2nd XV
Matches
Sat 12 Apr 2014
Old Walcountians RFC
2nd XV
20
10
Chipstead 2
Fitting Finale for Dave Rees

Fitting Finale for Dave Rees

Neil Pemberton22 Aug 2019 - 16:24
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The end of one warrior's career but the dawning of another.

Old Walcountians 2nd XV ended the league season on a triumphant note, after coming from behind to beat local-rivals and league leaders Chipstead.

The final Saturday of the season is always a special day, but the spice had been well and truly added to this occasion with a neighbourhood match-up and the final game of Walcountians back-row Dave Rees’ 24-year career. Rees would be joined in the back-row by his son Callum, picking up the combative family baton.

Both sides brought strong squads to the table and Chipstead were out early, putting their young side through some pretty thorough warm-up drills. Both sides were clearly chomping at the bit as kick-off time approached and a large travelling support were clearly keen to see their side cement their promotion aspirations.

The Counts won the toss and chose to attack up the hill in the first half. Things looked very even in the opening stages, with both packs competing hard in the loose. The heavy-weight Walcountians pack were soon asserting their dominance at the set-piece though, with the impressive Chipstead number 8 just managing to scramble the ball out of a demolished scrum.

Old Wals couldn’t make that early dominance count though, and after a chip through from the opposition fly-half, full back George Shaw’s clearance kick was charged down. The ensuing race into the dead-ball area was won by the Chipstead chaser who was rewarded with a dubious try after the referee deemed there to be sufficient downward pressure.

The emotion of the occasion looked to be getting to the Walcountians players with arguments breaking out within the ranks. The game plan laid out before the match appeared to have gone out of the window after the ball was cheaply turned over in the Counts 22 and the tireless number 8 galloped over for Chipstead. Fortunately for Walcountians, the young Chipstead fly-half’s strong kicking out of hand was not matched by his form off the tee, with both conversions slipping wide.

Pack-leader Russ Carson gathered the troops under the posts and some brief, honest words were imparted. With half-time rapidly approaching, the Walcountians forwards reverted to the simple game plan that had served them so well in the first ten minutes. Props Ben Anderson and Matt Ratana carried hard into the Chipstead half, supported by the tireless work of second row Steve Simmonds and hooker Ian ‘Pie’ Richardson. The final phase of a sustained period of pressure saw the Counts pack rumble up to within five metres of the Chipstead line.

Anderson was lurking with intent and holding the attention of the expectant defence, but it was the arching run of outside centre Charlie Brown which caught the attention of scrum half Andy Gill. Attacking the ball from depth, at real pace, Brown stormed over the fly-half and managed to reach out and ground the ball in one agile movement. Fly-half Tom Harrison added the extras after sliding an earlier penalty attempt just wide. The teams entered the break at 7-10 with all still to play for.

The action got back underway much as the first half had ended, with the Walcountians pack turning up the heat. A crunching hit by inside centre Heath Bateman saw a key penalty awarded and Harrison sent the Counts deep into the Chipstead half. The ensuing maul, marshalled by Carson, led to another indiscretion and Harrison knocked over the penalty to tie the game at 10-10.

The contest was truly in the balance now and the ball shifted from end-to-end in a breathless passage of kick-chase rugby. Counts back three Mike Eglon, Spencer Moorhead and George Shaw were really testing the Chipstead forwards in broken play, whilst the Chipstead full-back was also making inroads with some incisive running.

It was, however, the forwards that would have the decisive say on the outcome of the match. Neil Pemberton replaced Simmonds in the engine room and the pack subsequently rolled another maul into the Chipstead 22. Number 8 Tom Baker peeled off and smashed a hole in the defensive line, which the tackler couldn’t escape from, gifting the Counts another shot at the sticks. Harrison cooly slotted from a tight angle to give Walcountians their first lead of the game - 13-10.

The Counts pack now had the bit between their teeth and Rees Jnr was causing some real damage at the breakdown. A well-secured turn-over saw Harrison send a booming kick down into the Chipstead 22, taking one bounce before falling into touch. Good pressure from Baker at the line-out lead to a knock-on and the excitement of a ten-metre scrum was almost too much for the Old Wals forwards to contain. Three solid steps forward saw the Chipstead pack squeezed in as fly-half Harrison called a late blind-side play. Gill flipped the ball out and Harrison sucked in two defenders before slipping Moorhead in. Another valuable touch-down in a coming-of-age season for the young Walcountian led to jubilant scenes from the home players and supporters alike.

The final ten minutes would be season-defining for the tiring counts as Marks Back and Jennings entered the fray to add some stability to proceedings. Veteran centre Mike Bramble also joined the action and immediately forced a knock-on in the Chipstead back line.

The pressure was being piled on by Chipstead as they looked for a way to unlock the Counts defence but a tap penalty, kicked away by the scrum half, destroyed any momentum. The final play saw the Chipstead winger bundled into touch and the referee brought a close to a pulsating game at Clockhouse.

The result ensured a minimum top four finish for both sides and highlighted what real potential there is for the Walcountians 2s next season. Fielding a consistent side will be the main step forward this group of players must take if they want to push for the league crown next year. Most importantly though, Dave Rees’ final game would end in victory. With his son beside him, he was carried from the field by his teammates, later to be awarded the man-of-the-match accolade. A fitting end to a heck of a career.

Scorers:

Brown
Moorhead
Harrison (2 conv, 2 pen)

Match details

Match date

Sat 12 Apr 2014

Kickoff

15:00
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