GILLINGHAM ANCHORIANS II 11 v SEVENOAKS IV 15
With Sevenoaks expecting an easy time, given their top of the table status and a convincing win against Anchs at the beginning of the season, this match turned out to be a highly competitive and absorbing one.
Anchs IIs have improved steadily since that early setback, as Sevenoaks very quickly realised.
Two indiscretions by the Sevenoaks pack in their own half, made worse on both occasions by some backchat to the referee and the consequent conceding of 10 metres, gave fly-half, Paul Evans, two well-taken penalty attempts and Anchorians an early 6-0 lead. Slightly confusing for the spectators was the sight of Paul in the No 5 shirt; the No 10 didn’t fit!
Sevenoaks upped their game, with some good, close support play amongst their forwards swinging the match back in their favour. And, with Anchs’ backline being sucked in, Sevenoaks rapidly scored 3, unconverted tries.
But, 5 minutes before half-time, one of Sevenoaks’ locks was yellow carded for pulling down Andy Wylie at the line out; Andy and Michael ‘Egg’ Hughes had been giving ‘Oaks all sorts of trouble.
An already fired-up Anchs pack, with James Brindley and Carl Cooper to the fore, started to exert pressure with a number of penetrating rolling mauls. They took this confidence into the second half, putting Sevenoaks under sustained pressure. This gave an opportunity for Anchs’ backs to test the Sevenoaks defence, with outside centre, Chris Everett, making good ground taking the crash ball.
Anchs spent 10 minutes camped on the Sevenoaks line, crashing over twice, only for the referee each time to adjudicate that the ball had been held up.
Anchs, though, didn’t give up. On the 3rd attempt, prop, Martin ‘Smudger’ Smith picked up the ball from the base of a ruck and, taking the blind-side channel, passed to winger, Tom Furse, who dived over in the corner to register Anchs’ first and well-deserved (unconverted) try.
Sevenoaks has to fight hard to preserve their 4-point lead. But they were hindered when, once again, they gave away a penalty at the line for the same office as before and with Sevenoaks’ other lock being yellow carded.
Nevertheless, Sevenoaks worked their way up-field to within 5 metres of Anchs’ line, with only determined and brave defence by Anchs keeping Sevenoaks at bay. Final score 11-15 to Sevenoaks.
Despite losing, Anchs can be proud of their performance. It would be unfair to nominate one player for ‘Man of the Match’, so the award goes to all 8 players in the pack.
Reported by Nigel Fray