The 1XV got their league campaign off to a frustrating start at Garratt Green on Saturday afternoon and deserved a lot more out of the evenly contested game that finished 29-20 to Ironsides favour.

Vandals got off to a horrendous start after conceding a try after the first couple of minutes, with Ironsides utilising a switch move off the back of a scrum to exploit some weak tackling by the covering defence with their winger dotting down in the corner and the Battersea flyhalf adding the conversion to race into a 7-0 lead.

But Vandals responded with three points straight off the restart after James Gulliver pounced on the ball at the breakdown and Ironsides were penalised for holding on, with Dan Wellden taking the kick in front of the posts. 7-3.

A 15 minute spell of dominating possession finally paid dividends with George Bolster going over in the corner after slick link up play with the pack drew in the Ironsides defence and the slight of hand from the backs finished the job to put Vandals in a 7-8 lead.

However, Battersea would not be denied in front of their home crowd and responded with 13 points of their own to retake the lead and open up a 12 point buffer going into the break. But the Vandals pack got the team back into the game with a crucial score, after an excellent lineout call which saw tighthead James Loubser cash over from short range and Dan Wellden adding the conversion to make it 20-15 at half time.

The second half saw Weybridge Vandals dominate possession again with their expansive running game exploiting space in the wider channels but couldn't unlock a stubborn and well coached Battersea defence closer to the line. As the rain came down, Battersea adapted the quickest of the two sides and kept the ball in their pack who had the ascendency in the maul, giving an excellent platform to kick the ball deep into the Vandals half. Under pressure, the team tried to keep the ball in hand and take riskier options to chase down the scoreboard but ultimately lost possession in dangerous areas of the field where the long range boot of the Ironsides standoff proved decisive, adding 9 points from three penalties to extend the lead to 29-15.

Vandals are a far more resilient side this year and were determined to show their added bite.
The team attacked the breakdown with an accuracy and a ferociousness that saw Battersea on the back foot, unable to keep possession. The scrum roared into life, as time and again the Vandals pack popped the opposition front row up and drove them off their own ball, demoralising their set piece. The team surged up the pitch with excellent phases of link up play between the pack and the outside backs, before bludgeoning their way nearer to the try line and centre Harry Reed diving at the line to make it 29-20 with only moments to go.

With the team chasing two losing bonus points, the ball was unfortunately knocked on shortly after the restart and with that, the game was gone. The team were rightly frustrated at the result but took a lot more positives out of a performance that pushed Battersea all the way to the final minute, where four months ago on the same pitch, Vandals were humbled in a 42 point defeat. The growth in this side is clear to see.

James Gulliver was awarded the Fullers London Pride Man of the Match award by the Battersea players after a clinical performance at the breakdown.

It's fantastic to see the clubs junior players graduate to the first XV and on Saturday, Harry Weatherall made his official first XV debut, joining fellow junior teammate James Gulliver who made his debut against Reeds.

Congratulations Harry!

Tries: George Bolster, James Loubser, Harry Reed
Con: Dan Wellden
Pen: Dan Wellden