VANDALS GET VANDALISED

Saturday came and with it perfect rugby conditions and bags of enthusiasm for the first vets game of the season. Ok we can't quite forget the mauling dished out by Old Cranleighans last fortnight but we'll give it a very good go.....

The squad is below and for the first time for a number of matches we had more forwards than we knew what to do with. This with no Kirk and no Greeny who had recently had an argument with some scaffolding. We hear the scaffolding lost but made its mark nonetheless. Notwithstanding this, a number of handy players made a very welcome return and after a very late fitness test Loisoz was declared match fit, which proved to be an excellent decision made by our medical team.

Weybridge turned up early and looked keen to give it a good go and so the stage was set....

We kicked off and straight away last seasons pattern played out with the forwards driving up the pitch and James Loisoz putting us into the corners. Ovy and Matt Ferraby were smashing through the opposition like a knife through hot butter. This excellent phase play led to Ryan Miller opening his account, crashing over the line, which was due converted making it 7 - 0. Almost immediately Weybridge responded and in fairness, a very nice move by them, combined with some weak Quins tackling let them back in making it 7 - 7.

However, this galvanised the vets and we redoubled our efforts most notably in the scrum where the front row of Karl, Matt and Gavin, combined with some heavy artillery behind them in big Jim & Nick Hewett had the vandals scrum retreating quickly backwards. Our second try quickly followed after we won a penalty and Loisoz nonchalantly kicked the ball into the corner, followed by Nick Hewett leaping like a gazelle to catch the ball from the resulting line out and Ryan Miller then crashing over for try no 2!

Our third try was a beauty, which even your match day reporter played his part. We were under serious pressure on our 5 metre line when we won a line out, Loisoz spun the ball out to Marren, who side stepped the on rushing defence and then started accelerating for their try line. By our 22 he had run out of gas and so offloaded it to Nick Hewett who spun the ball to big Jim no less who passed the ball to Nick Simpkin who passed the ball to Tim Simpkin who passed the ball to Fozzy, who pass the ball to Ian Ovy (no less) who passed the ball to Rob Bacon etc etc etc. Eventually after a length of the field run in which the ball went through most people’s hands someone scored!

Half time beckoned but not before another try, we booted the ball down pitch and baker & Marren swamped the full back with Fozzy then wrapping things up to send Mike Goodman in the corner. After 40 minutes we were roughly 28 - 7 up with most people blowing hard!

Second half kicked off and Weybridge came at with renewed vigour. A cunning tactic was to harass the ref for foul play each time Gavin Miller picked the ball up and charged at them. Unfortunately it seemed to have some effect on the ref who oddly penalised Gavin for handing a player off. Note: It is not TOUCH. Weybridge kept up the pressure and only some excellent marshalling of the forwards by Neil Welsh and some manful tackling by Paul Baker playing out of position (as was the Vandal's no 12 who is clearly normally a prop) enabled us to keep them out. We made a few tactical changes and brought on Brian Messenger who gave them no let up in the scrum, Fab who had recently had both his knees replaced and Heggie who will be the first to admit that it's easier playing full back when you are the right side of 50 but still possessed a howitzer of a boot and dug us out of trouble on a couple of occasions

Midway through the second half, the Mitchell brothers (sorry the Simpkin brothers) who had been bossing the back row all game combined well to win a penalty. Nick Hewett starting his first game for the vets and wearing a shirt number, which matched his age, tapped and from just over the half way line evading the vandals defence and sprinted over for a great try. At this point, vandals started to tire and marren realising that a number of other players were on the score sheet, decided enough was enough and scored a couple of tries himself. Finally and not to be out done, Paul Lister who had had an excellent game combining very well with both forwards and backs punched through a now thoroughly demoralised vandals defence to score a great try maming it something like 56 - 7 at a final score.

Well played to all and thanks to the Vandals - we wish you luck this season. Quins we must get fitter (including your match day reporter) so get down the Gym!

Matt Ferraby
Brian Messenger
Karl Booth
Gavin Miller
Ian Overd
Tim Simpkin
Jim Edwards
Nick Simpkin
Nick Hewett
Ryan
Baker
Lister
Welsh
Loizos
Bacon
Marren
Forsberg
Goodman
Heggie
Fab