunately, the numbers weren’t there for our South Croydon neighbours, but with a couple of players from Old Walcountians arriving, and the impressive numbers we had managed to pull from all corners of the club, we found ourselves with 14-a-side, and a game was on! Here to witness the rebirth of social rugby at Warlingham, and with his report of this entertaining game, is our Warlingham Wildcards Touch Team Head Coach, Craig Aldridge.

The weather for the game can best described as a fine Irish beach day, emphasised by the number of seagulls believing there to be a truckload of chips spilled on the pitch, with bracing wind and freezing rain (vertical rather than horizontal though, hence the need for swimming trunks) presenting challenging conditions for both teams. However, despite the weather, it was a great day for Warly as it marked the first time in a year and a half that the club had managed to field two (well, two and half really) teams on the same day.

The barbarians team started brightly, with an early line break halted through a great challenge by Cameron Sharp, but this was not enough to prevent an early score for the blended team as a lax defence allowed an early score and conversion. The ba-baas added to the score, with a lovely move pulling the defence from left to right, leaving a big overlap on the right wing to increase their advantage, 12-0.

After the early setbacks, Warlingham roared back. First, after a lineout move shifted laterally to the middle of the pitch, allowing for a great break from Adam Downie-Keen down the blind side, creating an overlap, and giving space for Cameron Sharp to run in his first try wearing Warlingham colours, with the extras added by Jon Mitchell.

With the score at 12-7, Warlingham added to their tally when a well-taken lineout was spread wide to the backs, and Ian Anderson, despite a minor juggle, set up Tommy Clark who ran in a beautiful try from the 22, wrong footing the opposition with a lovely sidestep of his right to give Warlingham a 14-12 lead after the points were converted.

The home team capped off an excellent first half recovery, with a superb break from Cedric Bunel, once again slipping down the blindside, showing some terrific French flair and throwing a lovely dummy, before scything through the defence for a well deserved score. Warlingham pulled ahead to a 19-12 lead at half time.

Warlingham’s first half efforts were somewhat hampered by unfortunate events in the second, losing both Cedric Bunel and Barry Ruddock (who had been a defensive stalwart), early to HIAs meant that the structure and command suffered for the rest of the game.

Warlingham failed to score in the second half, as both teams struggled to maintain possession with the weather playing its part and having an impact on handling and kicking, with some efforts of the latter going amusingly awry.

The opposition showed more fluency and found gaps in the Warlingham defence that allowed them to run in five unanswered tries. The final try, in the final minute does merit some examination, as it provided a huge amount of levity for those on the sidelines and pitch alike; as a farcical combination of kicking (shout out to Joe Kelly for playing a starring role, and was justly rewarded at the team meal) and off the ground handling that wouldn't have been out of place in an Ealing comedy.

The final score, 46-19, however doesn’t fairly represent a very evenly matched game, where minor errors were unfairly punished. Warlingham Club XV showed plenty of heart, ambition and ability, just perhaps lacking in execution on a tough day for the team. Given the circumstances, and that a game was even able to be played at all, the match points to a bigger statement about the strength of the club, one that can be built on for more social rugby fixtures in the future.

All photos: Hayley Sasserath