This Sunday saw Dorking Colts begin their defence of another of last year’s trophies, the Surrey Cup. With the second round of the National Cup to follow next week, and with a squad of 40+ boys, Dorking used this fixture to try out some new combinations.
Dorking began really brightly, attacking down the slope but playing into the wind. Dominating the scrums and lineouts and aggressive at the breakdown, Dorking began to pile the pressure on their opponents. Eventually this paid off, with Farnham conceding a penalty in front of their posts. Fly half Woody Aldridge slotted the kick for a 3-0 lead.
Dorking then allowed Farnham into the game against the run of play. Failing to clear their lines, Dorking were slow to react to a kick hacked through and Farnham won the chase to dot down over the line. 3-5
Things got worse for Dorking, inexplicably leaving the blind side unguarded at the breakdown and allowing the powerful Farnham winger to power through the gap and score under the posts. 3-12
Dorking thought they had pulled a score back on the stroke of half time. From a clever lineout move, captain Reuben Pilbeam dotted down in the left-hand corner, only for him to be adjudged to have put a foot in touch.
Down by 9 points at the break, Dorking knew they had the wind at their backs and the kicking game to exploit the conditions.
The second half was a really tight affair, although Dorking didn’t do enough to really trouble their opponents. A string of penalties stopped Dorking from building any continuity and Farnham, with some strong runners in open play, pinned Dorking back in their own half.
Some excellent defence, with man of the match Josh Krango leading the way, kept Dorking in the game, stopping two driving mauls just short of the line and holding another Farnham player up over the line.
But after yet another penalty, Farnham moved the ball quickly left and eventually scored in the corner. 3- 19
This was a disappointing defeat for Dorking. Having been in the ascendancy for the first 20 minutes, they know this is a game they probably should have won. The drop off in intensity is something they must work on, with tougher tests to follow. This includes a trip to Sevenoaks next week for the second round of the National Cup, with their hosts on the look out for revenge after Dorking’s victory last year on the way to winning the competition.
