Dear members and supporters,
Sorry for a later than usual update...
Thanks to everyone who supported last Saturday's senior matches and Charity Fun Day for the Marsden Cancer Charity at Knole Paddock.
More next week on the incredible sum raised. It was three wins from three for the senior teams in action. The Junior Tour to Barnstaple's fundraising was also marked, with Tour Sheriff O'Keefe presenting, on behalf of 1,000 junior players, families and friends who went into the West in May, cheques for £2,000 to Kent Wooden Spoon, £2,000 to Marsden Cancer Charity with a further £2,000 to be donated to the Club's Junior section to support our coaching programme in local schools.
Senior Rugby this Saturday 3 October
1st XV Away to Hove, 2pm KO, League
3rd XV Away to Old Gravesendians, 2pm KO, League
RWC2015 action in the Clubhouse today!
Watch, or hide, England's last chance saloon duel with Australia, 8pm KO on the big screen.
On a muted footnote to the fixtures, sadly the 4th XV has had to pull out of its League because of a lack of available players to field a team. The Acorns live on in the Late Red Trophy. There may also be occasional 4th XV friendlies on Saturdays.
Results last weekend
1st XV: Sevenoaks 35 Thanet Wanderes 5 - report below
2nd XV: Sevenoaks 24 Tunbridge Wells 10
3rd XV: Sevenoaks 60 Thanet Wanderers 16
Sevenoaks 1st XV 39 Thanet Wanderers 1st XV 5
Last Saturday saw 1st XV rugby make a welcome return to Knole Paddock for the first time this season. With three home matches, a family fun day supporting the Royal Marsden Hospital and the RWC playing on a big screen in the clubhouse the Paddock was a lively place to be, as Oaks welcomed a visiting Thanet side who have shown some decent pre season form.
In front of a packed and boisterous balcony the home side took control of the match from the off registering three tries and a penalty in the first twenty five minutes. Two catch and drive efforts from flanker Desmith along with a powerful drive from the talismanic Thorpe opened up a twenty point lead that the visitors never looked like overhauling. In fact Oaks should have the game and the bonus point secured in the first half but they were denied by some stout defence and a lack of precision from the Oaks XV in the opponents twenty two.
The second stanza started much the same way as the first had finished with Oaks spurning a number of great chances to extend their lead further and it took a full fifteen minutes before a home crowd favourite in the form of Unwin punched in the vital fourth try to ensure Oaks secured the full five points available on the day. Further efforts from a bludgeoning Vaihu and a great team try from Saunders sandwiched the visitors lone score. With Winter slotting three conversions and a penalty the score at the final whistle was 39-5.
A sanguine coach Vaughan commented ‘Whilst I know we have left a lot of points on the pitch over the last couple of weeks we have still come away with the maximum points available in each game. A lot of the younger players who have had to step up to replace 1st XV regulars can be proud of their efforts and I know they will have learnt a lot from both games and they will only get better. We have had a rough couple of weeks on and off the pitch and the lack of fluidity in the team performance is a direct result of the number of changes we have had to make. We now move on to two difficult away trips to Hove and Crowborough in good heart’
1 Jack Walker
2 Connor Browne
3 Dan Power
4 Will Thorpe
5 Stuart Coleman
6 Tom Swallow
7 Will Desmith
8 Ollie Robinson
9 Ollie Shirtcliff
10 Isaac Winter
11 Simon Tree
12 Atino Vaihu
13 Robbie Unwin
14 Dom Saunders
15 Dom Saunders
16 Josh Baldock
17 Scott Sedgewick
18 Ben Adams
Yours in rugby
Sevenoaks Rugby Club