Reigate Grammar School produced two late scores to see off a second half revival by Caterham School, running out winners by a 27-13 score.
There were a number of Derby games in Surrey on Saturday, including Epsom’s visit to St John’s Leatherhead, and this fixture also saw a match-up between two schools with a long tradition in block fixtures. Both had enjoyed winning starts to the season, Reigate having chalked up victories against Tiffin, Colfe’s and Wallington. Caterham, still able to call on several members of last season’s National Plate semi-finalist side including captain Harry Pluck (a try scorer against KCS Wimbledon in that game) had won comfortably against Sevenoaks and produced a tighter win over King’s Canterbury.
The Hartswood pitches were looking well-grassed and conditions were breezy but dry as the visitors kicked off. Reigate had an early try disallowed when the receiver of a cross-kick to the right was judged to have been offside. However, Reigate soon took another opportunity to get on the scoreboard after Caterham had conceded successive penalties, winning possession in the left corner and driving close to the line through the forwards. Although the defence held firm, another cross kick to the right was well taken by wing Luc Genillard who squeezed in to score in the corner. The touchline conversion attempt was unsuccessful.
Caterham came close to levelling the scores immediately after the restart, when Reigate were penalised in midfield. Although the resulting kick to the left corner failed to find touch, a handling error by the defence gave Caterham the put-in at a 5m scrum. Pluck picked up from the base and the forwards drove to the line, but the ball was held up and Reigate were able to relieve the pressure after the goal line drop-out was knocked on.
From the ensuing scrum full-back Jack Sadler showed good speed to break to halfway on the right and offloaded to Genillard. The wing was stopped but another infringement saw Reigate kick to the corner and, with line-out possession won, centre Conor Woods took the ball at pace. Although he was stopped, possession was retained and Woods and Genillard combined to take play up to the line. Again, the ball was held up, but Caterham’s goal line drop-out went directly into touch, giving Reigate an attacking 5m scrum. With possession won, the ball was moved swiftly through the hands to the right and Genillard beat the cover defence to score, fly half Benjamin Ware converting.
The visitors looked to use their powerful forward pack to gain field position, Pluck combining with wing Oscar Anslow on the right and tight head Joseph Sussmes taking play on in midfield. The pressure was relieved, but the respite was brief as Reigate conceded successive penalties, the second giving Caterham an attacking line-out deep in the right corner, but the throw was not straight. At the resulting scrum Reigate’s set piece was put under pressure and flanker Harry Hudson picked up the loose ball and touched down in the corner. However the referee blew up for a penalty and Reigate cleared to touch. The set piece possession was won but another penalty conceded saw Caterham take a tap and, with Reigate not retreating 10m, a second penalty was conceded on the 22. With little time left on the clock before the interval, fly half Jonny Naylor took the three points on offer from the tee to narrow the deficit.
Half-time: Reigate Grammar School 12-3 Caterham School
The start of second half was punctuated by a number of injury stoppages, but the pattern of play established immediately before half time continued, with the Caterham forwards applying pressure, their back row linking and offloading effectively and Reigate struggling to win their own ball at the set pieces. The territorial advantage was soon turned into points as Naylor broke through and offloaded to centre Ethan Whenman who raced in to score under the posts, Naylor converting.
Just when it looked as if momentum was shifting, Caterham were penalised at the restart and the home side’s backs again shown their running and handling skills, moving the ball on the right before finding the speedy Burns who raced in to score, Ware converting. Both sides looked to their kicking games to gain field position, but a Reigate kick was charged down and with the visitors using the resulting possession to take play into the Reigate half they showed good skills to move the ball through the hands on the right before switching play to the left. An overlap looked to have been created but with the line apparently at their mercy a handling error allowed the defence to recover possession and the chance of a try was lost. However, some compensation was achieved, when a penalty was conceded by the defence, and Naylor, with plenty of time still left on the clock, again took the opportunity to bring the deficit back to within a single score with a successful kick from the tee.
The importance of the restart was again illustrated when the kick went straight out, giving possession back to Caterham on halfway, but their kick was well run back by Burns into the Caterham half. Although he was eventually stopped, possession was retained, and Ware stepped through into the 22 where the defence was penalised. The kicking duties were passed to Burns who made no mistake from the tee, re-establishing a two-score lead.
Play opened up as both sides pressed for a score. A potential chance for the visitors appeared when Reigate were penalised, giving Caterham an attacking line-out on the right, but again the throw was not straight. When Reigate then won a penalty a further 10m were added by the referee and a quick tap saw Reigate gain ground on the right, where possession was lost but then regained and the ball was moved through the hands on the left, where it reached No 8 Gabriel Burns. He drove towards the line and had options to offload but chose to retain possession and managed to ground the ball on the line. Although the conversion attempt was unsuccessful the referee blew up for full time.
This was an entertaining game between two sides with contrasting playing styles. Reigate were worth the win, having played most of the rugby and taken their chances, though the final score arguably did not reflect the close nature of the game, with Caterham’s forward pack dominant for much of the game, especially at the set piece. Had Caterham taken their clear try scoring opportunity when 19-10 down, the outcome might have been different.
Caterham now face a tough first round National Cup South-West A fixture at home to RGS Guildford who have defeated both Epsom and KCS this term. Reigate, having progressed through the first round of the National Vase courtesy of a concession by Richard Challoner, will visit Worth in the next round but may well play that tie as part of their existing block fixture on 8thOctober.
Full-time: Reigate Grammar School 27-13 Caterham School
by Peter Crawshaw
Teams:
Reigate GS: Kishan Patel, Myles Harrington, Joseph Lyons, Jamie Mottashed, Edward Cox, Morgan Cook, Calum Maddick, Gabriel Burns (Vice-captain), Matt Wickham (Captain), Benjamin Ware, Teddy McDougall, Conor Woods (Vice-captain), James Cameron, Luc Genillard, Jack Sadler
Replacements: Oliver Wilbraham,Cameron Harrington, Malachy Talty
Caterham School: Benji Campbell, Ewan Saunders, Joseph Sussmes, Fred Oliver, Lucca Gaudoin, Jack Forde, Harry Hudson, Harry Pluck, Zach Ferguson, Jonny Naylor, Aaron Houlton, Ethan Whenman, , James Beckett, Oscar Anslow, Ethan van Huyssteen
Replacements: Jimi Ogun, Will Atterbury
