Sevenoaks 85 Ashford 10
Oaks continued their unbeaten start to the season and retained the league leadership with a convincing win over Ashford at the Paddock last Saturday. Oaks registered thirteen tries in all and outside half Winter secured a personal haul of 30 points.
Oaks took an early lead through centre Vaihu and the result was never in doubt after a quick fire brace from prop Walker and veteran number 8 Robinson. The all important bonus point try from Winter came after thirty minutes and Oaks added another on the stroke of half time from Tree. Oaks lack of precision at times in the first half coupled with some brave Ashford defence meant that the score at the break was 36-3.
The team talk at the turn was all about keeping the ball, going through the phases and playing the pattern. The extra patience paid dividends with eight further tries from Vaihu, Winter, Dodd, Unwin, Streather, Robinson, Swallow and Naismith. Winter kicked 10 from 13 on the day.
After the match 1st XV Manager Jon Muchmore commented ‘We are obviously pleased with the result on the day. I am also delighted for the new players who started today. I thought Richardson had a great debut at hooker. He has been playing really well in the 2nds and deserved his chance, despite his very questionable haircut. It was also great to see youngsters Sedgwick and Walker make their first starts after good efforts from the bench over recent weeks. The squad has been really stretched over the first few weeks of the season and the more people we can get playing at the requisite level the better. We know there will be tougher days ahead over a tricky November period that sees us travel to Horsham and Beckenham, whilst Deal are the visitors to the Paddock for our next home game on the 14thNovember. However, we welcome the challenge and the pressure that comes from being top of the table’.
1 Jack Walker
2 Fred Richardson
3 Dan Power
4 Will Thorpe
5 Stuart Coleman
6 Tom Swallow
7 Scott Sedgwick
8 Ollie Robinson
9 Ollie Shirtcliff
10 Isaac Winter
11 Simon Tree
12 Tino Vaihu
13 Robbie Unwin
14 Dom Saunders
15 Rob Streather
16 Kelly Anderson
17 Matt Dodd
18 Charlie Naismith