U17s vs Esher

Fantastic conditions for rugby and our second encounter of the season, but a much changed visiting squad were buoyed upfront with bulk and speed.

Esher we on a mission to avenge the narrow defeat they sustained at home before Christmas. The early pressure was very much applied by the visitors as their game plan of keeping things tight bore some fruit. Within 10 minutes they were 12 nil up; the first a breakaway try from open play. The second was the result of a missed penalty which drifted right of the posts; the home defence failed to catch and clear the miss, knocking on and with the advantage Esher collected and popped over to score. Try converted.

It could have been one more as Esher broke through but Bright tracked back at pace to put in a try saving tackle much to the delight of the home support.

Unusually the home side were a yard off the pace in the early exchanges, but this seemed to wake the home side who applied pressure of their own and from a penalty 10 metres out Stevens burst through, set the ball up and Captain Wareham was on hand to trundle over and score. Oliver converted comfortably.

There was a quick repost from Esher as they created a clear over lap to score in the corner.

With half time looming Wareham scored his second of the afternoon to reduce the half time arrears to 12 - 17.

A quick regroup and infusion of jelly babies and off we go again.....

Wareham capped a captains performance with the opening score of the second half. Three tries for a prop, what's going on? Word rapidly went down the touch line; "blimey; he'll have to buy a jug..... " Richardson slotted a tricky conversion from just inside the touch line; 19 - 17.

The tide was now swinging and territorially a fitter 'Ensians side had the upper hand, just. From an attacking scrum the effervescent Oliver drew the opposition and timed a superb pass to Leicester, bursting through from full back, and through several poor tackles to score under the post. Richardson added the extras.

Esher however had the last word of the match when their forwards created a try out on the left. Unconverted.

With our biggest match of the season on the horizon injured players were rested where appropriate and a number of players found themselves out of position. Nevertheless the squad dug deep to take what had been a well contested match.

Whilst there were performances of note from Wareham (three try's from a prop, blimey what's going on etc...), Oliver (whose defence and distribution in attack were superb) Edwards in his first full start and Lu, it was Bright that took the man of the match award; illusive in attack and sound in defence; a cracking wingers performance.