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Sat 29 Oct 2016 · National League 3 London & SE
Wimbledon
Westcombe Park RFC
Tries: W PlayerConversions: W Player
7
9
Penalties: J Cameron (3)
Enough Power to Run the National Grid . . .
Mark Ley1 Nov 2016 - 07:07
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Wimbledon R.F.C. 7—Westcombe Park 9
“Westcombe Park, you were awesome.” Not my words, but the words of the Wimbledon captain and Ex Combe favourite Dylan Flashman introducing the drinking competition after the game (Combe won that too; no surprise there then!). In truth, Wimbledon were no less awesome, so those supporters that were able to get to this match were blessed. Blessed with watching an awesome display of power rugby from both sets of backs and forwards that was enough to power the National Grid for three days, or something like that anyway.
How different to the attitude of last week's opposition. It would seem they may have an Identity Problem. Apparently someone from there said we would not have any trouble with Wimbledon, “they're not that much . . .” Never mind that they had just gone down badly to us, they had failed to score a point against Wimbledon!
Shame they were otherwise engaged just down the road, they could have learnt a lot from this game. Not least, you don't blame everyone else, but yourselves; it's not that they were not warned in time, the penalty try came very early on if you remember. In this game on Saturday despite it being one of the fiercest encounters I've ever watched at this level there was not a hint of a card all afternoon, not to the players anyway!
This game started in warm but cloudy conditions with not the hint of a breeze and in 31 seconds (according to Mark's new app), you'll have to settle for the nearest minute from me, Combe were awarded a penalty on the edge of Wimbledon's 22.
James Cameron, steadied himself in familiar fashion, and sent the kick towards the goalposts. It drifted a little from right to left and stuck the left post high up and cannoned down close to the right post and the only man on the park to know if it had gone over the bar was the Wimbledon touch judge. It was the prelude to a match that would be played on the edge from start to finish.
Thirteen minutes later James Cameron added a second penalty, this time a little deeper and to the right of the posts. This one sailed straight through the middle.
Ten more minutes of the hard stuff and Wimbledon made the first of only five breaks between the sides the whole game stretching the Combe defence with speeding ball, and powerful running from the centres. Only a try saving tackle from the Combe full-back brought it to an end just short of the line.
Wimbledon had established a beachhead deep in Combe's half for the first time and it wasn't very long before they turned it into points. Dave Bennett receiving the ball at pace at the end of several passes and hitting the only real gap to appear in the Combe defence in 80 minutes. It was quite close to the posts and Brian Croke comfortably added the conversion and Wimbledon moved into the slenderess of leads.
It didn't last long. Five minutes before half-time and James Cameron stepped up to slot his third penalty and Combe went into the break with a two point lead.
There were not a lot of Combe supporters around the pitch but those that were there certainly equalled those of the home support and were now beginning to believe. The thinking going like this can Combe produce, yet again, the type of second-half performance perhaps we should not expect week after week but nonetheless hope for.
What can you say about 40 minutes of rugby (nearer 50 on the clock) that didn't produce a single point? Not good perhaps, even Boring! Not a bit of it, more like the most intriguing 40 minutes of rugby you are ever likely to see. 35 or 36 men (not all at the same time of course) putting their bodies on the line just for their club and in the process producing power rugby at its best with the most committed play possible.
It was like WW1, four five even six minutes of rugby and the ball had barely travelled a yard in either direction, not once or twice but time after time after time.
It all left an awful lot of very saw bodies, let's hope not a lot, injuries are becoming a major problem at Combe. The first XV and the fourths the only sides out on Saturday.
Match Reporter: Mike Attewell
How different to the attitude of last week's opposition. It would seem they may have an Identity Problem. Apparently someone from there said we would not have any trouble with Wimbledon, “they're not that much . . .” Never mind that they had just gone down badly to us, they had failed to score a point against Wimbledon!
Shame they were otherwise engaged just down the road, they could have learnt a lot from this game. Not least, you don't blame everyone else, but yourselves; it's not that they were not warned in time, the penalty try came very early on if you remember. In this game on Saturday despite it being one of the fiercest encounters I've ever watched at this level there was not a hint of a card all afternoon, not to the players anyway!
This game started in warm but cloudy conditions with not the hint of a breeze and in 31 seconds (according to Mark's new app), you'll have to settle for the nearest minute from me, Combe were awarded a penalty on the edge of Wimbledon's 22.
James Cameron, steadied himself in familiar fashion, and sent the kick towards the goalposts. It drifted a little from right to left and stuck the left post high up and cannoned down close to the right post and the only man on the park to know if it had gone over the bar was the Wimbledon touch judge. It was the prelude to a match that would be played on the edge from start to finish.
Thirteen minutes later James Cameron added a second penalty, this time a little deeper and to the right of the posts. This one sailed straight through the middle.
Ten more minutes of the hard stuff and Wimbledon made the first of only five breaks between the sides the whole game stretching the Combe defence with speeding ball, and powerful running from the centres. Only a try saving tackle from the Combe full-back brought it to an end just short of the line.
Wimbledon had established a beachhead deep in Combe's half for the first time and it wasn't very long before they turned it into points. Dave Bennett receiving the ball at pace at the end of several passes and hitting the only real gap to appear in the Combe defence in 80 minutes. It was quite close to the posts and Brian Croke comfortably added the conversion and Wimbledon moved into the slenderess of leads.
It didn't last long. Five minutes before half-time and James Cameron stepped up to slot his third penalty and Combe went into the break with a two point lead.
There were not a lot of Combe supporters around the pitch but those that were there certainly equalled those of the home support and were now beginning to believe. The thinking going like this can Combe produce, yet again, the type of second-half performance perhaps we should not expect week after week but nonetheless hope for.
What can you say about 40 minutes of rugby (nearer 50 on the clock) that didn't produce a single point? Not good perhaps, even Boring! Not a bit of it, more like the most intriguing 40 minutes of rugby you are ever likely to see. 35 or 36 men (not all at the same time of course) putting their bodies on the line just for their club and in the process producing power rugby at its best with the most committed play possible.
It was like WW1, four five even six minutes of rugby and the ball had barely travelled a yard in either direction, not once or twice but time after time after time.
It all left an awful lot of very saw bodies, let's hope not a lot, injuries are becoming a major problem at Combe. The first XV and the fourths the only sides out on Saturday.
Match Reporter: Mike Attewell
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