MATCH REPORT: DORKING COLTS 51 – 12 BASINGSTOKE COLTS
It was a beautiful day at The Big Field as Basingstoke made the trip around the M25 to face Dorking Colts in a mixed friendly. Facing a 22-man Basingstoke squad stacked with heavy ball-carriers, Dorking welcomed the physical challenge with open arms. A special mention goes to Piers Westsmith, who, knowing team numbers were tight, rushed straight back from a swim meet to pull on a shirt just in time for kick-off.
With creative line-up adjustments—including Spike Davis shifting from flanker to 12 for a barnstorming performance at inside center—and players stepping up to cover all over the park, today was all about finding rhythm, sharpening set-pieces, and bedding down the game plan ahead of the Surrey League and National Cup campaigns.
From the opening whistle, Dorking controlled the tempo through the midfield. The set-piece foundation was rock solid, with Brendan Owen, Charlie Bell, and Leander Cooper solid up front, while Archie Armitage and Luke Sutton dictated in the line out and the engine room. The Red Shield defense set the tone early with suffocating physicality, allowing Dorking to dictate territory and build momentum. As the game wore on, Dorking unleashed high-speed, high-tempo rugby, putting together stunning wide-to-wide passing sequences.
Half-backs Ben Hemmings, Zac Sherazee and Josh Moore managed the game with maturity, while Trinity Davies terrorised the opposition defense from fullback with two brilliant tries. Josh Leitch bagged two tries of his own and was denied the try of the day after beating four defenders in a sensational run. Leading from the front, Captain Ben Carloss showed classic No. 8 instincts to lock onto a supporting shoulder for a well-deserved try. Jacob Lock applied the finishing touch to a beautiful wide-wide attacking move, while Charlie Bell crashed over for two tries at the back of driving mauls—a hugely gratifying reward after a week of intense work on the training pitch.
On the wing, Rowan Thomas set up a couple of assists before turning on the afterburners for a blistering 60-meter sprint try. Fresh impact off the rotation bench from Connor Patterson, Ben Honnor and Piers Westsmith kept the tempo high right until the final whistle.
In a performance with 5 or 6 genuine Man of the Match contenders, Eoin Houston took home the honors for his unwavering physicality and dominance in the contact zone from 7. Next up: Rosslyn Park (Away) in the Surrey League, followed by the National Cup opener at home against Reeds.
