Impressive Team Performance By Wimbledon RFC


Cobham 10 v Wimbledon 34

London League 1 South

Match report for January 31

This was a most impressive team performance by Wimbledon, one that extends their lead at the top of the league to seven points. Apart from a good driving maul from a 5m lineout by Cobham, which produced a try, the home team threatened Wimbledon’s try line just once throughout the game, and that play was snuffed out by a superb tackle from wing Pete Scott.

Dons’ front row of Wallace, Mullen and Ward had an immense game in the set piece, and around the park the whole pack was quick to the ball and to re-cycle it, giving scrum half Charlie Morgan time to weigh up his options before putting his well-drilled backline into action.

Playing with the wind, it took just five minutes for Wimbledon to open the scoring, when Rhys Morgan – who had another good game out of position at fullback – finished off a flowing backs movement with try no.1. A penalty goal from Cobham’s fly half Sam Watkinson got his team off the mark moments later, but a great Wimbledon scrum soon after and slick inter-passing ended with try no.2, scored by centre Ti Pairama-Lewington. He followed it ten minutes later with his second try, another fine one, which no.8 Gary Crowe might have grabbed for himself but unselfishly passed to the centre instead.

With fly-half Bryan Croke kicking deep onto Cobham’s half, and the home team seeing little of the ball, try no. 4 wasn’t long in coming, this time from a great drive by the pack with flanker Steve May touching down. Let down by his normally trustworthy kicking boot, Neil Hallett was unable to add the conversions and the half ended with Wimbledon 20-3 ahead.

It moved to 27-3 fifteen minutes into the second when Morgan C and Croke put Hallett through to score himself and then add the two points.

But it was Cobham’s turn to use the  strengthening wind and a stolen 5m lineout two minutes later led to their try, well converted from out wide by Watkinson. Dons then had their customary ten minute wobbly spell before finishing strongly with a repeat of his earlier try by May and a good final conversion by Hallett.

Next week Wimbledon are at home to Havant when they will need another strong performance against the side with whom they were a little lucky to scrape a 29-29 draw back in October.

Febuary 2, 2015