Motspur Park Proves A Bridge Too Far For Vandals

It was the 2011-12 season when Weybridge Vandals and King's last contested a league match. That year the Old Boys achieved a double over the men from Brownacres winning 39-17 and 16-8 although much has changed in the intervening years at King's not least in terms of personnel as, presumably, it has at Vandals too. Both sides had an identical record coming into the game – P2 W1 L1 - each having lost to local rivals London Cornish. Since their week one defeat Weybridge had bounced back with an eye-catching defeat of Farnham, last season's champions of L3SW. With that in mind King's knew that they would have to recover quickly from the disappointment of seven days ago if they were to better today's opponents.

King's got proceedings under way and whilst the early exchanges revealed little about the likely outcome it quickly became clear the game was going to be played at pace, not least due to the referee's laissez faire attitude to the sanctity of breakdown as he seemed content that the ball was 'out' as soon as it was visible regardless of its position relative to the back foot. So it was from one such breakdown on halfway than King's were turned over and having done the hard part and won the ball back they committed rugby suicide by declining an overlap and instead chipped back to the grateful visitors. The mistake was compounded when King's were momentarily paralysed by indecision at a grubber kick which Vandals were allowed to recover and a couple of phases later their winger bustled over under the posts for the first score; 0-5. His team-mate could not miss with the extras; 0-7.

Stung into action King's began to play with some purpose gaining traction from the set piece – Joe Mason and later Harry Kersley to the fore - where the Vandals' front row laboured and found themselves retreating time and again (although it took until the 75th minute before King's were rewarded with a penalty). Soon on the front foot inside the Weybridge half, King's began asking questions of the visitor's defence and after several surges from forwards and backs alike, each one gaining precious yards towards the Vandals' line until Alex Humphries came up with the ball to claim a (converted) score; 7-7.

With the game evenly poised and just 18mins on the clock attacks from both teams ebbed and flowed until it seemed Weybridge may be ready to break the stalemate when they advanced to 5m out from a penalty. However, slick as their lineout routine was, the ball was stolen and returned with interest into the Vandals' half by full back Will Nelson. Some of the heftier Weybridge forwards were feeling the tempo and if the disappointment of having been repelled at one end was not enough, moments later Harrison Scowsill arced through the defence to compound their woes with a try improved by Tom Dugarin; 14-7. With just 7mins until the break previous King's teams may have been content to play out what remained, but this side was anything but and having first punched holes down the left a George Taylor cross-kick found Humphries and a deft offload to his second row partner John Walton saw him cross the whitewash; 19-7. With the half-time looming Harrison David added one of his own from out wide to stretch the lead and secure the Old Boys an unexpected but welcome bonus point; 24-7.

Whatever was said at the interval Vandals certainly upped their intensity at the start of the second period although King's defence saw to it that most of the action took place in the middle third of the pitch. The visitors' exertions seemed to be taking their toll as they started to flag again and on 58mins King's running game 'clicked' as Taylor skipped over to extend the advantage; 29-7. This score resulted in something of a sea chance in the Vandals' mind-set, frustration fragmenting their composure as the rumbustious nature of one or two of their players began to prevail. It was soon to their cost as when King's surged though increasingly tired tacklers, Walton found himself running to fresh air and over the line but as he went to ground the ball Weybridge's try scoring winger lashed out with a mindless kick-cum-trip. The perpetrator contended he was aiming for the ball. The official disagreed and produced a straight red awarding a penalty try which was converted; 36-7. One or two of the Vandal's alikadoos had seen enough and made for their cars, but King's were not finished adding a further score through Tom Smith in the final play; 41-7.

It was undeniably a good day at the office for King's as despite still missing several players who would reasonably expect to be part of a first team squad, all 18 who took the pitch acquitted themselves with aplomb and after 3 games King's are joint top scorers in L2SW. Man of the match was given by Vandals to centre George Taylor who their captain graciously conceded "cut us to ribbons". Since he had absented himself before the awards were doled out Vandals' second nominee was blindside Barry Williams, making his debut for the club, who was as abrasive in defence as he was forceful in attack.

Weybridge will improve, and doubtless are already keen to avenge their defeat when King's visit 'The Island' in the depths of Winter on the first Saturday in 2015 when it is sure to be a very different kind of game. Before then King's have numerous obstacles to overcome starting with the visit of Winchester in a fortnight, another side narrowly beaten by top of the table Cornish. A week off beckons but doubtless Coach Richards will have something lined up to ensure that King's start with intensity when the visitors from Hampshire come calling.