Match Information
Woking RFC 27 points Feltham RFC 21 points
Woking travelled to the home of Feltham Blacksheep on Saturday in a hastily arranged fixture following the late cancellation of their game with Cranleigh. Emerging from the changing rooms, Woking experienced a battle zone of lit oil sumps and armed police patrols – and that was before they even got on the pitch.
The encounter on the pitch was a bruising matter too, with both sides sustaining a series of injuries as Feltham adopted a 10 man rugby approach and Woking adopted an approach of trying to spread the ball wide to avoid and utilise their pace.
When finally able to get their hands on the ball Woking struck with two tries, first from pace man Dave Baigrie and the second following an interception on the wing from Attie Van Nikkelen Kuyper. Feltham hit back with a rumble through the forwards from close out, and then they finished well through the backs taking a two point lead into the break.
The second half saw the game open up a little more, as Woking were able to secure more possession which they tried to put to good use. Woking’s new prop George Osborn was more settled in the second half and held his own in the tight, and with Justin Key and Paul Collins in the front row Woking began to disrupt the Feltham scrum and win some more lineout.
More strong running from Cormac Lewis and Dave Baigrie with Kevin Jarvis hitting the line from fullback saw Woking go close twice, however the next strike came from Feltham as they were awarded a penalty try following interference wide on the wing preventing a chase down and score in the corner.
So Woking had quite a come back to orchestrate but this they did this despite a series of injuries to prop Key and second rows Richards, and Childs and a harsh yellow card shown to flanker James Giles that disrupted the side. Impact player Matt Jarvis joined the back row and caused all sorts of problems for Feltham and this powerful play secured the ball needed for Woking to score three long range tries in the final quarter, the first from Baigrie and the last two from Kuyper, the second of which saw him chase his own kick the full length of the pitch and touch down in the far right hand corner of the pitch.
Woking skipper Richard Grady commented after the game ‘This was a very satisfying victory. At last we were able to unleash the backs, which were marshalled well by Sean Beavis standing in at 10 this afternoon and thereby defeat this strong, physical Feltham side.’
Woking: Key, Collins, Osborn, Childs, Steers, Bennett, Warriner, Cane, Bannister, Beavis, Lewis, Grady, Baigrie, Kuyper, Jarvis. Subs: Giles, Hamilton-Wilkes, Jarvis, Sargent, Marchant
Woking RFC v Feltham RFC photos are now online:
Woking RFC 19 points Merton RFC 27 points
Surrey League 4
Woking were not able to end their league season in winning ways on Saturday . Despite putting up a spirited performance they did not get the rub of the green as they lost by a margin of eight points.
Woking started in commanding fashion as the pace of Cormac Lewis on the wing proved very difficult to handle and one searing run in the first quarter resulted in a try wide on the left. Dan Edwards slotted the conversion. Merton were always dangerous and struck back themselves with a try as they were able to stretch the Woking defence one way and then the other.
Powerful scrummaging from the Woking eight again saw them in the ascendancy and the Merton pack were under such pressure that their scrum wheeled through 90 degrees at virtually every set piece. Despite this the referee took no action and allowed Merton to pick up from the base of the scrum and charge off repeatedly with the Woking scrum out of position to defend.
From this powerful base and simple game plan Woking scored a second try through the backs with Dan Edwards executing a fine double miss move in the backs, but conceded a further try minutes before the interval. Just before half time in a bid to take more than a two point lead into the second half Woking powered deep into the Merton half and were awarded a quick penalty that Phil Bennett took quickly touching down behind the line for what looked like a perfectly good try, only for the referee to rule out the try. So at the break Woking were up on points but Merton were threatening to fight back.
The second half started poorly for Woking as they were penalised from the restart and conceded further yardage un-necessarily due to dissent to the referee. The effect of this was to spur Merton on and despite initial defence Woking were outflanked as their forwards lumbered along in defence unable to keep up the pace with the Merton back row and backs.
With the wind advantage Merton pinned Woking back deep in their own territory for much of the second half and were fortuitous to score a further try when the ball was knocked on yards from the line but then regathered by the Merton backs and touched down for the try as Woking were left wrong footed and stunned.
Minutes later Woking were penalised for entering the ruck from the side and the Merton fly half secured the penalty. Again under pressure to clear their lines facing a recurringly offside but un-penalised defensive line from Merton a pass form Woking’s scrum half James Bannister to Dan Edwards, cleared Edwards and centre Grady and was seized by the advancing Merton backs to score beneath the posts.
There were just 10 minutes on the clock and Woking needed to up the work rate which they did. They were successful with a try from Sean Beavis wide on the left but were unable to make any further inroads to the lead Merton had built as the final whistle blew.
Woking skipper Richard Grady commented after the game ‘ We were in with a good shout here, against a good and canny side that took its advantage to the limit in borderline decisions. The game could have ended quite differently if Phil Bennett’s try had been awarded and the Merton knock-on try had been spotted by the referee’.
Woking: Hamilton, Collins, Key, Goodman, Lovell, Smith, Giles, Bennett, Bannister, Edwards, Lewis, Grady, Baigrie, McGiven, Beavis.
Woking RFC v Merton RFC photos are now online:
Woking RFC 26 points Egham Hollowegians RFC 12 points Surrey League 4
Woking produced a workman like display on Saturday at Egham to run out comfortable victors 26-12 in this league clash. It was certainly a game of two halves as bizarrely one half of the pitch was significantly shorter than the other! From the kick off Woking took the initiative and drove possession deep into the Egham half, though Egham were solid in defence and quick to counter when given the opportunity.
Woking improved on their ball retention in this match and this meant better and quicker ball for scrum half James Bannister. Within minutes Woking had demonstrated good hands in the backs and pressed deep into the Egham twenty-two. From the ensuing scrum James Bannister broke blind and with good strength made the line despite the attentions of the Egham back row. Woking pace man Cormac Lewis demonstrated great power minutes later as he strode through several tackles to score Woking’s second try. Egham replied with a try through their forwards after a strong fight back from the restart. Woking’s advantage was a solid scrummage bolstered by the return of Justin Key who has missed most of the season due to work commitments. With the combination of Hamilton, Lee and Key the Woking front row mullered the Egham front row. The forwards were also dominant in the loose, with back row Giles, Bennett and Jones strong in attack and defence. The kick-off and restart work of second row James Goodman was exemplary as he took all the high balls that were sent in his direction and made yards across the gain line.
This dominance at the scrum continued in the second half, and powerful running by the Woking backs secured a penalty for Dan Edwards to slot between the posts. Woking pressed on for further points and with a series of well worked moves ran from deep in their half with the ball finally reaching wing Steve Workman who showed typical strength in powering over the line right in the corner.
Egham produced a period of pressure encouraged by home support, but the Woking defence held out for a long period until from a Woking ruck the ball squirted out on the Woking side to an Egham player who casually picked the ball up and touched down for the try. Referees decision ‘open play’ and the try stood. Woking put the result beyond doubt when full back Sean Beavis scuttled over in the right corner.
Woking skipper Richard Grady returning from injury commented after the game 'We had a very close drawn game against Egham at the beginning of the season so to come away and dominate was particularly satisfying.'
Woking: Hamilton, Lee, Key, Goodman, Steers, Giles, Jones, Bennett, Bannister, Edwards, Lewis, Grady, Kuyper, Workman, Beavis.
Woking RFC 14 points Kingston RFC 32 points
Friendly
Woking travelled to Kingston on Saturday for a non-league fixture. The side saw a number of changes as Woking gave the reserve squad a run out, including, Steve Gilmour, Evan Marchant, Richard Cane, Matt Childs, Mark Shrewsbury, Pip Barry, Andre Roos and others.
The first half was a relatively even affair with both sides playing some running rugby though Kingston were up by two tries to one at the break, Woking’s scored by Mark Shrewsbury on the right wing.
The second half saw Kingston gain the ascendancy as their strong back line wore Woking’s defence down with a hat trick of tries. Woking’s consolation was a well worked try from scrum half James Bannister who darted over from close range.
Woking skipper Dan Edwards stated after the game ‘This was a useful fixture to try a few of our reserve players and I feel these players benefited from the experience’.
Woking: Roos, Barry, Lovell, Goodman, Childs, Smith, Warriner, Bannister, Cane, Edwards, McGiven, Madelin, Gilmour, Shrewsbury, Kuyper. Subs Marchant, Steers, Giles
Woking RFC 17 points Haslemere RFC 0 points
Surrey League 4
Woking entertained Haslemere on Saturday in this mid table clash. Having been put to the sword by Haslemere at the beginning of the season Woking were keen for a more successful performance. This was ultimately achieved but not without a considerable fight having been put up by Haslemere.
The first half was a blood and guts display from both sides with Woking having the territorial advantage but unfortunately not able to make the most of their opportunities as they were regularly robbed of possession by the beefy Haslemere backrow.
Line out work from Woking was improved this week as resident prop Martin Lee, standing in at hooker for the injured Richard Bilgey, was more accurate with his throwing. Big James Goodman, Woking’s second row was safe on his ball and poached half a dozen of the Haslemere line outs.
Presented with a chance of a penalty kick right in front of the posts when the half time whistle was just about to blow, confident Woking skipper James Giles opted to try for the 7 points. Woking charged at Haslemere and Haslemere held out until the half time whistle sounded.
The second half started out in a similar vein and Woking’s injured captain Richard Grady was visibly and audibly stressed on the touchline wondering whether Woking would rue the missed opportunity of the penalty goal before half time.
Woking then produced a final quarter of strong running with Dave Baigrie and Cormac Lewis making serious yards. Man of the match Wayne Suddaby was strong in attack and defence. In one powerful play he broke through Haslemere defence and linked well with Dan Edwards who offloaded to Lewis who powered his way through several tackles to score on the right.
With good ball Edwards now took control spreading the ball wide off the inside pass from Suddaby, and with Adam Smith hot in pursuit and support he put Smith in for a try near the posts which was successfully converted.
The result was put beyond question when Dan Edwards scored wide on the right skating around the defence.
Woking skipper James Giles puffed after the game ‘End to end stuff and a very physical encounter, the boys played well and I was sure that we would get there in the end. A very pleasing result’.
Woking: Hamilton, Lee, Lovell, Goodman, Steers, Jones (Smith 40), Bennett, Bannister, Edwards, Suddaby, Baigrie, McGiven, Turner, Lewis.
Woking RFC 0 points London Economicals RFC 20 points
Surrey League 4
Woking struggled to get going on Saturday as they were forced to make a few changes to the team structure due to injury or absences. Dan Edwards slotted in at full back with Mike Tucker at 10 and Ian Madelin returned at outside centre after a long absence from the side.
The first half was reasonably evenly balanced, with the slight advantage to Economicals. Woking’s distribution from the set piece, via Mike Tucker was pretty good though they were unable to make real headway and get over the gain line, despite the best efforts of Wayne Suddaby in the centre and full back Edwards. The remaining Woking backs were hard working but not allowed to shine up against a competent back line defence.
The main feature of play that was Woking’s undoing was their ball retention, which was responsible for the first try they conceded. Loose play and exposed players saw Woking’s Cormac Lewis crunched wide out, the ball was recycled and Economicals were through despite the last ditch attentions of Dan Edwards.
Having also conceded a penalty in the first half Woking were 8-0 down at half time – in with a shout but not playing to their potential. The second half unfortunately did not realise any improvement in Woking’s fortunes. A further two tries were conceded through rumbling forwards drives from the Economicals forwards who were guided over the line by their boisterous scrum half. Salt was rubbed into the wound when Captain James Giles was yellow carded as he drove forward in the Economicals twenty two keen to get Woking on the scoresheet, and was deemed to have not released the ball. Woking’s chances of getting back into the game receded and petered out, as their forward game wobbled in line, scrum, ruck and maul towards the end of the final quarter.
Woking captain James Giles commented after the game ‘ No excuses, we were nowhere near at the top of our game today and we succumbed to an efficient side but one that we could have beaten had we been more switched on.’
Woking: Hamilton, Lee, Lovell, Steers, Goodman, Smith, Giles, Bennett, Bannister, Tucker, Suddaby, Madelin, Lewis, Turner, Edwards.
Woking RFC 8 points Teddington Antlers RFC 41 points
Surrey League Rugby
In form Antlers came to Woking on Saturday and produced a strong second half performance to demolish Woking’s defence that had held out to the break. In fact Woking did more than hold out until half time, they were genuinely in the game at the break.
It was a gutsy performance from Woking in the first half as they tackled everything that moved and strong running Wayne Suddaby and Dave Baigrie were a handful for Teddington in the midfield.
Antlers, early on, showed what they were ultimately to produce in the second half as they scored a brace of tries through the backs one scored either side of Woking’s sole try of the match. This was a powerful score from centre Wayne Suddaby following some mazy running from Woking’s Dan Edwards. Missing the conversion Edwards made up for it minutes later as he slotted a penalty goal. The one area Woking where were in the ascendancy was the scrum where they were dominant on their and Antlers ball thereby limiting the clean possession Antlers were able to achieve.
Both sides received a stirring from their respective captains at half time and clearly this did the trick for Antlers . From the restart Woking were put under pressure as they goofed the catch and take and conceded a line out from which Antlers caught and drove and unleashed their pacey backs for a third try.
Woking skipper on the day James Giles was successful in rousing his side that then produced a fifteen minute spell of defence most notably from Edwards, Suddaby and Baigrie – supported by the rest of the back line.
However having exerted themselves in a long period of defence Woking’s forwards were now a yard off the pace at the breakdown. The strength they had demonstrated in the first half by over powering Antlers in the scrum was neutralised by the tentative referee who insisted on near uncontested scrums for safety reasons. This decision was hard to see given Woking’s experienced front row and can only be attributed to Antler’s front row discomfort.
This provided Antlers with a more stable scrimmage from which to unleash their backs, which they did with a vengeance. The last quarter saw Woking run out of puff and as they grew weary they kicked away good ball to Antlers and lost ball in the contact zone that was seized upon by Antlers for a cascade of tries.
Woking skipper James Giles wheezed after the game ‘the pace of the final quarter was dramatic, we could not cope with the attacking pace and power and support play of the Antlers backs particularly. Each of our last ditch tackles saw one or two Antlers players in support.’
Woking: Hamilton, Gilbert, Lee, Goodman, Lovell, Giles, McGibbon, Jones, Bannister, Edwards, Turner, Suddaby, Baigrie, McGiven, Beavis.
Woking RFC 71 points Old Suttonians RFC 0 points
League
Woking travelled to Ewell on Saturday in this lower table clash. Woking were bolstered by a full strength squad with the return of James Giles in the backrow and Dave Baigrie in the centre.
The game was closely fought in the early minutes as both sides became attuned to the style of the referee who was clearly enjoying her authority over a motley bunch of gentlemen.
Both sets of forwards were well matched against each other though as the minutes ticked by it emerged that Woking had the more penetrating and spritely backs.
It was as the game opened up in the second quarter that Woking began to dominate through their pacey backs. From a strong forward power base the majestic Dan Edwards cut through the Old Sutts defence repeatedly setting up his back line for try after try. Baigrie and Suddaby in the centres were presented with scoring chances that they eagerly exploited - particularly the rangey Baigrie who demonstrated great pace and hands in scoring his several tries.
Full back Sean Beavis returning from a long term hand injury was also in commanding form and the irascible Jim McGiven on the wing was threatening in attack and powerful in defence.
Big lock James Goodman was commanding in receiving the restarts, which provided Woking with the base from which to build their game. In the scrum Woking dominated and with clever play from scrum half James Bannister, Woking’s backs were well served with good quality ball from a pack that was going forwards – always an advantage.
Fly-half Dan Edwards roared on by family and friends produced a man of the match performance and a brace of tries; often able to feed off the rampaging runs of influential player coach Andy Jones who was the star of the loose forwards.
The two halves were balanced in scored points with 35 in the first and 36 in the second – with Baigrie running in five, Beavis three and Edwards two as the main scorers.
After the game captain Phil Bennett beamed ‘ A very pleasing result – good to see the girls in the backs doing some hard work for a change. On a serious note great respect to the Old Sutts for sticking at it. We’ve been on the end of several league trouncings ourselves which makes it is hard to stomach and keep motivation up.’
Woking: Hamilton, Edwards, Gilbert, Goodman, Lovell, Giles, Jones, Bennett, Bannister, Edwards, Suddaby, Baigrie, Turner, McGiven, Beavis.
Woking RFC 24 points Lightwater RFC 20 points
Non-league fixture
In a hastily arranged fixture Woking entertained Lightwater on Saturday in bright and firm playing conditions. Kick off was brought forward due to the lure of watching the international rugby being televised in the afternoon. This presented problems for Woking who were only able to raise 14 players by the time of kick off.
The early exchanges were end to end with running backs moves from both sides. Woking took the lead with a try from Lewis who fed off wide ball delivered by Dan Edwards. Wing Lewis was soon back in action as he was set up for a try by a clever mid-field scissors between Edwards and centre Wayne Suddaby.
Lightwater hit back with a try themselves through an intricate backs move.
Woking’s fifteenth man Trey Kuyper appeared at this stage having secured a lift to the ground providing additional pace in the Woking backs.
With Woking slightly in the ascendancy at half time an exciting second half was promised. The crowd was not disappointed. Lightwater pressed forward in the second half to exert pressure and went close in the early encounters but were unable to cross the line.
This did not phase Lightwater who continued the pressure and when Woking lost some of their shape through this pressure, the home side conceded a couple of quick tries through lack of ball retention and weak first up tackling putting Lightwater back in the driving seat.
Woking pressed back and drove deep into the Lightwater half securing a penalty in the 22 metre area. Sharp play from Edwards saw him evade the Lightwater defence and offload to Phil Bennett who crashed over for the try.
Woking reverted to a familiar game utilising the strong running of giant second James Goodman off fly half Dan Edwards and from the penalty set piece. This provided the platform for a Woking revival as centre Wayne Suddaby crashed over for a try under the posts.
Woking converted two of their four tries that gave them the winning margin in this thrilling encounter that saw the lead change hands three times.
Injured Woking skipper Richard Grady commented from the sideline 'This was a hard fought victory against the Lights. Big Phil Bennett led from the front today motivating the players to come back after a slack 15 minutes in the second half.’
Woking: Hamilton, Edwards, Lee, McGibbon, Goodman, Warriner, Jones, Bennett, Bannister, Edwards, Turner, Lewis, Suddaby, Marchant, Kuyper.
Woking RFC 8 points Old Oundelians RFC 34 points
Surrey League
Woking travelled to Thames Ditton on Saturday with several key players absent, and a reshuffled pack to face a strong Oundelians side full of confidence and flying high in the league.
The result of the game pivoted around the half time break as Woking sapped of energy from a valiant containment game in the first half ran out of puff in the second half conceding several late scores as their resilience faltered.
The game started with Woking under continual pressure, which saw their defence tested hugely. The breakthrough came for Oundle when their number 8 seized the ball from the base of the scrum and drove through the tackle of Grady to touch down. Woking’s only solace was that they made good ground from the restart and secured a penalty in a testing position, Edwards mis-struck the ball on this occasion but was successful minutes later when he was presented by an easier chance.
The pressure mounted on Woking, and despite having the real ascendancy in the scrum they were not able to maximise all the possession that they secured. Strong running from Dave Baigrie and Cormac Lewis was insufficient to break the gain line and expose the Oundle defence - but instead it was the Oundle backs that looked threatening as the Woking half backs began to get dragged into the close quarters tackling leading to overlaps wide out.
Oundle scored again through a penalty goal and a second try wide on the left wing.
The start of the second half of the game was free flowing though sporadically interspersed by ball slowing tactics from both sides. Having been warned, Woking suffered a huge set-back when prop Neil Hamilton was yellow carded. This put Woking on the back foot and despite maintaining dominance in the scrum, at the ruck and maul Woking were stretched which led to a brace of tries as they tired in the tackle through the forwards. Valiant work from Edwards, Baigrie and Lewis in the Woking backs prevented a higher points tally for the Oundle old boys. Oundle exerted pressure with two penalty kicks that gave them more breathing space on the scores.
In the last quarter Woking were able to bring on the influential Phil Bennett and Woking began to sniff a score as they were awarded a series of penalties. Quick thinking Matt Edwards playing in the backrow tapped a quick penalty and slid over for the try.
Despite this brief success Woking began to lose their shape and resilience in the closing 15 minutes - which was disappointing as they conceded a further two tries and well beaten at the end the score did slightly flatter the Oundle old boys.
Woking skipper Richard Grady commented ‘ Difficult to pin one’s finger on this one. In many areas we played well. The one area that probably let us down the most was the first up tackle. One through this first line of attach it was difficult to catch the Oundles particularly their no. 8.’
Woking: Hamilton, Gilbert, Lee, Goodman, Lovell, Grady, Edwards, Jones, Bannister, Edwards, Baigrie, Lewis, Tucker, Marchant, Kuyper.
Woking RFC 25 points Old Rutlishians RFC 26 points
Woking travelled to the Old Ruts in Merton on Saturday, for this non-league fixture. Despite the damp weather the ground underfoot was very firm, which made for a good open game as the match score suggests.
The game was influenced in both halves by a strong wind. Woking were able to exploit this in the first half and Ruts got back into the game and sneaked the victory in the dying minutes of the game with a final penalty.
The game started at quite a pace as Woking sought to spread the ball wide and Old Ruts sought to dominate through the forwards. Woking broke out of defence as they secured the ball from the Ruts forwards and following a break from Dan Edwards, centre Dave Baigrie opened up his legs and then off loaded to Jamie Giles who raced in to score the try near the posts and then allow an easier conversion for Dan Edwards.
Giles was in good form despite suffering a leg injury in the first quarter and was to add a second try later in the game.
Dave Baigrie again was in action minutes later and with strong running he ate up the ground powering to score wide on the right.
Early scrums saw Woking under pressure until Alistair Wilkes became more settled in the Woking front row. Old Ruts forwards during a powerful piece of play forced their way over the Woking line for their first score, later providing the platform for a try on the right for the Ruts backs followed by a successful penalty goal kick.
Jamie Giles struck back for Woking with a second try, this time from closer in as a mighty effort from Woking saw them crash over the line.
In the second half Ruts with the wind hit back with a try in the early minutes, which Woking countered with a penalty goal kick from Dan Edwards. Ruts with the wind were pinning Woking deep in their half and from a break down the Woking right wing, it was too easy for the Ruts winger to race in for a try in the corner.
Woking drove back from the kick off and Andy Warriner having his best game for the club crashed over for a well deserved try.
There was still 15 minutes on the clock, the Woking side was holding firm against concerted Ruts attacks. First came a late try from Ruts as they applied pressure, then turn-over ball as Woking sought to clear their lines when under further pressure presented Ruts with a final scoring opportunity, Woking were adjudged to have collapsed on the ball and a penalty goal was awarded and scored to seal the victory.
Skipper Richard Grady side-lined for the week commented after the game ‘This was a cracking match to watch and the players enjoyed the game too, both sides; with the rub of the green the result could have gone our way’.
Woking: Hamilton, Edwards, Hamilton-Wilkes, McGibbon, Goodman, Smith, Warriner, Giles, Kuyper, Edwards, Fisher, Baigrie, Marchant, Turner, Lewis. Subs: Gilmour, Childs, Grady.
Woking train Tuesday 7- 9pm at the Recreation Ground off Rectory Lane Byfleet. All new players are welcome. If you fancy resurrecting or starting your rugby career or to assist in the post Christmas weight loss please come on down – the time is right!
Contact Richard on 01932 347576 or visit them at www.wokingrugby.com
Woking RFC v Old Rutlishians RFC photos are now online:
Woking RFC 17 points Egham RFC 17 points
Woking hosted Egham at the Recreation Ground on Saturday in fine playing conditions. Winning the toss skipper Richard Grady opted to kick off, with Egham choosing to play with the low winter sun to their backs. Intent on not playing catch up rugby Woking suffered a near disastrous start to the game when they conceded an early 7 pointer.
From the start off kick, Woking were caught on the hop as they failed to get to grips with the Egham forwards who secured the ball and ran hard at Woking. A clever kick over the advancing Woking back line defence saw full back Cormac Lewis isolated and scrambling to collect the ball. Egham attackers pounced on the ball to touch down for the try, which was then converted.
Woking fought back when they won some good possession, and through the backs the ball was spread wide to rampaging full back Lewis who was clean through to score when he was pulled down metres from the line by a high tackle. The referee awarded a penalty try that Edwards converted with ease.
Egham hit back with a penalty kick. Woking responded with a second try when good pressure from Woking saw an interception by centre Grady, off load to Tony Baxter and then on to Jamie Giles who finished off the try in style. Dan Edwards slotted the conversion.
In the second half Woking’s scrum was holding its own but under serious pressure from the Egham eight, and in the loose the Egham forwards were pressurising Woking intensely culminating in hooker Matt Edwards being sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes. Minutes later Woking conceded a try beneath their posts as Egham powered over through their back row despite the efforts of the stretched Woking backs.
With minutes left on the clock Woking were awarded a penalty kick some 35 metres from the posts that Dan Edwards converted to the delight of the Woking players to level the scores.
In the ascendancy Woking were unable to polish the victory off in the last few minutes and the game petered out into a draw as a series of errors from both sides were penalised by the referee in a tit for tat sequence culminating in a knock on by Egham, as they tried to force the pace.
Woking skipper Richard Grady commented after the game ‘We escaped by the skin of our teeth here. We certainly could have won the game had we made the most of our chances, however a draw was probably a fair result’.
Woking: Edwards, Lee, Hamilton, Goodman, Childs, Smith, Giles, Bennett, James, Edwards, McGiven, Grady, Baxter, Turner, Lewis.
Woking train on Tuesday 7pm -9pm Recreation Ground off Rectory Lane, Byfleet. All new players are welcome. Contact Richard on 01932 347576 or visit them at www.wokingrugby.com
Woking RFC v Egham RFC photos are now online:
Woking RFC 5 points Merton RFC 22 points
Woking travelled up to Morden Recreation Ground home of Merton RFC on Saturday disrupted by late withdrawals from the side and unavailability.
Losing the toss Woking were asked to kick off, and from the start made an encouraging start as they powered into the Merton half pressing close to the Merton line. Merton were able to clear their lines and then the tides turned as Merton spotted that their pacey wings had the beating of the Woking wings and scored a brace of tries first on the right and then on the left, one of which they converted.
Woking scrum half Sean Beavis was in sparkling form combining well with acting No10 Wayne Suddaby who made a number of charging runs in the first half. But the Merton defence was up to the challenge. Woking attempted to spread the ball wide but the handling was not slick and despite going close once, through the backs, they demonstrated little else in the backs other than a solid defence in the centres and at full back.
Conceding a third try as half time approached Woking were struggling to stay in touch. Worse still scrum half Sean Beavis injured his hand but strapped up, courageously completed the match albeit hindered in his passing.
In the second half with the introduction of Phil Bennett in the second row Woking were more powerful and through the scrum, ruck and maul were dominant. The Merton defence was strong though and it took a push over try scored by Jamie Giles to breach the Merton line. Woking were unable to turn the screw more in the second half despite having the majority of ball as they lost shape when Suddaby, Grady and Turner repeatedly had to enter the ruck situation to secure the ball.
With minutes on the clock Woking conceded a penalty that was converted and was the last score of the game.
Woking skipper Richard Grady commented: ‘We were too soft in the first half letting Merton push us around, the effort and commitment in the second half was better – though there is a lot to be done if we are to compete against Egham on Saturday’.
Woking: Hamilton, Gilbert, Lee, Bennett, Childs, Giles, Jones, Smith, Beavis, Suddaby, Grady, Turner, Ashfield, Marchant, Lewis.
Woking train on Tuesday 7pm to 9pm at the Recreation Ground, Byfleet – all new players welcome. Contact Richard 01932 347576 or visit them for more details at www.wokingrugby.com.
Woking RFC 38 Old Reedonians RFC 5
Woking travelled down the road to Whitley Village in Hersham on Saturday to play a non league fixture. Both sides were depleted of regular players due to interest in the England vs Samoa and other international fixtures.
Guesting for Woking at prop in the front row was Rob Hall down for the weekend from the Midlands and making his first start on the wing was Cormac Lewis.
Woking started stronger with a one man advantage in the forwards which they put to good effect particularly in the scrum and ruck and maul. This advantage provided good quality ball for Sean Bevins at scrum half with which to launch the backs. This possession allowed centres Wayne Sudaby and Dave Baigrie to run hard and straight resulting in a try a piece in the early minutes.
Strong forward play led to two further tries with Andy Jones and Phil Bennett bursting through on the crash and charging over for well earned tries. Reeds were putting up good resistance, however Woking were able to exploit the extra man in the line and in the tackle.
Further pressure from Woking led to a second try from Wayne Suddaby as he powered through the defence to score beneath the posts.
With a commanding performance in the first half Woking tired and relaxed a little in the second half. They were stunned when Reeds crashed over for a try early in the half following a period of sustained pressure. The spoils were even for the majority of the second half – particularly when Woking flanker Adam Smith was forced to leave the pitch with a jarred ankle.
Woking made it 5-5 in terms of scores in the second half when scrum half Sean Beavis broke around the stretched Reeds defence and scored wide on the right.
Woking skipper Richard Grady commented after the game ‘ We were glad that Reeds fulfilled the fixture as both sides were struggling to field a side due to unavailabilities The one man advantage we enjoyed we were able to put to make good use of with some good interplay between forwards and backs.’
Woking: Roos, Hall, Hamilton, Jones, Bennett, Odgers, Smith, Grady, Beavis, Edwards, Suddaby, Baigrie, Lewis, Gilmour, Turner.
Woking RFC v Reeds Weybridge RFC photos are now online:
Woking RFC 0 points Lightwater RFC17 points
Rugby friendly
Woking entertained Surrey Heath side Lightwater on Saturday in a friendly match, brought forward and shortened due to the international rugby in the afternoon.
With a bunch of players unavailable or supporting their national sides at Twickenham and the Millenium Stadium, Woking fielded a scratch side with flanker James Giles having to fill in at scrum half.
In very foggy conditions and with frost underfoot the sun attempted to burn its way through the haze and assist the players visibility. Woking conceded a freakish try early in the game when an attempted clearance kick ricocheted to fullback Attie Kuyper in his dead ball area and rather than touching the ball down he went for a kick too which was charged down and pounced upon by Lightwater’s forwards.
In between Lightwater scores Woking battled to play a more expansive game but their efforts were thwarted by slow possession to Giles and good defence from Lightwater. Woking were exposed several times on the flanks of their scrum as they missed first tackles. In this vain the second Lightwater try came when the Lightwater blindside flanker broke down the right, evading Woking’s back row defence and acting scrum half Jamie Giles’ clutches and scuttling in for a try close to the touch line despite the close attentions of winger Andrew Woods.
In the second half as the atmospheric haze cleared, Woking struggled to gain clarity on the pitch and conceded a further try when Lightwater rolled over the try line in the forwards.
Woking were unable to make any significant headway in the shortened second half, as they repeatedly conceded penalties for flopping over in the tackle and ruck situation. Bold running late in the game from Dave Baigrie and Dan Edwards did not receive the support needed from their team mates to secure any late scores.
Woking skipper Richard Grady commented ‘This match provided us with an opportunity to give a few players a run out in unorthodox positions and a few new and old players a game’.
Woking: Roos, Collins, Hamilton, Childs, Goodman, Warriner, Jones, Smith, Giles, Edwards, Grady, Baigrie, Shrewsbury, Woods, Kuyper. Subs: Bennett, Odgers.
Woking train on Tuesdays 7pm to 9pm at the Recreation Ground off Rectory Lane Byfleet. Contact Richard for more details on 01932 347576 or at www.wokingrugby.com
Woking RFC 22 points London Media RFC 12 points
Woking produced an upset on Saturday by beating undefeated league leaders London Media, at the Recreation Ground. In bright dry conditions, the game was brought forward to 12 noon due to interest in watching the England Australia game in the afternoon.
Media won the toss and elected ends, Woking kicked off. Both sides were in confident mood and the earl passages of play were fairly even in terms of territory and possession. With a slight advantage in terms of possession Media were successful in clearing deep into the Woking half, which put Woking under pressure. This pressure was relieved as Woking broke deep into the Media half following strong running from Wayne Suddaby.
Again Media were able to break clear and through a kick and chase the Media backs ran deep into Woking’s half and wrong footed Attie van Nikkelen Kuyper at full back to cruise in for a try. The conversion was missed.
Woking through a large and strong pack were really disrupting the Media performance and through good defensive play they secured the ball wide on the right, the ball was recycled to Dan Edwards wide on the right who put in a long kick that he was able to surge onto and touch down in the corner for a try.
At half time Woking sensed that with a concerted effort victory could be achieved in the second half. From the restart the Woking players took the game to Media. There was real hunger for the ball and this was demonstrated by many Woking players. Jim McGiven was powerful in defence and pacey in attack, reminiscent of performances from brother John while he was a the club, the back row of Jones, Giles and Bennett was powerful in ball retention and also in winning the 50:50 balls that prevented the Media from launching their attacks. Woking’s front five were able to cope with the giant Media pack with Matt Edwards demonstrating a tremendous appetite for hard work, supported by his props.
This pressure culminating in a penalty to Woking that Dan Edwards converted. Media struck back with a try that was simply executed as they worked a two on one overlap against Woking’s defence wide on the right. The conversion was unsuccessful.
The final quarter of the game belonged to Woking as the forwards were rampant, in scrum, ruck, maul and lineout allowing scrum half Beavis to orchestrate a series of back moves that saw Dan Edwards tear through the Media defence twice and touch down and then convert his own tries.
There were minutes to play as Woking took this commanding lead, and despite Media’s attempts to hit back Woking retained their form to win the game.
Woking skipper Richard Grady puffed after the game ‘Phew that was a tough encounter. The effort put in by our Woking players was superb, and with another fine display from Dan Edwards making the most of our chances we secured a very pleasing victory.’
Woking : Hamilton, Edwards, Lee (Roos), Childs, Benstead, Giles, Jones, Bennett, Beavis, Edwards, Turner, Grady, Suddaby, McGiven, VanNikkelenKuyper.
Woking train on Tuesdays 7pm-9pm at the Recreation Ground, off Rectory Lane Byfleet – all new players are welcome. Ring Richard for more details or visit them at www.wokingrugby.com.
Woking RFC v London Media RFC photos are now online:
Woking RFC 13 Pelhamians RFC 34
Woking travelled to the Raynes Park Sports Ground on Saturday to face league high fliers Pelhamians the former old boys club.
It was always going to be a challenging fixture for Woking and they rose to the challenge against a side that had been crushing many others in the league.
The game started in dry but overcast conditions and this was how it stayed for the duration of the game, which made for good playing conditions. From the kick-off Pelhamians drove into the Woking half, however despite a partisan crowd yelling them on, they were not able to breach the Woking defences during the early skirmishes. However soon effective lineout work from Pelhamians soon gave them clean possession that was moved swiftly through the backs to the wing where Woking’s Evan Marchant was left for speed and despite a last ditch tackle from Woking’s Dan Edwards Pelhamians scored in the corner.
Far from allowing the floodgates to open Woking produced some attacking play of their own which led to a try from Wayne Suddaby wide on the left.
The Woking pack was really rising to the challenge and had the nudge on in the scrum, ruck and maul. Strong work from the front five of Hamilton, Edwards, Gilbert, Steers and Childs was bolstered by aggressive play from the back five of Odgers, Bennett and Smith.
However Pelhamians were able to win their own ball, albeit under pressure, and again they were able to outflank Woking who conceded a second try through the backs. Woking’s retort was a penalty goal kicked by Dan Edwards, which was minutes later matched by a penalty from Pelhamians.
In the second half Woking continued to play with pride and passion, running the ball back out of defence was Sean Beavis at full back who had another very strong game and his wingers Gillers Gilmour and Evan Marchant were reasonably effective in defence.
The centre pairing of Suddaby and Turner were not able to make significant gains in attack however their defence was energetic and committed. During a 15-minute period of the game, Woking lost their defensive shape as a team. They were pulled this way and that way by Pelhamians who were able to score a brace of tries that went unanswered.
Not satisfied with that acting skipper Phil Bennett roused the troops and Woking pushed deep into the Pelhamians half. From a scrum ten metres out Woking got the shove on and Bennett rose from the base of the scrum with the ball and crashed over on the right.
As the end of the game was minutes away Woking won a ruck on the half way line, illegally it was adjudged, and as Adam Smith Woking’s flanker remained on the ground in a groggy state, Pelhamians took a quick penalty, breached the Woking defensive line and scored a final try under the posts.
Acting skipper Phil Bennett said after the game ‘ With Dicky sidelined this week, I was pleased to take on the captaincy and even more pleased with the team performance against a very strong side with a good number of experienced overseas players. A defeat in terms of the result, but a result in terms of the effort and commitment from the side’.
Woking: Hamilton, Edwards, Gilbert, Childs, Steers, Odgers, Smith (Jones 70 mins), Bennett, Kuyper, Edwards, Gilmour, Suddaby, Turner, Marchant, Beavis.
Woking train at the Recreation Ground, off Rectory Lane, Byfleet on Tuesday 7pm to 9pm. All players welcome contact Richard on 01932 347576 or visit them at www.wokingrugby.com.
Woking RFC 7 points Old Oundelians 18 points
A youthful Old Oundelians side was too fast for Woking on Saturday in this mid-table clash at the Recreation Ground.
Dogged by last minute unavailability Woking rallied around in the pursuit of further league points against the Old Oundelians. Both sides shared a victory a-piece last year, so it had the makings of a good close encounter.
The early minutes of the half were fairly even stevens with Woking making good use of the boot through Dan Edwards and some good running out of defence from Trey Kuyper. What was soon evident was that the old boys were going to look to spread the ball at all opportunities and it was soon Woking who were stretched one way and then the other, only through desperate defence preventing a touch down.
It was not too long though until the Old Oundelians broke through and scored, one missed tackle all it took to beat the defence, and allow a try wide on the right.
A second try followed and a penalty goal as Woking struggled to meet the pace of the game. That Woking were able to keep the score down to the two tries and a penalty was a good reflection on the defensive line of Woking, as the Old Oundelians were very threatening in attack, with real pace in the forwards as well as the halfbacks.
With several enforced changes in the forwards Woking were not able to reach the levels of ball control that they had hoped for. Outstanding flanker Janie Giles was forced into the second row which thwarted his attacking and defensive game, and Phil Bennett was not able to join the fray until half time. Woking were again punished as half time approached when under pressure in the scrum, they conceded the ball and the old boys sought out the narrow side to score a well worked try.
Woking won the second half on points, scoring a try through Dan Edwards who despite having taken some late knocks earlier in the game had the strength and power to score on the right and then convert his own try. Despite some surging runs from forwards Odgers, Steers and Bennett and good back-play Woking were unable to make more headway on the points front as the Old Oundelians defence held strong to the end of the game.
Woking skipper Richard Grady commented ‘Victory in this game was not beyond our reach, however we just did not win sufficient ball to get back at the old boys after a shaky start’.
Woking train on Wednesday 7pm to 9pm at the Recreation Ground, Byfleet off Rectory Lane. Contact Richard on 01932 347576 or visit them at www.wokingrugby.com.
Woking RFC 12 Chipstead RFC 23
Woking entertained Chipstead in a thrilling non league match on Saturday, which saw them defeated by some fortuitous breakaway tries.
Trying out some different options in the side Woking brought in Flankers Andy Warriner and Adam Smith, Matt Childs returned to the side following a lay-off with a fractured knuckle, and Chris Macey reappeared on the wing. Woking old boy Rob Hall made a guest appearance on the bench, and Woking’s Dave Baigrie also returned to the bench after a long lay-off.
Early skirmishes were physical and committed with Chipstead gaining the territorial advantage but it was the boot of Dan Edwards that kept Chipstead at bay with long clearances. Woking pressed into the Chipstead half, however good defensive play saw Chipstead clear their lines with a high Gary Owen that totally non-plussed Woking wing Chris Ashfield leaving a run for the line for Chipstead.
Woking were soon at sixes and sevens again when under intense pressure to clear their lines Grady’s attempted clearance kick was charged down and the ball was seized from the ruck albeit from what looked like an offside position by Chipstead and from close out they touched down.
Woking hit back with a try through the forwards when replacement prop Rob Hall was pushed over for the touchdown, and Edwards converted.
In the second half tempers began to warm as frustrations in the ruck and maul were not cooled by refereeing explanations. Woking were in the driving seat wide on the right and their scrum drove a full 35 metres to within yards of the line, only to see the ball plucked from the back of the scrum by a stray Chipstead player. Woking were stretched as they had to revert to defence from an attacking line and despite the efforts of replacement wing Baigrie, who produced a try saving tackle, Chipstead were now deep in the Woking 22 metre area with possession. Catch and drive and they were over for the try.
Dan Edwards at fly half was in sparkling form again and through a double mismove in the centres raced over for a try to hit back for Woking. Edwards usually reliable with the place kicking boot missed the conversion and also a penalty that would have drawn Woking close.
As Woking strove valiantly in defence, against a talented opposition set of forwards and backs they were repeatedly adjudged to have infringed and found themselves defending deep in their twenty two in the last quarter. They were unlucky to concede a final try when having got the nudge on in a ruck, the ball made its way to the back of the ruck where a loose Chipstead player seized the ball, and surged through with support to score wide on the Woking right. As a series of questions were asked of the referee by Woking skipper Richard Grady, the conversion was missed and the referee called time on the match.
Woking skipper Richard Grady commented ‘ This was a tough committed performance from both sides, we did not get the luck of the decision at all today, and were not able to adapt to the free flowing referee style, as our superior strength was in the forwards – something to work on’.
Woking: Hamilton, Edwards, Roos (Hall 5 mins). Childs, Benstead, Warriner (Giles 60 mins), Smith (60 mins), Bennett, Amphlett, Edwards, Ashfield (Baigrie 40 mins) Grady, McGiven, Macey, Van Nikkelen Kuyper.
Woking’s Edwards in sparkling form
Woking RFC 41 Old Suttonians RFC 7
Surrey League
Woking ran out convincing winners on Saturday in their latest league fixture. The welcome return of Dan Edwards at fly half provided the spark in the backs that was needed to redress the heavy defeat suffered last week.
The early encounters of the match were tentative from both sides, however Woking had the territorial advantage, and Jim McGiven went close minutes into the match, nervously knocking the ball on as he scampered for the try line. The game appeared that it could be a close encounter, and so when presented with a goal kick opportunity, captain Richard Grady called up for the boot of Dan Edwards, who calmly slotted the ball between the posts.
This gave Woking the momentum to get a grip on the game, and the lead was built on when in a flowing back move Edwards was able to leave the Old Suttonians defence second guessing as he raced through for a fine try between the posts that he converted.
Minutes from the restart Attie Van Nikkelen Kuyper produced a moment of fortuitous magic as he danced off the base of the scrum and chipped ahead, the two defending Old Suttonians hesitated as the ball bounced and Attie seized the ball and raced 50 metres to touch down for his try. Edwards stroked the ball between the posts.
The majestic Dan Edwards scored a second try when the ball was quickly recycled in the midfield by the Woking backs – moving from left to right Edwards outflanked the Old Suttonians defence to touch down for the try.
Woking continued their domination in the second half and scored a fine try when Wayne Suddaby raced through the backline linked with Richard Grady who got his pass away to flanker Jamie Giles who galloped in from the half way line to score a fine try. A further try followed for Suddaby.
A minor blip scared Woking a little; minutes later when they were camped in their 22 metre area following slack goal line clearances Old Suttonians caught at the line out and drove over for a clear try.
Woking struck back though, putting the game beyond doubt when solid defence in the Old Suttonians half saw Grady seize loose ball and offload to Dan Edwards who broke through the flagging defence to score another try which he converted.
Woking captain Richard Grady commented ‘The new half back pairing of Attie and Dan worked well for us today. The scoreline actually flatters us a little – there were fine individual performances notable from these two guys but there is much to work on in terms of team play if we are to stand a chance against the league leaders. It was also good to see Chris Macey back in action after a long injury lay off.’
Woking: Lee, Edwards, Gilbert, Steers, Benstead, Odgers, Giles, Bennett, Van Nikkelen Kuyper, Edwards, Grady, Suddaby, Marchant, McGiven, Macey: Subs Key, Smith, Fisher.
Woking win end to end thriller
Woking RFC 36 points Economicals RFC 27 points
Woking entertained Economicals for their first home league fixture on Saturday in a thrilling encounter that saw end to end play and the lead change hands on several occasions but thankfully Woking run out final victors.
The welcome return of Tony Baxter at fly half in the absence of Dan Edwards was the spark that Woking needed as he fed off good work from the Woking forwards and scored a brace of tries in the early minutes to give Woking a well deserved and early lead.
Economicals with some real pace in their back line then opened up – from a long kick, which bounced awkwardly for Woking wing Kevin Turner and presented itself to Economicals wing for a breakaway try. Following some surging running by Woking centre Wayne Suddaby Woking looked to play a wide game to force the pace. Off the top of the lineout the back was handled through the backline, however Grady’s pass to Suddaby was laboured and presented itself for interception. The Economicals centre raced the length of the pitch to score beneath the posts much to the embarrassment of Skipper Grady.
Economicals were then successful with a penalty kick that gave them the lead. With such an open game infringements crept into the match and both sides were warned repeatedly by the referee particularly when two Woking players were felled by high tackles.
Woking’s Phil Bennett was in commanding form from the second row, a late switch before the kick-off following a pre match injury to Martin Benstead, and from a lineout he surged through the Economicals defence to score.
In the second half the end-to-end committed play took its toll, as Tony Baxter was forced to leave the pitch, and Grady stepped into the No.10 slot. Powerful driving from Woking saw a try for hooker Martin Lee before Baxter’s replacement. Later after more driving runs Suddaby left the pitch with a swollen knee and Woking’s Odgers was sin binned for 10 minutes for repeated offending. This left Woking in some disarray – but a strong forward performance meant that Woking were still in the game and with a chance. Woking started to tire and they conceded a try wide out as their defence was stretched, and then another long distance try from Economicals as they ran from deep in their half out of defence. But Woking were not out of it, with a display of strong tackling close in and committed chasing back. Bolstered by the return to the field of Odgers Woking put pressure on the Economicals defence and replacement Evan Marchant dealt a killer blow as he gathered a loose ball and raced in to score left of the posts – Grady weary from the pace of the game goofed the kick only managing to hit the upright.
Woking’s scrum was bolstered by the arrival of prop Justin Key who prevented the wheel and brought stability to the scrum replacing Andre Roos who had put in a huge effort to the game. With this base Woking attacked again and surged into the Economicals half, through quick ball they were deep into the Economical twenty-two and the ball was fed out to Grady at No.10 who passed on to Phil Bennett who galloped over between the posts. With consummate ease Bennett converted his own try with a drop kick that ended the game.
Woking skipper Richard Grady gasping for air at the end of the game commented ‘ A highly satisfying game …. we lost to these guys twice last season, which makes this all round team effort and performance including the replacements that we needed to call on all the more pleasing.’
Woking: Hamilton, Lee, Roos (rep. Key) Childs, Bennett, Odgers, Giles, Jones, Baxter, Grady, Suddaby, McGiven, Turner, Kuyper, Marchant, Fisher.
Woking RFC 3 points Haslemere RFC 19
Surrey League
Woking were courageous in defence on Saturday but lacked the cutting edge in attack to cause an upset at the Woolmer Hill Ground in Haslemere on Saturday.
Minutes into the game Woking were forced to make an early change in the game when giant second row James Goodman picked up a knee injury as he became trapped in an early ruck. Following intense pressure Woking conceded a penalty within kicking distance that was converted by Haslemere. Again under pressure in their twenty two Woking worked hard in defence and seemed to have secured the ball when it squirted out on the blind side unexpectedly and was seized by the Haslemere backrow who interlinked with the winger to score in the corner. The try went unconverted. Regrouping Woking’s forwards began to assert pressure with a series of driving rucks and mauls led by Giles and Gilbert with back-up from Odgers and Lee. Yards from the Haslemere line the maul collapsed in suspicious fashion and the chance of a push over try was lost. Woking’s scrum half Steve Workman was snapping at the heels of his opposite man and surged for the line from the base of the scrum however Haslemere cleared their lines only to concede a kickable penalty minutes later.
Steve Workman was successful with the kick, which gave Woking a boost. So at half time the margin was 8 points.
The second half saw Haslemere dominate for the first five minutes, though Woking were solid in defence with some crunching tackles from Grady, Fisher, McGiven and Turner holding out. Woking worked their way back into the game through excellent powerful play from the forwards and clearance kicks from Workman and Grady, though were never able to attack effectively through the backs due to scrappy possession and the pressure applied to them by the Haslemere backs. Having conceded a further three point penalty as the game came to a close Woking though solid in defence found themselves a player down when Stan Fisher was forced to leave the pitch dazed from a tackle. They were again penalised and then conceded 10 metres for lack of discipline, which allowed the Haslemere scrum half a gap to scamper through and score. The conversion was successful and concluded the match.
Woking skipper Richard Grady commented ‘I am disappointed that we did not get more out of this game, considering the effort put in by the players. With a bunch of first string players out of action or unavailable this week we were lacking in certain areas, not through commitment but just ability’
Woking RFC XV 71points University Vandals XV 0points
Woking travelled to Walton on Saturday to kick off the season with a friendly non-league fixture. In bright and warm conditions a reshaped Woking side missing the skill of several players who have moved out of the area took the pitch.
The pace of the game was frenetic in the early minutes as players over-excited from the long lay off over the summer sought to get in the action. Woking were soon able to capitalise on some loose ball and raced deep into the Vandals half culminating in a try for wing Kevin Turner – but at some expense as giant centre Wayne Sudderby pulled his hamstring minutes into the game and was soon to hobble off making way for Andy Jones in the centre.
The side soon accommodated this early disruption as Jonesie settled into the back line. Woking were able to dominate in the front row and through the power of the second row secured a significant percentage of the ball. This allowed the Woking backrow of Giles, Odgers and new recruit Adam Smith to command the midfield and link well with the Woking backs through scrumhalf Steve Workman. The game was by no means one sided, what Woking were able to do was break through the Vandals defence and once through they were very difficult to stop. Further first half tries came from Steve Workman, Dan Edwards, Richard Grady and perhaps the best try of the half was scored when giant second row James Goodman ran sixty metres to score wide on the right.
The second half saw the appearance of Phil Bennett, former captain and last season’s player of the year. He made an immediate impact and had soon crashed through the Vandals defence to score. Edwards, Workman and Turner scored their second tries and Jones and Jamie Giles also got on the score sheet in the second half as Woking ran out comprehensive winners.
Woking skipper Richard Grady commented after the game “This was useful to Woking as a refresher and allowing us to regroup for the coming league campaign, and we were grateful to Vandals for hosting the fixture. Saturday will be a different kettle of fish against Haslemere. Playing away, missing several of our key players from this week due to work, holiday and family commitments, we will be up against it but giving it our best shot. I was pleased with the debuts of Evan Marchant on the wing and Adam Smith on the flank and seasoned regular prop Richard Gilbert was most dynamic!’
Woking: Hamilton, Edwards, Gilbert, Goodman, Childs, Giles, Odgers, Smith, Workman, Edwards, Grady, Sudderby, Turner, Marchant, Macey. Subs: Jones, Bennett.