As Will De Smith raced over to secure Sevenoaks RFC 1st XV’s bonus point try away at Cobham, a mixture of relief and pride was felt by Head Coach Adam Bowman and his coaching staff. Oaks had been well beaten in their previous two matches and were desperate to put in a performance that reflected the undoubted quality within the squad.
‘It wasn’t perfect by any means, but in the last half an hour, we looked to have a bit of confidence back’ said Bowman. ‘We had a bit of a get together on Thursday before training to draw a line under the past few matches and re-focus. It’s important to remember that whilst the 1st XV haven’t had the easiest of runs, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th XV have all been winning, so we have to make sure it’s not doom and gloom and with the 3rd XV winning 76-10 at Folkstone, it was nice to enjoy both wins on Saturday evening.’
Pure joy! Last season, Oaks celebrate after securing victory with a last minute try against Gravesend RFC 1st XV. Photo Credit: David Purday
‘I’ve been really proud of how the boys have stuck to the task. We showed a lot of character at home to CS Rugby and also to come back from a try down so early on at Cobham. We could have gone into our shells, but we grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and continued to play rugby. Numbers at training have also remained at 45 – 50, which is hugely important as it means we are able to see players compete and develop on a weekly basis.’
It’s going to be a busy weekend at the Paddock, when Oaks host a fundraising effort for the Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby Team, as the 1st XV take on Gravesend RFC 1st XV and the 4th XV play Maidstone RFC 3rd XV. With over 100 expected at the pre-match lunch, Bowman says the players can’t wait to get out and do themselves justice. ‘The crowd against CS was brilliant, but perhaps in the second half didn’t have much to cheer about. Hopefully this time, with another big crowd, we can put in a good performance for the full 80.’
Bowman and his squad are also humbled to play a small part in the fundraising weekend for the Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby team. ‘We are extremely proud to be supporting the Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby Team and hope that we raise a good amount of money to enable them to grow and promote wheelchair rugby throughout England, Wales and Scotland. We are very lucky here at Sevenoaks to have a big support in terms of equipment, facilities and kit, so we know how important it is to have the backing and funding to run a successful programme and we urge anyone there on Saturday and Sunday to make a donation in any way possible.’
Before that though, Bowman and his squad have a hard week of graft ahead of them. ‘We have four tough games this weekend and need to put in good work on the training paddock to give ourselves the best chance of a ‘W’ across all games. It’s Kent derbies all round, with the 2nd XV away at Tonbridge Juddians, the 3rd XV at Aylesford and the 4th XV at home to Maidstone, and those games always involve an added physicality and spice.’
The Head Coach continued ‘It should be another great weekend for the Club and an opportunity for us to showcase what a great community Sevenoaks RFC is. There is nothing better than a busy Clubhouse on a Saturday afternoon and it makes it extra special after a win or two.’
PLEASE NOTE THAT LUNCH IS NOW SOLD OUT. THE BAR WILL BE OPEN THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON.
Sevenoaks RFC Senior Fixtures | Saturday 4th November 2017
1430hrs Sevenoaks RFC 1st XV v. Gravesend RFC 1st XV
1430hrs Tonbridge Juddians 3rd XV v. Sevenoaks RFC 2nd XV
1430hrs Aylesford RFC 2nd XV v. Sevenoaks RFC 3rd XV
1430hrs . Sevenoaks RFC 4th XV (Gents) v. Maidstone RFC 3rd XV