Dorking punish weak scrum

We had hoped for an unbeaten run at the end of the season. We had hoped for our first win over Dorking in three years. We had hoped for a lot of things...unfortunately, it was an all too familiar story. An 'encouraging' and 'passionate' performance, inevitably let down by a more dominant forward pack and a handful of errors. 

The convincing win against Gravesend had pleased everyone. We had stuck to our new gameplan and produced a physical and professional performance. Despite an Easter break, we were confident we could keep the momentum going and win our last three league games and secure 6th spot. 

Before the weekend, we had not beaten the Surrey side in five attempts. Previous clashes with Dorking had been hard-fought, entertaining and had generally produced an excellent standard of Rugby. So we were all looking forward to the match.


We started extremely well. We were patient but clinical at the breakdown and, most importantly, we looked merciless out wide. The Backs were very much in the mood. Young Beeny continued his good form at Scrum-half and the Centre partnership of JP and Papa Bear Lamden were a constant handful. The pressure told on 14 minutes. Fly-half Scott Browne waltzed through a gaping hole and off loaded the Tommy Newton to touch down.


A couple of penalties extended our lead but it was our mistakes that let the home side back in. Browne was caught in position and Dorking punished us with a try from Scum-half Crow. Undeterred, we continued to press our dominance but again a simple mistake lead to a score for prolific Winger Terelak.


However, just as the tables were starting to turn, stunning hands from the Backline lead to a quite brilliant score for Browne. Papa Bear's bootstrap catch and flick was worth the entrance fee alone. So we finished the half 23-12. An impressive lead and a potential scalp on the cards.

But then the tables really did turn...with brutal efficiency. The pitch itself had a fairly pronounced slope. We didn't notice it too much at first but playing uphill against a rejuvenated opposition was an entirely different prospect. Dorking started with blistering speed, keen to make up for early mistakes and a flowing move down the left lead to an easy score for Full-back Tyler. 


The scrum had struggled all day and the labour was intensified by the slope. A scrum on our five metre line lead to a humiliating and all-to-easy push over try, which was jubilantly celebrated. 


The cracks in our game had been prized open into fissures and there was no stopping Dorking. A number of penalties and a further try from Number 8-turned-Winger Lucas meant a final score of 40-23. 28 unanswered points in the second half left a bitter taste in our mouths.


It boils down to the ultimate sporting cliche...a game of two halves. The first: probably the best half we have ever played. We were excellent at the breakdown, securing quick ball for a pumped up Backline to work their very best magic. The second: Dorking, buoyed by a couple of gifted tries, closed out the game efficiently. But it was through no lack of effort or passion - more a loss of shape on our behalf.


6th place looks beyond our grasp unless we can pull off a cricket score against Havant and Luton can shock Civil Service. All-in-all we are hoping to get over the disappointment and finish the season on a high.


And so there are just two games left of the season. Havant at home and then Hertford in the County Cup Final. Two games left of what has been such a promising season. And just two games left of my Rugby career.


Yes, I am still planning to hang my boots up on 29 April (give or take a couple of Sevens tournaments in the Summer). It will be something of an emotional game on Saturday as I run out in front of the Step End faithful for the last time. With the baby due in September, I won't have the time to commit to the extra training, fitness and gym work needed to succeed at this level - I barely have now let alone with a screaming Rugrat in tow! It will be tough to stop altogether and I may be in a position to re-evaluate after Christmas but in the short-term at least I will be swapping muddy kit for pooey nappies!


I am hoping for a big end-of-season crowd at Fortress Cow Lane but I fear the weather may have something to say about that. Let's hope I cross the line on Saturday to avoid the embarrassment of finishing my career with the Naked Mile!

Disappointing December sparks fresh hopes for New Year

As an eventful 2011 drew to a close, Tring were given tough lessons in reality at the hands of Dorking and Ampthill. Two disappointing losses took the sheen off our impressive start to the season and meant we slumped to 6th from our nose-bleed high 3rd league position. 


Dorking at home was always going to be a tough ask. They came to Cow lane sparking with confidence after putting Tonbridge Juddians to the sword the week before. However, we had trained well and felt we could get a result. We have always enjoyed games against the Surrey club and believed the Home advantage would play into our hands.


Hearts were in mouths straight from the whistle. A fumbled kick off landed straight into the visitors hands who quickly moved it wide but were miraculously held up over the line by Josh Smith and Papa Bear Lambden. We were able to clear our lines and gain our composure.


And sure enough, our self-belief was rewarded soon after. A well worked move and patient build up play lead to an easy run in for Papa, strolling over the line following some effective phase play from the forwards. 


Dorking hit back and dominated much of the first half. Our defence was too eager and pressed too hard in the wrong areas. We lost our shape on a couple of occasions and were punished by an intelligent running backline. Full-back Ryan Jeffrey crossed the line twice from similar moves, making the most of our defensive naivety. 


The Game see-sawed back in our favour and two penalties from Liam Chennells clawed us back to 11-15. However, we couldn't keep control. In all too familiar circumstances, their backs capitalised on defensive lapses, this time Wing Hunt extended the lead to 11-20.

Chennells touches down against Dorking

Just when all looked dead, the Game swung back to us and we pushed hard for another last minute result. A try and conversion from Chennells certainly had the alarm bells ringing at 18-20. But it proved to be one Houdini act too many as Dorking calmly slotted a penalty to secure the win. 18-23 the final score and a losing bonus point to console ourselves with.


The following week's debacle at Ampthill was the opposite end of the Rugby spectrum. We were not expecting a free flowing spectacle of running Rugby. In fact, the few games we have played against them have been bad tempered wars of attrition and the 17 December was no exception.


There is never a good time to play Ampthill - there are a brutish team of Lord of the Rings extras. But you definitely don't want to take on the Bedfordshire side on their own turf with an Arctic wind howling and the pitch rather fittingly resembling the Somme. The Rugby Gods were not shining down on us.


The game was savage and brutal as we predicted and we were under the cosh from the start. The home side took advantage of the slope to pound wave after wave of heavy running forwards, like heavy artillery. Our scrum twisted and buckled but our defence in the loose was resolute. And with mutant Second-row Lewis inevitably in the sin bin, we pulled the score level at 6-6. 


Unfortunately, despite some excellent opportunities, we failed to capitalise on the man advantage. Our driving line outs were hugely effective and our backs were far superior but we couldn't turn possession into points. And, sure enough, Ampthill's own solid set piece provided the platform for Back-row Burke to cross on the stroke of half time.

The second half was a depressing affair. Our relentless defence had taken its toll and we couldn't muster the clinical edge to best utilise the slope. As we pushed the Game, we made crucial errors and gifted the home side a number of tries in the dieing moments. The final score, a spirit-crushing 33-6.

I have never felt so battered after a Game and I was still feeling the effects a full week after. It was a very disappointing way to finish an otherwise excellent year and we have had the whole Christmas break to sweat and stew about it. 

Our fancy new scoreboard!

We have always done well in the second half of the season and have put together strong end-of-season runs. The boys are definitely looking forward to getting stuck into 2012...although it would be nice if the weather calmed down a little!

Santa has been to Cow Lane as well. A shiny new digital scoreboard will be officially unveiled on Saturday against league leaders Canterbury...hopefully it will make for good reading!

Smash and Grab Tring hold on to Third….just!

'Any win away from home is a good one' - Tom Newton

The Tring Rangers broke their Kent ‘hoodoo’ at the weekend, with a hard-fought 16-14 win against Gravesend. Our previous two trips to the Garden of England had proved fruitless but a last gasp try from David Shotton secured a nail biting four-point win.

Gravesend surprised us last year. Our over confidence was soundly punished by a physical and direct side, 35-21. And we weren’t the only ones to suffer this fate. The Kent side finished an impressive 6th in their first season in National 3 South East. Despite their patchy form this season, we were braced for another tough physical battle.

We didn’t start the game with the bang needed…I say ‘we’ but a criminally poor missed tackle from yours truly put us under pressure from the outset. We regained our composure though and even turned defence into attack – Sam Clapham scampering in the corner from his own charge down.

The first-half was blighted by errors with neither team managing to control the ball with any real purpose. Despite making early inroads, we tightened up our defence where it mattered and the home side could not convert their pressure.

On the few times we were able to string phases together, we looked dangerous. Patient build up play, following our new game plan, led to a penalty in front of the posts, gratefully slotted by Chennells. 8-0 but far from comfortable.

Gravesend stoked up the heat in the engine room and their powerful forward pack started to dominate. They were disruptive at the breakdown and solid in the set piece. Prop Forsyth scrambled over following a muscular driven lineout.

We threatened with the ball in hand but did not take the chances we were given. Our defence was not at its fearsome best and we occasionally found ourselves out of position. Poor communication gave pacey Full-back Hall an opportunity to jink through a gap, which he finished with aplomb. 14-11 to Gravesend at the end of the half.

The second half was much more encouraging. We dominated possession and started to keep the ball for long periods of time. The scrum was creaking but our defence found it’s brutal backbone and our lineouts started to click as well.

Gravesend Scrum-half, John  Clement, is a friend from Uni

However, several well worked moves were bombed and the time kept ticking. Then, with just a couple of minutes on the clock, slick hands from the Mateai Express and Tommy Newton put Shotton over the line for the winning score.

It certainly wasn’t a vintage Tring performance. But Gravesend is a tough fixture for anyone, especially away from home. And the four points maintained our third place in the league.

Indeed, the table makes for interesting reading this year. Just four points separates third and seventh, making the margin for error even tighter. One mistake and we could slip four places. Rugby shouldn’t be about watching the table but it’s hard not to when it’s this exciting!

This weekend Dorking travel to Fortress Cow Lane. It will be one of the biggest games in our history. If we win, we send out a statement of intent to the league, proving our top billing. Lose and it makes travelling away to Ampthill next week an even tougher ask.

Dorking are an excellent side with some top class players. They are also a good bunch off the pitch as well, which is becoming something of a rarity these days! Last weekend, they recovered from their minor blip with an eyebrow-raising 29-8 win over Tonbridge Juddians. We know where their strengths are and we have prepared well.

Personally, I am looking forward to testing myself against their excellent back row. I have played Sevens with Open-side Harry and we know all about their monster No 8 and strong Blind-side.

Dorking at Cow Lane is a fixture to set the hearts a-flutter. It should be a real hum-dinger on Saturday!