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It was fun while it lasted

It was fun while it lasted

Alexandra Wallace5 Apr 2016 - 08:46
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Raiders stay a solid sixth in the National Three London and South East table, despite a second straight loss.

Raiders 26 Tonbridge Juddian 36

Raiders stay a solid sixth in the National Three London and South East table, despite a second straight loss. But there was remotely no shame about this result. We played some terrific rugby for long periods and had it not been for the long list of injuries, the shock result may well have happened.

As it is Raiders gave TJs a scare, leading at the break and staying in the hunt until late on when the pressure on the visitors’ was such that they had two players ‘yellowed’. The head coach was happy with much of what he saw from hid depleted team.

'We are not disappointed with that performance at all,' said the Australian, who said considering he had 16 players out it was a great effort. 'Sixteen out and we still annihilated them in the first half,' he chirped. 'We threw a bit of ball around in that first half and if we had a full strength team always and played like that, we'd hammer teams,' the coach added. We showed some real quality.'

But it had all begun so worryingly badly for Raiders. Inside three minutes they were 7-0 down, as centre Tom Nicoll danced through some weak tackles and was fast heading for a fine individual score until tackled by skipper Blair Campbell.

But the danger was not over for the home side and on the next phase of play fly-half Sam Monaghan eased over to score and Ryan Fuller added the extras. Thee was, however, an immediate response from the Raiders. Having won a penalty, they kicked for the corner and having won their own ball - sadly a rare happening on a poor day in a lineout badly missing Leis Hillier - Raiders' pack bulldozed towards the line.
For a couple of minutes they were camped on the Tonbridge line and eventually the referee awarded Raiders a penalty try from which Luke Sayer kicked the additional two points.

Six minutes later Raiders were in front, Ned Brown racing fully 50m to the line in front of the stand after the visiting winged spilled a high ball on halfway into the hands of Glen Walters and he put Brown away.
Sayer again converted, but the seven-point advantage was quickly rubbed out by a Hugo Watson score which capitalised on Raiders' defensive weakness out wide.

Fuller levelled the scores but close to half-time Sayer spun away from several challenges and jinked his way to the line for a superb try which he converted from the touchline with oodles of confidence,
Disappointingly, late in the half Ramsey scored for the visitors again and within two minutes of the start of the second half, Watson capitalised on more poor defence.

Fuller missed the kick, but by now Raiders were tiring fast and another try soon arrived courtesy of front-rower McBeath, Raiders hit back again with Adam Nixon brilliantly creating the opening from which Cameron Craine dived over to score to make it a three-point game with 11 minutes left.

But Sayer missed the conversion and in the remaining time Tonbridge raced away for one more converted score, the man going over being flanker Toby Martin.

Teams
Raiders:
L. Batiste's, Ceillam, Craine, Merrien, Malagodi, Martin, Chapman, Thomas; Nixon, Campbell, J. Batiste, Campbell, Walters, Brown, Quate, Sayer.
Replacements: Ashplant, Ahne and Leon Gardner.

Tonbridge Juddian:
O'Sullivan, McBeath, Reid, Campbell, Springer, Martin, Darracott, Armstong, Henman, Monaghan, Watson, McMahon, Nicoll. Ramsey, Fuller.
Replacements: Bailey, Nangle, Murray.

Referee: D. Shales.

Further reading