Wimbledon RFC 1XV 40 v Camberley 3
This was an even more emphatic win for Wimbledon than the score suggests. It was the high penalty count against the home team that kept Camberley in the game for extended periods, although quite why Dons’ powerful front row of Pete Wallace, Graeme Symon and Joey Nanai should have been penalised persistently for doing their jobs effectively (namely getting the better of their opposite numbers) was something of a mystery.
The referee was a bit harsh at the rucks too, where Dons' highly mobile pack constantly (and legally) cleared out the opposition to secure or gain possession, only to hear the whistle.
But there was no stopping this motivated, skillful and well-drilled Wimbledon team.
3-0 up seconds after the kick-off, courtesy of a penalty calmly converted by wing Leon Driscoll, they added five more points moments later when Wallace broke from a ruck and beat off three defenders during a 40m run to the tryline. Driscoll again converted.
Camberley came back with three points soon after but Dons’ forwards ensured it was only a temporary hiccup when drive after drive ended in Nanai touching down for a try. Driscoll then capitalised on Wimbledons’ territorial advantage with another successful penalty taking the half-time score to 18-3.
With hooker Symon unerringly finding his lineout jumper, Rob Tait, and the backs looking increasingly fluent, it was just the penalty count that kept Dons from scoring until 20 minutes into the second half, but then centre Dave Rees rounded off a slick backs move to score Dons’ third try. The fourth – and the bonus point – followed almost immediately when no.10 Dan Brown touched after a great run by Driscoll with scrum half Charlie Morgan the link man. Morgan himself capped another excellent game with the fifth try five minutes later and he was involved again in the try by replacement flanker Nathan Kemp just before the final whistle. Dricoll’s conversion took his team to a thoroughly deserved 40-3 victory.
November 14, 2011
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