Esher 54-42 ROSSLYN PARK

25/01/25

By RHYS STRATTON

A 14-try thriller at Molesey Road saw the 1st XV come away with a solitary bonus-point as Esher held on for the win.

The hosts opened the scoring through Olly Norris after some early penalties handed the hosts good field position, a theme throughout this contest, and Esher went over following the lineout. The 1st XV responded by pinning the home side back and squeezing a pen that saw Jasper Cameron cross the whitewash from the back of the maul. However, in a repeat of the first score, two penalties to Esher allowed Sam Westmacott to double their tally before a well-taken try just 5 minutes later by James Botterill extended their lead.

The Park pack narrowed the lead after an intentional knock-on, which could have resulted in a yellow card for the hosts, meaning they could set up another devastating maul that secured a first-half brace for Cameron. Harry Ledger then twice edged Park in front when he finished off a slick set-piece move to stroll in under the posts. This was followed by a breakaway score for Esher’s Ben Robbins that in turn was followed by Ledger’s second try as the blindside rode yet another dominant Park maul over the line before half time.

In the second half, Esher once again got the scoring started early as they were playing under penalty advantage immediately following the restart which allowed them the freedom to spread it wide to Harry Faulkner who dotted down. The 50/50 decisions continued to go the way of the home side and another penalty in midfield allowed Esher’s Sam Morley to add 3 points from the tee. When yet another penalty stopped a dangerous Park attack after a break by Joe Luca Smith, momentum was firmly with the hosts and Miles Rawstron-Rudd powered over from a tap-and-go penalty a few minutes later.

The 1st XV came close to answering back through Smith after a lovely offload by Josh Bragman, but play was pulled back due to the pass being deemed as having gone inches forward and instead it was Esher who tallied the next points, again from the boot of Morley off the tee. Despite everything, it was only a two score lead for Esher heading into the final quarter of an hour, and when they infringed from the restart it allowed the Park pack to set-up another maul inside their final third. The maul again rumbled over the line and saw Cameron touch down for the third time in the contest, which cut the lead to just 7. Esher did well to upset the Park momentum when a well-worked set-piece move sent Morley over in the corner, but a powerful Conrad Cade carry with 5 minutes left in the game re-ignited the comeback charge. A hectic end to the match followed, but it was not to be for the 1st XV and as they attempted to play it out from inside their own 22 in the dying seconds, the hosts capitalised on a mistake and Owen Waters cemented the Esher win.

ROSSLYN PARK

Tries: Cameron (10’, 30’, 66’), Ledger (26’, 39’), Cade (76’)
Conversions: Bragman (11’, 27’, 31’, 40’, 67’, 77’)
Penalties: N/A
Yellow Cards: N/A

Team: Cade, Cameron, Clark, Spencer, Cleet, Ledger, Ellis, Digby, Fenley, Bragman, Marfo, Kennaugh, Cambriani, Cordy-Redden, Walker

Replacements: Miller, Wade, Gillanders, Davies, Smith

DMP

Tries: Morris (6’), Westmacott (15’), Botterill (20’), Robbins (33’), Faulkner (41’), Rawstron-Rudd (53’), Morley (70’), Waters (80’)
Conversions: Morley (34’, 42’, 54’, 80’)
Penalties: Morley (48’, 65’)
Yellow Cards: N/A

Team: Morris, Westmacott, Pearson, Woollard, Bullett, Norris, Mclean, Thorne, Bullock, Morley, Botterill, Waters, Rawstron-Rudd, Robbins, Faulkner

Replacements: Doorey-Palmer, Murphy, Inglis, Norman, Mortimer

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Birmingham Moseley 32 – 33 Plymouth Albion
Bishop’s Stortford 19 – 22 Sedgley Park
Darlington Mowden Park P – P Blackheath
Dings Crusaders 26 – 45 Rotherham Titans
Leicester Lions 19 – 36 Rams
Sale FC 32 – 18 Richmond

This week in National One saw a near clean sweep for the away sides as only Sale joined Esher in picking up a win at home as they defeated the league leaders, Richmond, which saw Rams return to the top spot thanks to their victory in Leicester. Elsewhere, Rotherham ran out as big winners at Dings to cement their hold on 3rd, whilst Plymouth and Sedgley Park edged out wins over Moseley and Stortford respectively.

Up Next for Park is a home stand against a resurgent Sale side on the 8th.