Match Reports 2006 - 2007

Woking RFC 41 points Haslemere RFC 19 points

Woking entertained Haslemere at The Recreation Ground on Saturday in their penultimate league game of the season. The conditions were bright but with a strong cross wind that was going to make kicking accurately a challenge.

With the advantage of the kick off Woking made good headway in the early minutes, and it was Woking’s dashing backs that struck first as the ball flew from one side of the pitch to the other following a glorious break from stand-off Dan Edwards with Dave Baigrie touching down for the score. Minutes later a second good break from Edwards saw wing Cormac Lewis scorch in for an equally well taken try.

The Woking pack was dominant in the scrum and the lineout was going well with James Goodman excelling. The Haslemere strength in the rolling maul and ruck just had the edge over Woking in the first half and they put this to good use by setting up good ball for their backs to outpace Woking wide on the left.

Woking’s forwards turned the screw following a great clearance kick from Dan Edwards, and from a scrum deep in the Haslemere 22, Woking No.8, Jamie Giles picked up the ball and thundered over the line for a try, thumping the ground in excitement as he touched down.

Woking’s backs were then provided with good ball following powerful work from their forwards, and with the ball flowing out to right wing Evan Marchant it then came back in again to centre Baigrie who stretched his legs out to gallop in from distance.

Haslemere hit back through a powerful period of pressure that overpowered Woking in the loose game. Close to the Woking line, Haslemere eventually crashed over from short range and slotted the conversion.

Following a considered assessment of the first half and what needed to be done in the second half, Woking set about the task from the restart. Woking’s front three of Hamilton, Matt Edwards, Martin Lee were in control in the tight and Matt Edwards was flying about in the loose bamboozling the opposition with his extravagant dummies and side steps. Big James Goodman was carrying the ball well and providing a tremendous platform for the rest of the forwards to drive deep into the Haslemere defence. With Haslemere on the hop, Woking’s replacement flanker Nick Franchino, seized the moment and from a short tap penalty smashed over for a well taken try.

Haslemere were always dangerous and it was their nippy scrum half who provided them with the perfect reposte as he orchestrated a try wide on the Haslemere left through the strong back line. As Woking tried to close out the game, they brought the game under control with a late strike from centre Dave Baigrie who sealed his hat trick of tries with a powerful run in from 30 metres out, wide on the right.

Woking skipper Jamie Giles spoke after the game ‘ This was probably our best 80 minutes of rugby this season, the boys stuck to the task well and stepped up to the mark against a powerful Haslemere outfit, keen to avenge the defeat they suffered at theirs earlier in the season’

Woking; Hamilton, Edwards, Lee (Gilbert 60mins), Goodman, Lovell, Giles, Jones (Franchino 50mins), Packer, Bannister, Edwards, Marchant, Baigrie, MacMillan, Lewis, Turner. Rep. Grady.

Woking RFC 18 points Old Freemen RFC 20 points

Woking hosted the Old Freemen in a close encounter at the Recreation Ground on Saturday. The revamped starting line up for Woking saw debutant Nick Franchino who was playing in the backrow snatch the man of the match award following an outstanding tackling performance and a well taken try.

The first 15 minutes of the game saw Woking in the ascendancy driving deep into the Freemen’s half and on two successive fortes they were awarded penalties that Dan Edwards slotted over with ease. Awarded a third penalty in a row, in a kickable position, Woking kicked for touch following confusion over the call to kick for goal. A costly mistake in light of the final score.

The Freemen hit back as they woke up to the fact it was not just a stroll in the park for them. Winning a series of penalties themselves, they moved deep into the Woking twenty two and were able to crash over from short distance. Despite some strong tackling from Woking, Freemen were able to overwhelm them in the end.

The game moved from end to end as both teams tried to play some running rugby but were unable to penetrate each others defence. Clever handling in the Woking backs saw the ball make its way to Woking full back Kevin Turner who gathered the ball and powered his way upfield to score a well taken solo try for Woking

Freemen hit back twice with two tries wide on the left as lack of communication wide out in the Woking defence left overlaps to be exploited. Woking also had opportunities through the backs wide out but were unable to convert it into tries as the final last gasp tackle from Freemen’s was effective or Woking’s backs did not play the simple commit and offload which would have seen Cormac Lewis in for at least two try scoring opportunities.

Woking pushed on for victory and against a now very strong wind drove upfield with a combination of kick and chase and close handling skills. Awarded a penalty yards from the Freemen line Woking ran the ball and Franchino smashed his way over for the try that Dan Edwards converted.

Freemen regrouped and applied pressure to Woking who were on the wrong end of a number of decisions from the referee which led to a succession of penalties. The final infringement was in a kickable position and down by one point Freemen’s opted to kick. The penalty was converted and Woking were down but not out as they clawed their way back into the Freemen half and awarded a penalty in a difficult kicking position, ran the ball wide on the right. Having burst through and almost scored but still in possession the referee unusually called the ball back for a not ten yards offence against the Freemen. Running the ball again from this position Woking approached the line, were thwarted once more by good Freemen defence and the pick and drive from the subsequent scrum was ineffective as Andy Jones was unable to make any headway down the blind when the better option was to go wide with Woking’s backs.

After the game Woking skipper Richard Grady commented ‘With all the changes in the side and late cry offs the team showed good resilience. Those who have been pacing the touchline in recent weeks as replacements certainly put the effort in and we were so close to pulling off the win.’

Woking: Hamilton-Wilkes, Edwards, Osborn, Steers, Childs, Packer, Franchino, Jones, Bannister, Edwards, Marchant, Grady, Baigrie, Lewis, Turner, McGiven. Sub Edwards.

All new players welcome. Contact Richard on 01932 347576 or visit them at www.wokingrugby.com.

Woking RFC 31 points London Fire Brigade 5 points

Woking dampen the Fire in Ewell

Woking continued their league campaign in good form on Saturday as they convincingly beat hosts London Fire Brigade at their East Ewell ground. In bright but extremely blustery conditions Woking kicked off and took the early possession deep into the Brigade half, however were unable to capitalise with points. It took a cracking break from Dan Edwards and an offload to wing Cormac Lewis on the half-way line that led to Woking’s first try. However try as they did, they were not able to add further points in the first half as they were thwarted by good Brigade defence and indifferent service from the forwards. Back row specialist Laeton Packer was forced to step in to scrum half position and he put in a valiant effort to provide the link between the forwards and backs, which was not helped by the swirling gales. This was required following the last minute withdrawal of Woking regular Alastair Macmillan who failed a late fitness test

In the second half with a slight advantage from the wind, Woking were able to capitalise more on the possession that they won. Strong running from James Goodman and No.8 Matt Jarvis broke the first line of defence time and time again, which together with effective rucking allowed Dan Edwards in the backs to open up through Dave Baigrie and Wayne Suddaby in the centres. Baigrie scored a brace, and Suddaby and Jarvis both powered over from close range. Outstanding around the park was younger Edwards brother Matt, who was awarded man of the match for his endeavours in the tight and loose. From a good break Matt Edwards made, the backs were unleashed again only for the final pass from full back Kevin Turner to go astray as winger Evan Marchant did a good impersonation of trout tickling to try and capture the ball.

Powerhouse prop Neil Hamilton and regular super sub Matt Childs gave way to Martin Lee and Daren Steers in the tight five to bolster the forwards following an afternoon of exhausting scrums. Lee set to work immediately turning the screw on his opposite man and effecting a turnover at the scrum as Edwards scooped the ball back. With what appeared to be a speculative kick older brother Dan hoofed the ball wide on the left and wing Cormac Lewis was off in pursuit seizing the ball as it was caught by the wind and powering in for the final try for Woking. The Brigade scored a consolation try minutes earlier from a close range affair that caught the Woking defence on the hop. Woking Captain Enoch Giles beamed after the game ‘Super effort from the boys today, our work rate in the second half was too high for the Brigade who put up a valiant effort but were unable to contain our backs when they were unleashed.’

Woking: Hamilton (Lee), Edwards, Osborn, Childs (Steers), Jones (Grady), Giles, Jarvis, Packer, Edwards, Suddaby, Baigrie, Marchant, Lewis, Turner.

Woking train on Tuesday 7pm – 9pm at Byfleet Rec, off Rectory Lane. All new players welcome. Contact Richard on 01932 347576 or visit them at www.wokingrugby.com.

Woking RFC 16 points Egham Hollowegians RFC 3 points

Woking beat Eggs

In bright conditions Woking (sponsored by James Cargo) entertained Egham in their latest league encounter last Saturday. In general the pitch was firm though saturated so there was scope for running rugby, albeit there were patches of surface water that led to some excitement for the spectators as players went sliding through ‘flume tube’ style during the game.

Woking were keen to make an impact from the start and not take time to wake up, so after a good warm up and stretch they set about the task of beating Egham. Egham likewise were up for the game and well motivated, so with the whistle blown to commence the game both sides set about gaining the ascendancy. Territorially Woking had the better of the first half, though both sides failed to capitalise on the ball they got as handling errors led to a stop start style of rugby with lots of scrummaging. This proved an advantage for Woking who were scrummaging well, and were unfortunate not to have gained more possession through their efforts. So unable to capitalise on the powerful running of Wayne Suddaby and Cormac Lewis in the backs Woking had to be satisfied with a 6-3 lead at half time through the boot of Dan Edwards.

Edwards was in good form, despite having been flattened by a chest virus for over a week, as he guided Woking towards victory in the second half. A third penalty kick for Edwards was reward for more territorial and possessional advantage to take Woking to a lead of six points. Despite their efforts Egham were not able to gain any great forward momentum as the Woking back row of Andy Jones, Jamie Giles and Matt Jarvis rolled back the years and produced very sprightly performances to snaffle out the dangerous Egham backrow. Matt Edwards at hooker put in a huge amount of work together with fellow props Neil Hamilton and George Osborn.

Woking’s galloping giant James Goodman made a big impact at the lineout and was dynamic around the park, from one of his barging runs the ball was set back and seized by prop Neil Hamilton who powered to within 10 metres of the Egham line. From the ruck George Osborn seized the ball and drove over from ten metres out for the try. Dan Edwards coolly slotted the kick which was the final score of the day.

Woking club captain Richard Grady commented after the game ‘ This was not our best performance from a backs handling perspective, but the team spirit was cracking, and even the short period Matt Childs was on the park he made an impact – which was good to see. Put this victory down to a great forward performance and the boot of Dan Edwards.’ Richard further commented – ‘It has been a good day for us today with the visit of the RFU President Bob Rogers, President of Surrey Rugby Ted Ivens, RFU Board member John Vale, Surrey RFU chairman John Douglas, Humfrey Malins MP and Cllr Ian Eastwood to our club. After a spiffin good match between two well matched sides there are a lot of positives from the day which we hope will help the club develop and regain the levels of its former glories’.

You too can help Woking rugby club, all players, coaches, new members are welcomed to the club. If you have a talent and some time on your hands and want to contribute to the community please get in contact with us – visit www.wokingrugby.com or call Richard on 01932 347576.

Woking: Hamilton, Edwards, Osborn, Lovell, Goodman, Giles, Jones, Jarvis, Bannister, Edwards, Lewis, Macmillan, Baigrie, Suddaby, McGiven. Subs: Key, Marchant, Childs. Linesmen: Grady, O’Kelly.

Woking RFC 40 points Weybridge Reedonians RFC 5 points

Woking hosted local rivals Reedonians on Saturday in their latest league fixture. In bright warm conditions the game commenced with Woking on the receiving end of some strong running from the Reedonians, though Woking did not help their own cause with some less than impressive tackling.

Woking’s forwards took matters into their own hands and commenced a drive from the half way line that took them deep into the twenty two. One last surge from strong running centre Dave Baigrie saw him approach the line and then with the weight of prop George Osborn behind him he surged over the line for a try.

Reeds hit back from the restart as a result of some calamitous goof ups from Woking as the ball was tapped back to no-one and then seized by Reeds who picked the ball up and powered over the try line. All square. Woking began to take the upper hand and Reeds began to get frustrated as they could not make the most of the opportunities that came their way. A string of infringements from Reeds gave Dan Edwards the chance for some kicking practice before half time and he slotted two of the three opportunities.

Woking started the better in the second half and with some fine distribution from Alistair Macmillan at scrum half the Woking backs were given enormous amounts of ball with which to play. A fine chip kick from Dan Edwards at fly half was seized by Cormac Lewis on the wing who flew in for a try on the left. Woking upped the urgency from the restart, with hooker Matt Edwards slicing through the Reeds defence and Osborn barrelling through from the ensuing ruck - Woking were within yards of the line. Again the ball was recycled well and the power of Cormac Lewis too great for the Reedonians defence as he charged over the line.

Not to be outdone. Baigrie was keen to get back in on the action, but not after the Reedonians wing provided one or two scares with his leggy pace and elusive side stepping. Baigrie picked up loose ball, following a crunching tackle from Woking’s Laeton Packer and galloped for the line just making the touchdown. More was to come from Baigrie from a Woking scrum that saw the Reedonians eight in disarray as replacement prop Martin Lee crunched his opposite man and literally sent him into orbit. The ball was played through the hands to the energetic Baigrie who had his mind set on only one thing – the hattrick of tries which he delivered.

The whistle sounded shortly thereafter, after a degree of confusion, as the referee needed to regain his composure following a series of frustrated outbursts from the Reedonian players.

Woking club captain Richard Grady commented after the game ‘ A pleasure to watch the lads in the second half. When we got on top and maintained our composure there was only one side in the game, though Reeds by no means rolled over and were only prevented from achieving more tries due to our very strong defence, notable from man of the match “Fudge” Packer.

Woking: Osborn, Edwards, Hamilton (Lee), Goodman, Lovell, Giles, Jarvis, Packer, MacMillan, Edwards, Lewis, Suddaby, Baigrie, Turner, Axe.

Woking RFC 33 points Economicals RFC 12 points

Woking, sponsored by James Cargo Services, travelled to New Malden on Saturday to face the LSE old boys who they had beaten at home earlier in the season. In bright conditions Woking kicked off the match. The Economicals forwards gathered the ball, and proceeded to barge up field and then linked well with their No.10 who stepped back inside and broke through the defence. Woking under pressure scampered back as a long kick put full back Jim McGiven under pressure. The forward momentum of the Economicals barged McGiven off the ball as he tried to gather it and Economicals were over for the try which was converted. So minutes into the game and having kicked off Woking were down by 7 points.

Concerned but not panicking Woking got back to the basics and went through the phases as they drove up field. Strong Woking scummaging led to turnover ball and Woking flanker Laeton Packer set off on a strong run, off loading to Cormac Lewis on the wing who then linked with fellow flanker Jamie Giles who galloped in to score the try. Dan Edwards slotted the kick and all was square. Having got themselves back into the game Woking refocused at the break and came out fighting. With quick hands Woking fly half Dan Edwards initiated a double mis-move with the ball reaching Cormac Lewis on the wing on the half way line. Lewis powered through the Economicals defence and scored wide on the right.

As Woking began to take the ascendancy they realised that the best option was to utilise the running backs. Jim McGiven eager to make amends for the early try scored by Economicals popped up in the mid field with a strong run that saw him cross the line beneath the posts to score a birthday try. Further powerful play from the Woking forwards, saw the tight five producing great ball for the backrow trio of Jarvis, Giles and Packer to launch a series of attacks and again linking with the backs, Baigrie sailed past his man on the left offloading neatly to Cormac Lewis to sprint in for a second try.

Economicals persisted to the end and were rewarded with a try when they pushed over the line from a lineout. Woking being absent the giant James Goodman at that stage who had been sin binned for repeated jostling in the air at the lineout and the Economicals loosehead prop collapsed on the ball with his back touching the ball down rather fortuitously.

Woking raised their game and rallied for a final try which saw good hands through the backs, quickly recycled ball, and quick distribution to wing Kevin Turner who surged through the Economicals defence to score.

Woking captain Richard Grady commented after the game ‘A pleasing result today, with a lot of effort from the team to erase the early shock score from Economicals which was a soft try. The second half performance was just what we needed and Edwards, Baigrie and Lewis were superb in the second half in attack and defence.’

Woking: Hamilton, Edwards, Osborn, Goodman, Lovell, Giles, Packer, Jarvis, Bannister, Lewis, Grady, Baigrie, Turner and McGiven.

Woking RFC 10 points KCS Old Boys 13 points

Woking entertained a KCS Old Boys XV, in a non-league fixture on Saturday at the Recreation Ground. With a catalogue of unavailable players Woking rung the changes in a number of positions. Influential players Dan Edwards, George Osborn, Matt Jarvis, Cormac Lewis were unavailable and Alistair Macmillan, Alistair Hamilton-Wilkes, Matt Childs and Chris Axe slotted into their respective positions. Woking started slowly as the change in personnel meant it took time for the side to settle and rapid pressure from KCS led to infringements from Woking who were penalised in front of their posts. KCS' fly half popped the kick over. Grady returning to the centre for Woking was lacking in pace when his opposite man broke the line, and by the time he was hauled down he had off loaded for a try wide on the right.

To the rescue Dave Baigrie - who for the second week on the trot scored a kick and chase try to bring Woking back into the game. Woking were effective in the line through the first half through the efforts of James Goodman who won Woking ball and much of the KCS ball. In the scrum the honours were even with Woking hooker Matt Edwards only able to eek one ball against the head.

The second half saw Grady replaced by the guesting Kevin Jarvis who made an immediate impact with strong pacey running in attack and also in defence. But the early minutes of the half saw Woking concede a simple, soft try as KCS broke from the base of the scrum with two backrow players and the wing against Woking's wing Evan Marchant. Marchant stood no chance as he was rounded for the try. This poor start to the second half shook Woking up who then proceeded to mount a better show for the remainder of the half, with strong running, good scrummaging and controlled lineout work.

Woking by no means had it their own way though, as KCS were always threatening, notably when they picked up some wayward clearance kicks from Woking and ran them back hard at Woking's defence. As the game approached the final whistle Woking piled on the pressure and from a ruck the ball was passed, apparently in error, in the opposite direction to a full back line queuing up for the ball instead to second row Daren Steers who looked shocked as he was faced with 10 metres to the line - so he offloaded to prop Martin Lee who barrelled his way over the line for the try, demonstrating the huge latent strength developed in his former Navy days performing in the Royal Tournament - much to his delight. Now in the box seat Woking attempted to run back from the restart to seek out the victory, however time had run out and the final whistle sounded.

Woking: Hamilton-Wilkes, Edwards, Lee, Goodman, Steers, Childs, Packer, Giles, Bannister, Macmillan, Marchant, Grady (Jarvis), Baigrie, McGiven, Axe.

Woking RFC 27 points Old Cliftonians 6 points

Woking sponsored by James Cargo Services entertained Old Cliftonians on Saturday at the Recreation Ground, in drizzly windy conditions. Fortunately the ground was in reasonable shape and so there was the opportunity for open running rugby. Woking welcomed the return of flanker Jamie Giles who had been absent for a month with torn stomach muscles, and Alastair MacMillan with torn ear cartilage. From the kick-off the Old Cliftonians took up where they finished off in the game played at their ground before Christmas, in the driving seat, piling deep into Woking’s twenty two and pressurising Woking intensely. The pressure was released through a clever kick from Dan Edwards that was seized on by centre Dave Baigrie as it bounced in the midfield. Cliftonians outnumbered in the backs were then outpaced by Baigrie who raced onto a chip ahead that he put in and touched down for the try. Dan Edwards fell foul of the swirling wind as he tried to slot the conversion from wide out.

Cliftonians took up where they had left off before this breakaway try and through the pressure secured a couple of penalties for infringements that they slotted over. Woking then applied themselves from the restart and through solid forward play drove deep into Old Cliftonians half. Baigrie, ever alert chipped forward again, this time near to the goal posts and touched down smartly for his second try. The conversion was much easier for Edwards. Woking’s rise in stature in the match continued as Old Cliftonians were forced to concede a series of penalties. Pack leader Matt Jarvis took a wide penalty quickly and surged towards the line, and was in mid air when he was tackled strongly with the ball skewing out of his control to let Old Cliftonians off lightly. The flow of penalties in favour of Woking continued and eventually one was within kicking distance for Dan Edwards who slotted over the penalty kick.

After the interval, powerful scrummaging from Woking and dominant lineout work which saw James Goodman in truly cracking form led to Woking running the show. Opportunities to run from deep were provided to Woking when the snapped up loose ball but the Old Cliftonian defence was up to the task for the third quarter, until strong running Woking wing Cormac Lewis powered through the Cliftonian defence to touch down with fifteen minutes remaining.

From the restart, Woking’s Dale Lovell continued his strong running off stand-off Dan Edwards and made a lot of ground deep into the Old Cliftonian half. This provided Woking with the opportunity to peg Cliftonians down for 10 minutes, a strangle hold from which the Old Boys could not escape. Good ball was passed through the hands to Cormac Lewis who again ran strongly to score a try. Dan Edwards was unlucky with the conversion that cannoned back off the upright.

Woking then closed the game out with strong defence to rebut any chance of a score and some good tactical kicking pinning the Old Cliffs down in their 22 metre area until the final whistle sounded.

Woking Captain on the day Dan Edwards commented after the game ‘ The second half was mush better for us as we took charge – our advantage in the first half was down to the two skilful though slightly fortuitous tries from Dave Baigrie. A much more pleasing result than when we were turned over at their place before Christmas.’

Woking: Lee, Edwards, Osborn, Goodman, Steers, Jarvis, Giles, Lovell, Bannister, Edwards, Macmillan, Baigrie, McGiven, Lewis, Turner. Subs Hamilton-Wilkes, Grady, Marchant

Woking RFC 3 points Merton RFC 3 points

Woking, sponsored by James Cargo Systems, performed well on Saturday to steal a well-earned point from Merton who had not dropped a league point at all this season.

With regular captain Richard Grady on the touchline, Dan Edwards took over the captaincy and produced a very mature decision making display in the role. The playing conditions at Morden Rec were awful, with little traction underfoot and lashing rain throughout the match. This did not dampen the spirits of both sets of supporters nor the efforts of both teams to run with the ball.

Much of the first half was spent in eager anticipation of the first score as both sides threatened to break through, though both midfield defences were very competent. The efforts of Woking’s Dave Baigrie in chasing down the loose ball and putting in crunching tackles were key to the game and contributed to him winning the man of the match award.

Merton secured a kickable chance as the half time whistle approached which they duly converted taking a 3 point lead into the half time break. Despite the driving rain Woking endeavoured to run the ball and were unlucky twice in the second half, when they had broken through with the line beckoning to be pulled back as the referee dealt with some hand bagging that caught his eye through his misted, rain splashed spectacles. A snorkel with windscreen wipers would have been more appropriate in the conditions.

Finally Woking were awarded a kickable penalty as they forced Merton to conceded penalties as they came under increasing pressure. Dan Edwards was up to the job, having minutes earlier missed a more difficult effort slotting the penalty between the uprights.

Strong running from the Woking backs, notably Baigrie and Wayne Suddaby off the back of the forwards efforts was thwarted by the Merton defence. Woking’s Matt Jarvis leading the pack was rampaging in attack and defence, linking up with his fellow back rowers the irascible Andy Woods and penetrating Crabbie Jones and the Woking lineout was more competent as Matt Edwards was hitting his man despite the driving rain.

With Woking gaining the ascendancy and the light rapidly failing Woking were awarded a penalty on their half way line. Confident Dan Edwards elected to kick for goal. The referee indicated it would be the last play of the game. Despite a good effort the penalty fell shorts and Merton ran from deep scaring Woking, who finally managed to snaffle the attack on the half way line.

Richard Grady commented from the side lined after the game ‘ What an effort from the team – infact were the playing conditions more reasonable I think our backs would have been more successful and got the upper hand’.

Woking: Hamilton, Edwards, Osborn, Lovell, Goodman, Woods, Jones, Jarvis, Bannister, Edwards, Turner, Baigrie, Suddaby, Marchant, McGiven. Subs: Grady, Lee.

Woking RFC XV 21 points Kingston RFC XV 15points

Woking travelled to Hook to celebrate Christmas with long time adversaries Kingston RFC who were in a partying mood in their newly opened new clubhouse. This last minute fixture allowed some of the Christmas excesses to be run off in what were dull overcast and wet conditions - well what do you expect at Christmas!!

The Woking side captained by Wolfie Vousden saw the return of the Steves Westlake, Workman and Stilwell and Oisin O’Kelly and Justin Key to the side after long absences, with many regulars absent due to holiday season commitments . The first quarter was even in terms of possession and territory and neither side was able to lodge any scores on the board. The breakthrough came with a try through the forwards with Steve Stilwell emerging from the mele to claim the touchdown. Steve Workman slotted the conversion.

Woking were solid in the forwards and with Matt Edwards taking the ball against the head throughout the game this allowed Woking to pass the ball down the back-line on countless occasions but they were a little rusty on the wings and so were not able to convert these moves to points. When the ball found its way to Evan Marchant playing in the centre he set off on a powerful run that saw him surge to the Kingston line for a fine try that was again converted.

Kingston retorted with a typically robust burst of forward play that led to a try on the Woking left. As half time approached Dan Edwards used the rest of his back line as a series of decoy runners, spotted the gap in the defence and surged through to score beneath the posts and Steve Workman slotted the conversion once more.

The second half saw the powerful Stilwell and the deft O’Kelly replaced due to injury by Matt Childs and Richard Student. Kingston had the rub of the refereeing decisions in the second half and stretched the tiring Woking side to the wire with two late tries both of which went unconverted. At the final whistle the gloom was lifted by some seasonal port and later slid and liquid nourishment in the new Kingston RFC bar. Woking captain for the day Wolfie Vousden commented after the game ‘ The highlight of the afternoon was the fine vintage port we coiffed at the final whistle; the biggest disappointment was that there was no cheese to accompany it !! - more seriously this was a opportunity for the club to enjoy the social side of rugby and spend a few bob at Kingston’s new bar.’

Woking: Edwards, O’Kelly, Key, Steers, Goodman, Woods, Stilwell, Jones, Workman, Edwards, Vousden, Grady, Marchant, Westlake, Axe.

Woking RFC train Tuesday 7pm-9pm at the Recreation Ground, Rectory Lane, Old Byfleet. All new players welcome. Contact Richard on 01932 347576 for more details or visit them at www.wokingrugby.com

Woking RFC 7 points Haslemere RFC 3 points

There were renditions of the Great Escape being played in anticipation down under in Australia last Saturday but alas it was not to be the case – it was the case for Woking down at Haslemere though on Saturday as they secured a victory in the dying minutes with an opportunistic try!! Woking stalwarts Phil Bennett, Ian Vousden, Martin Lee and Andy Woods viewing the game form the touchline were the ones that went barmy when Woking, resplendent in their new shirts provided by first team sponsors James Cargo, clinched victory on Saturday.

Changes were required to the Woking side to face Haslemere on the Surrey borders on Saturday as a result of Christmas commitments, sickness, injury and other malaises. Fortunately the players called in or returning from injury stepped up to the mark and the presence of big Matt Jarvis at the base of the scrum as eight man was a major factor, as was the presence of powerhouse prop Neil Hamilton absent for several weeks due to overseas work commitments. James Bannister was back in at scrum half following a long injury absence.

In bright conditions if a little sticky underfoot, the game was dominated by scrummages as the referee demonstrated her knowledge of the law book by spotting an opportunity to award an infringement time and time again. Mind you the Woking forwards relish nothing more than a good scrummage and were more powerful in this phase of the game with returning hooker Matt Edwards taking many balls against the head. Bannister was hounded at the base of the scrum so that his distribution to Dan Edwards at 10 was at best erratic and at worst had hospital written all over it. This was a frustration to both the Woking forwards and also the wide out backs who saw good ball snaffled before Dave Baigrie or Cormac Lewis could get their hands on it. When these two did get the possession they made good yards but the defence was up to the job.

Both sides were required to make good tackles and Woking’s defence was assisted by the booming organisational voice of Richard Grady at inside centre. Haslemere had some giants playing in the backs and forwards and it was when Woking went too high in the tackle that Haslemere were able to make some yards.

Penalised in front of their posts only once in the first half Woking were made to pay as the penalty was slotted over with ease. At the break, both Captain Grady and pack leader Matt Jarvis roused the troops who responded initially with a surge deep into Haslemere territory. However Woking were then pinned back in their own half and for much of the second half in their twenty two as they were unable to break clear and gain any ascendancy. Having absorbed all this pressure through strong tackling Woking secured possession on half way through Dan Edwards who appeared to lose control of the ball, the Haslemere players were wrong footed and the ball was pounced on by the hungry Cormac Lewis who smashed through three tackles as he powered through to score the try that Dan Edwards converted.

There remained five minutes of play during which Woking again produced a solid defensive display until Dan Edwards was able to belt the ball into touch to the sound of the final whistle.

Woking’s captain Richard Grady commented after the game ‘ This was hardly a Christmas cracker in terms of 15 man total rugby, but tell that to the players who were delighted to secure the victory through a lot of effort though it might not have been pretty to watch at all times!!’

Woking : Hamilton, Edwards, Osborn, Childs, Goodman, Jones, Lovell, Jarvis, Bannister, Edwards, Lewis, Grady, Baigrie, Marchant, Turner.

Woking train on Tuesday 7pm – 9pm at the Recreation Ground, off Rectory Lane, Byfleet. All new players are welcome – players in all positions of all standards are required. Please ring Richard on 01932 347576 for details or visit Woking RFC at www.wokingrugby.com.

Woking RFC 14 points Old Oundelians RFC 15 points

Woking went close on Saturday but were just unable to pip Old Oundelians at the post as they clawed themselves back to just one point behind the Old Boys side. Missing some key players in the forwards Woking were forced to re-jig the pack, in front, second and backrow. The impact of this was to detract from the efficiency of the forwards most notably in the lineout and in recycling the ball quickly. The sides were reasonably evenly matched and neither side was able to dominate in the early period. Well won but slow ball from the Woking forwards allowed Woking’s backs to open up and penetrate deep into the Oundelians twenty two, though good defence meant that Woking were unable to register the points.

Things looked positive for Woking when they were awarded a penalty in the first quarter that Dan Edwards was unfortunately unable to convert. Woking were soon to register points on the scoreboard though when Wayne Suddaby used all his strength to break though the defence and score. This time Edwards was successful with his kick. Oundelians were not to be outdone and within minutes had registered their own points when they outpaced Woking on the Oundelians left wing to score in the corner. Oundelians missed the conversion but were then awarded a kickable penalty, following some infringement from Woking that they were able to convert.

After the turnaround both teams attempted to step up the pace. Woking scrum half Alastair MacMillan had to leave the pitch with a nasty gash to his ear and Oundelians applied more pressure pinning Woking into their twenty two. Following a knock on by Woking, Oundelians seized the opportunity powering over through the forwards off third phase ball despite strong defence from Woking. This time the Oundelians conversion kick was successful.

Further pressure from Woking secured a penalty as Oundelians were adjudged to have come round offside at the ruck. Again despite a good strike from Dan Edwards the penalty was unsuccessful. As Woking sought some further points from the game they powered deep into the Oundelians twenty two and following concerted effort through the forwards the ball broke to the recovered MacMillan who touched down to the right of the posts and Dan Edwards converted the try. Time had run out as the final whistle sounded.

Woking: Hamilton-Wilkes, Lee, Lovell, Steers, Jones, Grady, Packer, Giles, MacMillan, Edwards, Baigrie, Suddaby, Lewis, McGiven, Turner.

Woking train on Tuesday 7pm-9pm. All new players are welcome - call Richard on 01932 347576 or visit them at www.wokingrugby.com

Woking RFC 22 points Economicals RFC 14 points

Woking were forced to make a few changes on Saturday due to the key absences of prop Neil Hamilton, and locks James Goodman and Dale Lovell. Hamilton was replaced by Alistair Hamilton-Wilkes and Goodman and Lovell by Daren Steers and Andy ‘Crabbie’ Jones. In the backs, it was delightful to see Dan Edwards back in at No. 10 and a full strength line-up saw the return of Alasdair MacMillan at scrum-half, Cormac Lewis on the wing and Dave Baigrie in the centre.

In bright winter sunlight and firm ground underfoot the game commenced. It was Economicals who showed the early promise as they pinned Woking deep in their half for a period of 10 minutes, with a final break through and try scored within the first quarter.

Woking hit back out of defence with a fine individual try from Attie Kuyper. Seizing the ball at the breakdown Kuyper took off and burst through the Economicals defence to race in by the posts, which allowed Dan Edwards to slot over the conversion. Economicals were having it all their way in the lineout, seizing most of Woking’s ball too, as Steers reintroduced himself to lineout jumping and Jones was caught flat-footed. Only Giles for Woking made any impression at the lineout, which was not good news.

In the scrums Economicals had the edge for the first half which helped their cause greatly as the game struggled to flow due to the number of infringements awarded, largely against Woking, by the referee.
This forward power from Economicals was not maximised by their often stilted backs efforts which were snuffed out by the Woking back line. In the backrow Matt Jarvis was marshalling the troops well and thwarting the forwards efforts of Economicals time and time again.

Dan Edwards demonstrated his pace wide on the right, having received the ball in the loose, he then scorched around the Economicals right wing and raced in to score on the right. Further individual skills were demonstrated by Lewis as he latched onto some good backs possession finishing the try off with great pace and power.

The second half saw Woking gather some momentum in the scrums however canny deliberate wheeling of the scrum by Economicals wrought havoc with Woking’s possession. Frustrated Woking then conceded a series of penalties that culminated in a try as the bulky Economicals forwards crashed over from close range. Mounting a significant fight back Economicals then produced some strong attacks which took all Woking’s experienced forwards to curtail. At the forefront of these repulsions was man of the match Matt Jarvis who fought hard to turn over the ball in the close play and assist in clearing the lines.

Woking hung on to the result through determined hard work. Skipper Richard Grady commented after the game ‘ This was a good test for Woking; with enforced changes to the side we were able to cope with the powerful Economicals pack, but not dominate – disappointingly this meant that our backs were somewhat starved of quality ball. This disappointment was further exacerbated by the stop start nature of the game. That said another league victory which is good news, and Jarvis was superb’.

Woking: Hamilton Wilkes, Edwards, Osborn, Steers, Jones, Giles, Packer, Jarvis, MacMillan, Edwards, Suddaby, Baigrie, Lewis, Kuyper, McGiven Subs Grady, Gilbert, Marchant.

Woking train Tuesday 7pm-9pm at Byfleet Rec, Stream Close, Byfleet. All new players welcome. Contact Richard on 01932 347576 for more information or visit them at www.wokingrugby.com.

Woking RFC 20 points Old (Weybridge) Reedonians RFC 19 points

Woking clung on to a narrow one point victory in Witeley Village on Saturday to defeat Old Reeds and secure their third league victory of the season.

Club Captain Richard Grady was forced into the No.10 spot again on Saturday due to long term injuries to Dan Edwards, Sean Beavis and Alisdair MacMillan. This limited the width of the game due to Grady’s more direct approach to play, and the near-offside defensive line play of the Reeds meant that Woking were often stifled and less fluid in attack than they had been in their previous games.

The early phases of play were balanced with Woking’s forwards showing more agility, but the Reeds backs more pace. It was Reeds who stuck with the first points as they stretched Woking’s defensive lines this way and that and then surged through with good angles of running to score close to the posts to assist the conversion.

Woking struck back with a powerful try from Cormac Lewis coming off his wing and surging over the line, Grady slotted the conversion from in front of the posts. Reeds again exposed Woking’s defensive line by committing Grady and Suddaby and then whipping the ball wide to the overlap for a second try. As halftime approached Grady slotted over a penalty goal to keep Woking in touch.

The second half started well for Woking as they doubled their efforts and soon Lewis was running powerfully again off breaks made by Suddaby through the centre. The Woking pack was in charge at the scrum and Matt Jarvis broke from the base of the scrum, following some close interplay with flanker Jamie Giles to surge 35 metres to the try line to score wide on the left – the conversion never threatened to be successful.

Lewis’s strong running paid dividends when he crashed through the Reeds defence again to score on the right for Woking. With points at a premium unhelpfully Grady goofed the conversion - it had the legs but not the direction.

With minutes on the clock, Reeds were really going for it and play was very open for both sides – dog leg defence at outside centre left a gaping hole that the Reeds centres exploited leaving Woking’s Trey Kuyper grasping at thin air. Strong running saw the Reeds centre make the line and the result of the game all hinged on the conversion, which if successful would have put Reeds a point ahead.

The kick was unsuccessful and minutes later the game was over.

Woking captain Richard Grady commented after the game ‘Wayne Suddaby epitomised the desire to win today from the team, with his strong running and committed tackling, though as a team we were not able to play as well as we can. Crikey – if I keep having to take the goal kicks in games so close as this I better get out on the practice field’

Woking: Hamilton, Edwards, Osborn, Goodman, Lovell, Giles, Packer, Jarvis, Bannister, Grady, Lewis, Suddaby, Kuyper, Marchant, McGiven. Subs (Hamilton-Wilkes, Fudge).
Woking train on Tuesdays 7-9pm. Contact Richard on 01932 347576 if you are interested in playing or visit them at www.wokingrugby.com.

Woking RFC XV 34 points University (Weybridge) Vandals RFC XV 10 points

Woking travelled to Walton Bridge on Saturday for a friendly fixture against a mixed Vandals side. Woking were taking the opportunity of playing some of their newer players with Steve Wallis on the wing, Chris Axe at full back and Jono Fudge in the centre playing his first game for 18 years!!

Early skirmishes were scrappy as both sides sought to obtain some reasonable quality ball. Woking with some driving play surged upfield aided by some penetrating kicking from Richard Grady standing in, in the fly half position. Deep in the Vandals half scrum half James Bannister produced a moment of magic as he dummied his way through the first line of Vandals defence and sprinted in for a try on the right hand wing. Soon strong running from Wayne Suddaby up the centre of the park saw him ease over between the posts.

Soon Woking were applying the pressure again and it was Chris Axe who squeezed over in the corner, following some strong running in the Woking backs.

With uncontested scrums, unsurprisingly the scrums were a very even affair, which gave both sides the opportunity to run the ball from the base of the scrum, and while the Vandals looked promising in flashes they were unable to generate the pace or power to really threaten Woking’s line in the first half.

The second half started well for Vandals as in the loose their forwards began to put some phases together and they were soon to rumble over for a try. Keen not to be outdone Woking worked hard to regain the momentum that they had generated in the first half, and chasing the ball down a clearance kick from the Vandals fly-half bounced off Grady into the path of Wayne Suddaby who galloped in for the try.

A couple of injuries in the forwards saw the introduction of Cormac Lewis and Trey Kuyper. Both players made an impact with strong surging runs, and indeed each scored a try bursting through the Vandals forwards getting behind the backs to touch down beneath the posts.

Vandals challenged well in the latter quarter of the game and were rewarded for their efforts by a second try, bundling over in similar fashion to their first try.

Woking captain Richard Grady commented after the game ‘We tried a few players out today and Steve and Jono did well, a good club match, played in good spirits’

Woking RFC 7 points Kingston RFC 33 points

With an enforced flurry of changes to the side, due to an assortment of reasons – primarily injury, Woking fought hard against a better drilled Kingston side but were unable to maintain the form of their first string XV.

Early passages of play were hard fought as both sides fought to gain the ascendancy. Woking were inconvenienced within minutes when Crabbie Jones took a stamping on his left boot that saw him hobbling in a lateral direction towards the touchline. Freeze spray and padding on his claw were not able to rejuvenate him and long term injury case Matt Childs successfully raced onto the field without injuring himself in Jones’ place. Soon Childs was in a heated tussle as he was taken out off the ball – welcome back to rugby!!

Kingston were demonstrating deft touches which led to side to side defence from Woking and much gasping for air, from the backs. Conceding two tries within minutes Woking rued the errors that presented Kingston with the tries. A third try before half time was not unfair to Woking as Kingston were in the ascendancy.

Nursing a shoulder injury, Dan Edwards Woking’s no.10 was still very effective in last-ditch defence and notably in attack. The third quarter of the game saw Woking consolidate as this time the Kingston players began to blow out of puff. Pinning Kingston in their twenty-two Woking applied pressure for 20 minutes but Kingston cleared their lines. From deep in the Woking half, a double miss move in the backs and a long arching run saw Edwards score beneath the posts, and convert his own try.

This gave Woking heart and they drove up field again and were within yards of scoring when the Kingston fly half intercepted and off loaded to his winger who raced half the length of the pitch to score beneath the posts. Minutes later Kingston were powering deep into the Woking twenty-two and superb support play overwhelmed the Woking defence leading to a touchdown between the posts.

Woking skipper Richard Grady commented ‘ We came up against a side today that was well drilled and played well as a unit – we were not able to demonstrate the same level of cohesion, though the effort displayed by the Woking players was considerable’.

Hamilton-Wilkes, Lee, Hamilton, Goodman, Steers, Giles, Osborn, Jones (Childs), Bannister, Edwards, Marchant, Grady, Kuyper, Turner (Gilmour) and Axe.

Woking train on Tuesday 7-9pm at Byfleet Rec. All new members are welcome – contact Richard on 01932 347576 for more details or visit them at www.wokingrugby.com.

Woking RFC 27 points Egham Hollowegians RFC 13 points

Woking travelled to Englefield Green on Saturday able to field an unchanged side from the previous week which stood them in good stead for what would undoubtedly be a challenging fixture against a side made up of wise old heads and Royal Holloway College students and former pupils.

It was Woking who gained the early opportunities to stretch their legs however poor coordination in the midfield meant valuable early ball was wasted and a couple of interception passes allowed Egham to turn defence into attack and they subsequently secured a couple of penalties following Woking infringements as they were forced to scamper back.

Woking hit back with a penalty of their own converted by Dan Edwards and a try from Trey Kuyper on the right wing following some strong running.

Egham were looking lively in the backs themselves and surged up the right wing committing Woking, who failed to reform their defensive line wide on the Egham left and Woking were outflanked on the wing on their right for a try that was converted.

The game was in the balance at the break both sides with the potential to score more points, but both with good defences – all set for an intriguing second half.

The second half saw both sides stretching the other, however Woking played a more controlled approach with a few pick and go drives by Matt Jarvis from the base of the scrum providing much needed forward momentum. Sniping bursts from scrum half Alastair MacMillan were effective in countering the disruption he was receiving from his opposite man. This together with more effort from the forwards provided the opportunity to drive upfield and unleash Woking’s dangerous backs. Woking’s Dave Baigrie, Jim McGiven and Cormac Lewis showed great pace, and Wayne Suddaby provided power through the centre. For a while Egham’s defence held out and Woking were unfortunate not to be awarded a try when Baigrie out sprinted the defence and the referee to score on the left but not get the decision for apparently not grounding the ball. Not to worry as he soon made up for this with a finely taken try.

This was matched for pace and power by a try from Cormac Lewis who scorched down the left wing to score but also receive a sin binning for retaliation when he was unnecessarily clobbered while lying prostrate on the ground having scored the try. This put Woking in an uncomfortable position down to 13 men as ‘Gentleman Jim’ McGiven was sidelined having reacted to a face scratching from an Egham player, who was also sent to the bin.

Woking held strong for 10 minutes, with Laeton Packer shifting into the backs off the flank. McGiven was back in action immediately his ten minutes were up putting in a bone crunching tackle on his opposite man who was running back a clearance kick. This was a defining moment in the game. With Lewis back on himself minutes later, he pounced on the ball in his twenty two and surged upfield shaking off tackles and outpacing the Egham defence to score beneath the posts. This was the killer score for Woking and minutes later the final whistle sounded.

Woking: Hamilton, Gilbert, Osborn, Goodman, Steers, Giles, Packer, Jarvis, MacMillan, Edwards, Lewis, Suddaby, Baigrie, Kuyper, McGiven. Subs: Grady, Lee, Steers.

Woking train on Tuesdays and Thursdays 7pm – 9pm at Byfleet Recreation Ground. All new players welcome, contact Richard 01932 347576 or visit them at www.wokingrugby.com

Woking RFC 40 points London Fire Brigade RFC 7 points

After two encouraging friendly fixtures over the previous fortnight Woking got their new league season under way at home to London Fire Brigade. In glorious conditions the scene was set for some running rugby. Woking did not fail to deliver as they turned the screw in the forwards and presented their backs with good ball to run with. Cormac Lewis having recovered from a knee scare suffered the previous week was in imperious form as he scythed through the Fire Brigade backs twice in the early minutes of the first half.

The Woking forwards were dominant in the early exchanges as they drove hard and straight in scrum, ruck and maul, disrupting the Brigade forwards from their mauling upper body game that they enjoy. Captain Jamie Giles and Matt Jarvis in the backrow exerted their size and experience in directing the Woking forwards in an efficient game. This provided Woking with the possession to further unleash their backs with tries from Trey Kuyper and Jim McGiven.

In the second half Woking tired and captain Giles was sent to the sin bin for taking the law into his own hands. The Brigade upped their game and pinned Woking down in their twenty two as Woking were repeatedly penalised for coming round on the wrong side to pinch the ball. An interpretation that frustrated the Woking players and rendered them incapable of winning maul ball. This eventually led to a Brigade try when the ball bobbled out from a maul on the Woking side, to be flopped on by a Brigade forward.

Woking woke up and seized the opportunity to unleash Cormac Lewis and Dave Baigrie who surged through some weak Fire Brigade tackling and both scored beneath the posts allowing Dan Edwards a simple conversion in both cases.

All in all a competent start to the season for Woking, who face Egham Hollowegians on Saturday at Egham in what will be a more challenging fixture. Skipper Jamie Giles conscious of this has called for a full squad turnout on training this week. ‘Against a stronger set of backs we would not be able to run in the tries with such ease-we must be prepared to adjust our game on Saturday and maintain our winning run’ – said Giles.

If you would like join Woking RFC call Richard on 01932 347576 or visit them at www.wokingrugby.com. All new players are welcome.

Woking RFC 10 points Mitcham RFC 15 points

Woking entertained Mitcham at the Recreation Ground on Saturday afternoon in a hard fought and close encounter, in the Surrey County Vase knockout tournament.

The first quarter saw Mitcham with the territorial advantage, which they converted into a try when from a set piece the ball was chipped perfectly into the path of the Mitcham right wing who scuttled into the corner despite the deperate attempts of Jim McGiven in defence.

In the set piece Woking were holding their own and if anything dominating the lineout. But the quality of ball from the base of the scrum was not good as Woking’s James Bannister came under huge pressure from his opposite man. This cramped the game of Dan Edwards who was stifled form playing his usual expansive game.

Woking were on the defensive again and outstripped wide on the right as their backs were rounded following a period of sustained pressure. Two tries down it was important that Woking maintained focussed and lifted their game. This they did as they attempted to force their way back into the game. With few pre-season squad sessions together, the Woking forwards were struggling to achieve the same level of cohesion and teamwork that the Mitcham forwards were demonstrating. Good possession was lost to or slowed down by Mitcham on countless occasions. Woking did not lose heart and raised the workrate as the half time break approached.

Despite this effort the superior performance of the Mitcham team led to a third try just before the break again through their pacey backs.

The second half was more balanced as both teams tired. Woking got the upper hand in the scrums with strong performances from all three, Osborn, Gilbert and Hamilton, and latterly in the game from Martin Lee, who replaced Hamilton. Matt Jarvis was strong off the base of the scrum, retaining possession and making yards – but the cohesion was not quite there to force a breakthrough early in the second half. In the third quarter, a smugness developed in the attitude of the Mitcham side which they paid for as Dan Edwards scored a fine try himself and orchestrated a second for Cormac Lewis on the left wing. Unfortunately there was insufficient time to really pull the rabbit out of the hat with a late winner as the referee called time following a mele that developed after Lewis try.

Woking No8 Phil Bennett sidelined through injury commented after the game – ‘With a few more weeks training under our belts, to gain the level of fitness Mitcham had, and more cohesion in the forwards we could have pulled this one off – against a side two divisions above us’.
Woking: Hamilton (Lee), Gilbert, Osborn, Goodman, Lovell, Giles, Jarvis, Nairn, Bannister, Edwards, Marchant (Suddaby), Baigrie, MacMillan, Lewis, McGiven. Subs Kuyper, Grady.

Woking train Tuesdays 7-9pm at Byfleet Rec. All new players welcome – contact Richard on 01932 347576.

Woking RFC 15 points Stoke Park Bisons RFC 10 points

Woking’s opening fixture of the season saw them entertain Stoke Park in a non league friendly. In glorious weather conditions the game got underway as Woking won the toss and took the kick off. The early pace of the game was fast, surprising in light of early season lack of fitness and the soaring temperature. Both sides were playing attacking rugby and forcing the pace. Woking’s backs were marshalled well by Alastair Macmillan in the absence of regular No.10 Dan Edwards, and as Macmillan brought the defensive line up quickly, Kevin Turner intercepted a long pass and raced through to score beneath the posts for Woking. Lacking kicker Edwards, Beavis’ effort sailed wide of the uprights.

Much was clicking for Woking, but Stoke Park were not comfortable on their own ball in the line or scrum. This gave Woking the advantage as Beavis at scrum half was disruptive in defence and incisive in attack. Having scored his try, Turner turned his ankle in the process and hobbled off minutes later to be replaced by Grady.

Led by Jamie Giles, Woking were in the ascendancy, and Packer and Jarvis in the back row were mobile and hard hitting in attack and defence. A good break from Cormac Lewis put Woking in a strong position, from which recycled ball was spread right for Evan Marchant to score. The conversion was missed.

Try number three in the first half was scored by the pacey Dave Baigrie. Powerful scrummaging gave Woking good ball which was distributed to the Woking flier who outstripped the defence to score.

So at the break Woking were holding a 15 point lead. The third quarter saw Woking dominant but unable to capitalise on their chances as Bisons upped their work rate. The loss of scrum half Beavis to a knee injury saw the introduction of Steve Workman at scrum half and shortly after that Richard Cane and Alistair Hamilton-Wilkes were introduced to the forwards. Big Wayne Suddaby replaced Grady in the centre and was immediately in the action with a series of crunching tackles.

Bisons gained forward momentum largely through the encouragement of veteran Grant Smith who surged through a number of weak Woking tackles. From one such powerplay a long kick proved awkward for Woking wing Evan Marchant to gather and he was bundled over by the Bisons attack who surged through to score the try.

Minutes later a similar episode saw Marchant impeded off the ball but it was not seen by the referee. Bisons regained the ball and broke down the short side to score in the corner. Under pressure Woking regrouped and worked hard to retain possession until the final whistle sounded.

Woking skipper Jamie Giles commented after the game – ‘Many aspects of our game were encouragingly good, but the late lack of fitness and concentration will need urgent consideration and attention if we are to make progress this season’.

Woking: Hamilton, Gilbert, Osborn, Giles, Lovell, Packer, Jones, Jarvis, Beavis, MacMillan, Turner, Baigrie, Lewis, Marchant, McGiven. Reps. Grady, Suddaby, Workman, Hamilton Wilkes, Cane.
All new players welcome, please contact Richard on 01932 347576 or visit them at www.wokingrugby.com