DORKING COLTS 25 – 29 OLD REIGATIAN COLTS
Fixture: Surrey League, Sunday 11 Oct
Venue: The Big Field, Dorking
Dorking Colts were left with a mountain to climb against a sharp Old Reigatian side after letting the visitors race out to a 0–17 lead in the opening exchanges. Despite a spirited second-half fightback that brought Dorking within striking distance—and an opportunity to snatch the win in the final five minutes—the late rally fell just short. It was a harsh lesson against a quality ORs outfit in a match where small moments of lost concentration proved costly. ORs caught Dorking napping early on, moving the ball nicely to find width and kicking through to dot down after just two and a half minutes (0–5).
Reigate doubled down shortly after, using lightning-quick ball to beat Dorking around the edge for a converted try (0–12), before crossing for a third unconverted try to stretch their lead to 0–17. Dorking finally began to assert control over the match through sustained forward pressure. Building momentum through disciplined, multi-phase recycling, Rhys Stute powered over for Dorking's opening try, converted by Jack Haines (7–17). However, just as Dorking seized the initiative, a mid-field interception allowed Reigate to streak away for a converted try against the run of play, extending the margin to 7–24 early in the second half.
Refusing to back down, Dorking pushed forward and forced ORs into persistent offsides, leading to a yellow card for the visitors. Capitalizing on the numerical advantage, Spike Davis crashed over for a try, converted by Jack Haines (14–24). Dorking then picked up a yellow card of their own, but kept the scoreboard ticking over as Jack Haines slotted a penalty goal to bring Dorking within a single score at 17–24. With five minutes left on the clock, a momentary lapse in fringe defense off a lineout allowed Reigate to squeeze over wide for an unconverted try, stretching the gap to 17–29.
Dorking fought back immediately, with No. 8 Ben Carloss crashing over for a late try, converted by Jack Haines, to bring the score to 25–29. Dorking hunted for the game-winner in a frantic final sequence, but ultimately ran out of time, leaving themselves with too much ground to make up.
A tough result, but a valuable learning experience as Dorking prepare to reset for another big away test next weekend. F
orward Player of the Match: Ben Carloss for a dominant, non-stop performance at No. 8, capped off with a crucial second-half try.
Back Player of the Match: Jack Haines for his composure under pressure, sharp game management, and pristine goal-kicking (3 Conversions, 1 Penalty).
Next Up: Cobham (Away) – Surrey League
