1st XV - Match centre

Old Tiffinians
Old Whitgiftian
la 8 joulu TBC - London & SE Division - London 3 South West Full time

Whits get themselves in a Tiff

By

By David Moyise

Whit's finished the first half of the season with a visit to old Surrey rivals Old Tiffinians. Looking to put the past 9 games behind them and push for a vital win and stop themselves being rooted to the bottom of the league.

A guest appearance from university star Thom Munns in the engine room with young Konrad O’Neil moving from blindside to join him as well as a return for Barney Hoskins at loosehead, meant Whits were going to be a mobile unit with youth and speed on their side. Tiffs, with the usual larger pack, looked to enforce their size early. With the wind at their backs and early penalties in their favour the Tiffs’ kicker pinged one over from the halfway. 3-0. Concern for Whits that any indiscipline in any part of defensive half could be punished with three points.

The towering restart by Fly-half Andrew Marshall, the ball was knocked forward and the first scrum of the game was to be contested. Whits the underdogs by almost 100kgs in weight were soon pushed off the ball as the Whits pack went backwards like a French tank at the first site of conflict. This looked like this was going to be a long day for forwards, but what they lost in weight they made up in guile and agility. The ball was soon turned over by the master of the limbo stick and the breakdown, Graham Johnson. The pill now on the Whit's side of the ruck saw two-step scrum-half Matt Clark whip a 30 yard ball to Marshall. Marshall, with fluid vision gave the cutest of inside balls to Skipper Chris Hall who, still with work to do, danced around the fullback and went over the line just left of the post for an eye-opening five points. Jordan Lewis at outside centre missed the chance to extend the lead. 3-5

Whits once again were the masters of the own downfall. Multiple penalties for high challenges saw another easy 3 points for the hosts and returned them to the lead. 6-5.

Whits still looked the most dangerous in open play and with Tim Catling back at fullback and Chris Starns on the wing Whits were in a good position to turn defence into attack. After a huge hit by former quarry worker Alex Smith, the shovel hands of the bearded model proved vital for the turnover and allowed Clark to go blind to Catling. He canted 40 yards into the opposition twenty-two where the Tiffs fullback made a vital tackle, Hoskins whose lung-busting work around the park cleared another ruck gave more quick ball to Clark. The young but edgy nine hit headhunter Jonathan Mount who made vital yards with players dripping off his back for a delicately brutal offload to young prop and James Burnett (Jim Bean to his friends) who went over for his debut try. This time Lewis converted and Whit's retook the lead 6-12.

The game pace was picking up as was the rainfall. Multiple scrums followed, a quick break down the blind by the Tiffs 8 saw a try against the run of the play which was converted to give Tiffs a 13-12 lead at half time.

The game restarted, Whits cohesiveness was for all too see as they carved through the host's defence with ease, the pressure mounted and an easy penalty for Lewis gave the lead back to whits in this topsy-turvy league tie. 13-15.

Whits were in ascent. The youth of O'Neil and Munns in the line out jumped time and time again to turn over the Tiffs. From a Whits lineout former Hull University legend Hall fired the fastest of darts up to the towering Munns, after a drive the ball came flying out with Mount on the ball, bashing through the ten channel and over the Tiffs standoff there was only the fullback in the way of this Katy Perry looking wrecking ball. Over he went and a very important try for the Whits and converted again by Lewis. 13-22

With nine-point lead and twenty minutes to go, calm heads were what was called for. But Whits being Whits wouldn't want that, it's not the way of the Jazzmen. Another high tackle and this time it was yellow for Mount, this penalty was nudged over by the classy kicker and the game reduced to 6 points difference. 16-22. Tiffs felt the change in a momentum swing with the extra man and piled the pressure on, The fourteen men of Whits defended 30 phases on their line and for nearly 10 minutes as eventually Tiffs went over for 7 points and to retake the lead with only minutes to play. 23-22

Now restored to 15 men Whits again took control and after one missed attempt at 3 points, Lewis had another much harder attempt on the Tiffs 10 meter, the nudge perfect and the ball over, Whits could see the end of the drought, 23-25 with only the restart to finish the game and see a famous victory.

But no. Whits were to be denied as a penalty for taking the man in the air saw a very difficult and pressured penalty to kicked over. Heartbreak for the Whits and ecstasy for the hosts. 26-25. An absolute cracking game by both teams.

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League table

# Team Pl Pts
6. Old Georgians 22 56
7. Trojans 22 56
8. Andover 22 52
9. Warlingham 22 50
10. Old Whitgiftian 22 41
11. Petersfield 22 26
12. Teddington 22 22

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