Henley Hawks 5 - 34 Dorking RFC
Cocks Down Hawks at Dry Leas
By Jon Watts
It’s an old maxim that forwards decide who wins and the backs decide by how much. This a very pertinent appraisal of Dorking RFC’s day out at Dry Leas.
Both teams were dealt some interesting selection considerations due to a raft of injuries and unavailabilities. The Dorking side that took the field bore only a slight resemblance of the team posted in the programme and the Dorking faithful understandably felt some apprehension as to the direction the game would take. Henley supporters the same. It has always been a nip-and-tuck fixture. The 6 previous encounters see Dorking ahead by 3 to 2 with a memorable draw last season. Henley Hawks are never to be under-estimated.
Opening phases of play and its even-stevens with both sides running hard and tackling hard. The referee took a dim view of anything approaching a high tackle - the law equally applied it is fair to report - unfortunately Dorking were the slower to adapt to this paradigm.
From the outset the Dorking scrum was in the ascendancy - and some! A resultant penalty kick to touch and line-out puts Dorking 45 metres out from the Henley goal line. The ball is neatly popped by George Jackson, the scrum half, to Bryan Hotson on a perfect line - who beats 3 to score. The conversion is missed. 0-5.
Henry Anscombe has his collar felt by the referee for a high tackle and he’s off to the sin bin - the first of 4 Dorking players over the afternoon.
With the scrum in total control, being a player down was handled well by Dorking and they kept the pressure up. A box kick into the Henley 22 was mishandled by the Henley defence and offside play resulting in penalty to Dorking on the 5 metre line. Scrum taken and the ball moved quickly wide with Tom Howe securing a very tricky pass to then feed Toby McRae who cuts back to pass back to the supporting Howe who scores. Wonderful backs play. With Henry in the sin bin Tom Hardwick takes the conversion that drifts just wide. 0-10.
Henry Anscombe back on and the Dorking scrum earn yet another penalty. The ensuing catch and drive - the Dorking driving maul is working really well - and the ball is eventually released to the blind side after Tom Howe spotted the opportunity and raced across to get his second in the corner. Henry Anscombe converts from the corner. 0-17.
The dominance of the Dorking scrum is now total - the referee gives Henley a warning - and a penalty kick to a line-out 8 metres out. Good take and the driving maul allows Tom Golder to claim the bonus point try in the corner. Conversion missed 0-22.
A penalty to Dorking on the half way line is quickly taken and a neat grubber through is fielded but the Henley’s number 1 gets a yellow card for holding back a Dorking player off the ball. Penalty kick to the corner and a repeat of the previous try is on the cards. The maul is held and the ball released sharpish along the back line for Joe Andresen to score try number 5. The conversion is missed and its half time. 0-27
Second half and the Dorking props have been replaced with Henry Birch and Bryan Karimanzira on for Bristow and Connor. Henley begin the half with much more vim and vigour - obviously words have been said. This phase of the game - third quarter - becomes a story of Dorking indiscretions in the high tackle and the resulting penalties being kicked to the corners. It is, however, of little benefit to Henley as the Dorking line is disruptive enough and the Henley throwing-in being inaccurate enough to allow Dorking to clear their lines. Frustrating, I am sure, for Henley players and supporters.
It is Yellow card number 2 for Dorking and Tom Bloomer gets time to take a breather in the bin. Dorking make ground into the Henley half, earn a penalty from the scrum and kick to the corner. The resulting maul is brought down and the penalty to Dorking gives them the scrum option which they take. A couple of resets from the wheel and the ball is eventually put out for Craig Holland at great pace on a perfect line to go over under the posts. The Cconversion makes it 0 -34.
Arlo Cop comes on for Stevie Howarth and Tom Bloomer is released from captivity - only for Daragh Chambers to fill the slot due to another high tackle. Henley regain their attacking spirit and a line out on the Dorking 5 m line sees a great opportunity lost with a knock-on in front of the posts.
Olly Rawlinson - who has had a great game - is replaced by Tom Bristow. Jasper King goes off - a good captain’s day - standing in effectively at number 8.
More pressure from Henley and George Jackson gets a yellow for....another high tackle. Dorking are now down to 13 players and Henley get the penalty kick to the corner. The maul and drive release lock Liam Goodison, taking a breather out on the wing who goes over in the corner. Conversion is wide. 5 -34.
A Dorking penalty 40 metres out and Henry takes a shot at goal - good decision to run the clock down and reduce the overcrowding in the sin bin. The kick drifts wide and that’s about it.
An excellent day at Dry Leas - it is always a very tough day there. Notwithstanding the injury problems, Dorking were in rampant form in the first half and whilst the second half failed to live up to the promise after the first, the game in the round was very satisfying to watch.
The yellow card count will need to be reduced or that’s going to really cost going forward.
Director of Rugby Armand Roux commented,
Overall very pleased with getting 5 points on the road as I know Henley can be a tough place to visit.
I do feel that we struggled to adapt the officiating on the day and that made it hard for us.
We have a few bits to go after this week before we host Oxford Harlequins at home next week and with a couple of players returning should be good opportunity to get them right.
Teams:
Henley:
Howe, Richardson, Rawsthorn, Titchener, Wood, Jones, Braithwaite, Bailey, Hayhow, Collins, Goodison, Lowe, Noone, White, Poiner. Replacements – Floyd, Rampton, Pugh, Delaney, Kinniburgh
Dorking:
Andresen, Hotston, Howe, Anscombe, McRae, Hardwick, Baldwin, Connor, Rawlinson, Bristow, Golder, Howorth, Chambers, Bloomer, King ©. Replacements – Birch, Karimanzira, Copp, Holland, Jackson
