The Sevenoaks Academy 1s took a big step towards a top 3 finish in the Kent League by upsetting local rivals TJs on Sunday, producing their best performance of the season in the process.
It is no secret that TJs have had a stellar season to date, beating Oaks in all 3 previous encounters including a 13-0 win at TJs in the 3rd round of the National Cup back in November. TJs have since progressed all the way to the final of that competition, which will be played on May 1st.
Needless to say, Sevenoaks were not favourites to win this game.
Oaks started exceptionally, contesting and winning possession straight from their own kick-off. The ball was worked infield and TJs, ever keen to bring their physical defence to the fore, crept offside in midfield. Zac Shirtcliff slotted the ensuing penalty and Oaks found themselves with an early 0-3 lead.
The next meaningful act of the game was another penalty awarded to the visitors inside the TJs half, this time after some strong defence. The angle for a kick at goal was not favourable and so the ball went into the corner. Oaks' driving lineout - led by the likes of James Kerton and captain Will Murphy - has been a strength all season and so it proved again. One drive led to a penalty, which led to another drive and a prop Gregor Pauling was the beneficiary. Oaks were 0-8 up and hadn't been in their own half yet.
TJs got their inevitable period of possession after they broke down the left wing from a poor Sevenoaks exit. The home side showed their class as they played on top of the stretched Oaks defence for several quick phases. In the end, Sevenoaks ran out of metres and TJs crashed over just to the left of the posts. Fortunately, they missed the conversion which kept the score at 5-8.
Oaks' next score was a carbon-copy of the opening salvo as a turnover straight from the restart led to another kickable penalty for Shirtcliff. He needed no second invitation as he took Oaks into a 5-11 lead with roughly 20 minutes gone.
Oaks were competing well, but TJs threat was increasing as the game began to break up. One team would make a half break before the other would win a turnover on the floor and run it right back at them. Fantastic entertainment for the supporters, not so much for the coaches! Eventually, Oaks broke through the middle from deep and scythed their way up to inside the TJs 22 out on the left. Flanker Henry Thompson carried hard off 9, before fly half Louis Bouverie found Shircliff out the back of another forward pod. Shirty stepped and cut through the middle of the TJs midfield before floating an inch perfect pass of his left to winger Juan Barnard, who gleefully scampered over in the corner. 5-16.
TJs redoubled their physicality in attack and threatened on more than one occasion to breach the Oaks line a 2nd time. The visitors' defence held firm and key turnovers on the floor from Murphy and Stangroome meant that the score didn't change before half-time.
The first 10-15 minutes of the 2nd half was very much tit-for-tat as both teams showed ambition to play but were let down by a lack of accuracy.
TJs suddenly unlocked the Oaks defence through the middle and looked certain to score. However, the returning Tyler Weekes managed to track back and intercept what would have been the killer pass to their left winger. Weekes then turned, bumped off the winger and set off down the right-hand touchline. He kicked through as the cover came across and as the ball trickled into the dead ball area, a TJs back rower was adjudged to have taken him out off the ball to prevent a score. Yellow card for TJs and a penalty try to Oaks, who were now in dreamland with a 5-23 lead.
TJs dominated possession and territory for the remainder of the game but were continually undermined by poor execution at lineout time. From one overthrow, scrum half Harvey Galloway found back row Barnaby Thomas who bounced out of a tackle and set off up the centre of the field. Indeed, he set off so quickly that his support was quite a long way away when the TJs fullback moved across to shut him down. He launched a pass to his right, which bounced and was picked up on the run by Bouverie who then fed winger Joe Ryder for the final score of the game.
Despite more heavy-duty TJs carrying, Sevenoaks' defence held firm for the remainder of the game. Final score, 5-28.
This was an important win for Sevenoaks. So many times this season, they have lost winnable games through simply not believing that they could compete with their opposition. Couple this with TJs' status as National Cup finalists and Oaks could so easily have talked themselves out of this one before the game had even begun. It is to their huge credit that they did the opposite. For their part, TJs were resting several first choice players after a brutal cup semi-final last weekend and clearly they will have had one eye on their upcoming final. That being said, on paper this was still a quality outfit and Oaks were the better team on the day in every facet of play.
Sevenoaks now look forward to their final league game on April 3rd at home vs Medway. With any luck, Oaks can continue this form and give the outgoing U18s a fitting send off from age group rugby!
Squad list: Gregor Pauling, Dom Stangroome, Oli Langley, James Kerton, Ben McClinton, Henry Thompson, Barnaby Thomas, Will Murphy (c), Harvey Galloway, Louis Bouverie, Oli May, Zac Shirtcliff, Tyler Weekes, Juan Barnard, Luca Crowcroft
Subs: Drew Mercer, Henry Hartley, Jack Ludden, Elliot Peters, Ruben Le Roux, Joe Ryder