Sun shines on the Raiders

EIGHT more tries, eight different scorers, another bonus point and fifth-place in the National Three London & SE looks ever more secure, but credit to the league’s bottom side who battled to the end and were rewarded with a second late try.

While elsewhere, Shelford were tanking Westcliff for 50 points away from home, Hertford were enjoying themselves at home to Westcombe Park and Wimbledon were running in 45 points to keep the pressure on leaders Tonbridge Juddian, Jordan Reynolds’ side were throwing the ball around impressively at Amersham.

Initially playing with the strong wind and the slope in their favour Raiders forced a penalty from A&C, using the wind to its advantage they kicked for the corner and the ever reliable catch and drive from the following lineout set-up the pack to rumble over for a Tom Ceillam try after just five minutes, Owen Thomas missed the conversion, but he was soon to have another crack at the posts.

Ten minutes in, Raiders had a scrum on the A&C 22 line which they won and the ball was swiftly spun out through the backs for Kenny Hellier to fly pass his opposite wing to score in the corner, Owen missed again.

A&C battled back and following a scrum the home side’s industrious scrum half forced his way past a Raiders tackle to score a easy try with the conversion again missed.

Raiders continued to attack with vigour but there were too many unforced errors which failed to produce a good ball. The more this continued, A&C fought their way back into the game and it needed good Raiders defence to keep them at bay.

However, a penalty from Owen Thomas on 25min. took the visitors eight clear at 13-5.

The half continued to see error after error from both teams but on 35min. Raiders’ ever reliant catch and drive drove them into the A&C 22 where the ball flowed between the backs and forwards for Cameron Craine to crash over under the posts, Owen converted and the whistle blew for HT with Raiders 20-5 ahead.

In terms of pattern of play, the second half continued where the first finished, both teams’ errors providing frustration to all those watching.

Then on 15min. Raiders’ offloads and handling produced the rewards they had been striving for, a scrum on the halfway line provided the backs with good running lines for the flanker turned winger Dale Martin to score and Owen converted.

Given that the brisk wind was now in their faces, Raiders were having to run out of their own half rather than kick for territory and 20min. in again the forwards and backs combined well for Owen Thomas to stroll over the line for another try, he missed his own conversion and Kenny Hellier took over kicking duties from here.

Three minutes after Owen Thomas's score and straight from the kick off, Raiders controlled the ball and with superb ball handling skipped passed a now tired A&C defence for Malcolm Barnes, who was on for Adam Nixon, to score under the posts, Hellier converted and 39-5 up the game was won.

With the A&C team now showing signs of fatigue the floodgates opened.

More fine handling between the forwards and backs out of their own 22 saw Raiders again carve their way through the home team’s defence for the flying Adam Nixon, back on the park as a wing, to score, with Hellier missing the conversion but he had better luck when five minutes from full time a Raiders put in at a scrum in the A&C 22, and having comfortably won the set-piece a backs move allowed Ned Brown to thunder passed the A&C defence to score under the posts, Hellier’s subsequent kick took us past the half-century mark.

A&C were not done yet though and in the last throes of the game, produced about 20 phases of play to crash over under the posts for a converted try.

Raiders departed the UK with a 14th win under their belts and next up for the lads is an altogether tougher 80min. against title-chasing Wimbledon at Footes Lanes this Saturday, with kick off at 2:00pm.

It’s a game of huge significance, not least because a win will virtually hand the title to TJs.

Team:
Cameron Craine, Tom Ceillam, Sam Steventon, Nick Merrien, Lewis Hillier (capt.), Daniel Hill, Romain Mercadal, Matt Thomas, Adam Nixon, Owen Thomas, Ken Hellier, Ned Brown, Luke Jones, Sam Whitehead, Luke Sayer, Layton Batiste, Dale Martin and Malcolm Barnes