After the disappointing result against London Scottish Lions the previous week, Raiders were on the road for a second consecutive Saturday, this time travelling to Kent to play Tunbridge Wells.
Will Beer and Ethan Stone were both unavailable having picked up injuries against London Scottish Lions. One or two others were carrying knocks that required them to have fitness tests before being declared fit. Dave Barber was playing his first game in the first team for some fifteen years and Alex Havers returned to the squad.
Tunbridge Wells kicked off and within two minutes had scored a converted try to lead 7-0. Raiders had started slowly but it didn’t take them long to come flying back into the game scoring four tries in the next thirty minutes.
After seven minutes JD Leali’ifano ran out of defence and then chipped ahead. Joel Andrews collected the ball and ran through tackles before off-loading to Tom Sanderson, when he was brought to ground the ball was recycled and moved across the field allowing Christian Streater to score in the corner. Tom Sanderson missed the conversion, 7-5.
Only three minutes later the hosts were guilty of dropping a high kick, Dan Wallis Downham was on hand to collect the loose ball and put in a kick towards the corner flag. There was then a foot race between Adam McLean and the Tunbridge Wells defence. Adam’s pace won the day as he dived on the ball to score the visitors’ second try. Tom Sanderson, kicking from the touchline into a strong breeze was unable to convert, 7-10.
The hosts gave away a string of penalties, and the visitors were able to keep them pinned down in their own twenty-two metre area. Eventually, from a line out fifteen metres from the goal line they set up a driving maul and Luke Gill touched down. The try was unconverted, but the visitors now had a 7-15 lead.
With thirty minutes played Dan Wallis Downham received a yellow card for a technical infringement. The hosts took the opportunity to have a shot at the posts to close the gap to 10-15.
From the restart Adam McLean won the ball and set another attack in motion. The ball was moved across the field and Josh Taylor found a hole in the defence to cut through and score. Tom Sanderson hit the post with the conversion attempt, 10-20.
Unfortunately, on the stroke of half time the hosts scored a converted try to go to the break only three points behind, 10 – 20.
Raiders had conceded eight penalties in the half and this in no small way allowed Tunbridge Wells to stay in touch.
Half time score: Tunbridge Wells 17 Worthing Raiders 20
Raiders restarted the game after the interval and after a fine, fifty-metre touch finder from Tom Meyer they had the hosts under pressure within twenty metres of the goal line.
At this point there was some confusion when the hosts had one of their props yellow carded. With no fit front rower to replace him, scrums went to uncontested.
From this point on Raiders seemed to lose their way in the game. They built several good attacks, but errors prevented them turning them into points.
The hosts defended well and Raiders had to kick for position, unfortunately this only served to give possession back to an increasingly confident Tunbridge Wells.
After fifteen minutes Raiders were building an attack deep in Tunbridge Wells’ territory when they had a pass intercepted. With an open field in front of them it looked like they would score in the right corner, however a brilliant chase and tackle by Adam McLean prevented touch down.
The visitors did however concede an unconverted try a few minutes later. Now with their tails up, Tunbridge Wells had retaken the lead at 22-20.
Raiders used their bench to try and get back in the game but from here nothing seemed to go their way.
After twenty-five minutes of the half the home side kicked a penalty to extend their lead to 25-20. Then with about eight minutes left in the game they scored a converted try, giving them a twelve-point lead.
Although the visitors still showed signs of being able to break down the Tunbridge Wells’ defence, they were not able to score anymore points.
The game ended at 32-20 to the hosts and the travelling Raiders’ supporters went home bemused by the performance of their team.
Full time score: Tunbridge Wells 32 Worthing Raiders 20
The disappointment from this result comes from the fact that Raiders had a comfortable 7-20 lead in the first half but were unable to defend or extend that in the second half.
The coaches will have plenty to work on in the coming week to get back on track. The teamwork and individual skills are obvious to the spectator, but at present they seem unable to maintain their performance level for a full eighty minutes.
Referee: Chris Howe
Scorers:
Tries: Streater, McLean, Gill, Taylor
Team: 1. Struan Robertson 2. Elliott Luke 3. Regin Pratt 4. Jack Lake 5. Ollie Crow 6. Alex Havers 7. Luke Gill 8. Dan Wallis Downham 9. Tom Sanderson 10. Tom Meyer 11. Josh Andrews 12. Josh Taylor 13. Christian Streater 14. Adam McLean 15. JD Leali’ifano
Bench: 16. Sam Cook 17. Jack Whyte 18. Dave Barber
