Horsham find Wey at top of rugby table – but Blues downed by Old Boys

Horsham 50 Reeds Weybridge 26

Horsham won convincingly in what they believe was their first competitive encounter against their visitors.

Reeds have secured multiple promotions over successive seasons, and are carrying this into their inaugural season at level six.

Horsham made four changes and handed a debut to 19-year-old Josh Hedger. who acquitted himself well with a nicely taken try.

Horsham were immediately on the offensive deep in Reed's 22m but saw several try-scoring opportunities squandered through slight errors in execution.

A series of errors, including back-chat, saw field position yielded, and Reeds scored on their first visit after six minutes. The ball was moved from side-to-side, outstretching the Horsham defence.

Horsham responded with an opportunist try by the outstanding Aaron Linfield, sniping from the base of a ruck and accelerating away to score under the posts. This was converted by Oli Chennell.

Horsham took the lead with a pushover try scored by Jack Osgood. Chennell added the extras.

Reeds hit back with another try wide out and the conversion made it 14-14.

Horsham hit back with a great team try from their own 22. Multiple phases from dynamic forward carries got over the gain line, before tighthead Dan Cass burst through to offload to Linfield to sprint in for his second try. Chennell again added the extras.

A second pushover try for Osgood was reward for the dominant Horsham scrum, giving them their customary try bonus point. Chennell added the conversion - 28-14 at the break.

Horsham scored early after the restart, skipper Tom Johnson powering over from an attacking scrum, Chennell adding the extras.

Reeds bounced back with a try after a poor kick, but Linfield completed his hat-trick with another snipe from the base of a ruck after powerful running from the impressive Horsham pack.

Horsham increased their lead with debutant Hedger burrowing his way through the Reeds pack to score their seventh try.

Reeds bounced back with another try from their powerful right winger, who broke numerous tackles to score under the posts. This was converted.

Two quick phases saw the ball moved to centre Joe Wilde, who scored in the corner.

Horsham head of rugby Nick Stocker said: "It was a tricky encounter given their start to life at level six. We were ultimately very pleased with the result, in a performance that saw our set piece dominance and ball carrying power to the fore.

"There was a bit of edge between the teams and our lads did well to keep focused on the job. Had our lineout functioned as effectively as in recent weeks, the scoreline would have been higher such was the all round control, witnessed in particular by a powerful scrum which directly contributed to three tries.”

Stocker picked out Linfield and Taylor Morris for special praise.

This week Horsham host Guildford – the start is at the later time of 5pm, because Harlequins Women play their Allianz Cup game against DMP Sharks at 1pm.

KCS Old Boys 29 Chichester 21

Chichester travelled up the A3 to Motspur Park to play KCS Old Boys – but could not recover from the previous week’s derby defeat to Horsham.

Blues made only three changes to their team with Josh Cameron coming in as hooker, Jonacani Qilosoivalu at inside centre and Vilive Kenatale on the bench.

Having been unable to fulfil their last fixture, and with 17 1st XV players unavailable through injury, KCS head coach and ex-Blues player Leon Driscoll started in their back line.

On a dry but overcast autumnal afternoon Chichester kicked off with the wind behind them. KCS applied early pressure but neither team looked comfortable with the ball and the first 19 minutes were only notable for injuries that saw Napolioni Rabale and Driscoll forced off.

KCS crossed the whitewash for the first try, conversion missed, 5-0.

Three minutes later the opposition infringed at a ruck close to their 5m line and the referee produced a yellow card.

Chichester were unable to take advantage of the extra man and in the last ten minutes of the half KCS scored two more tries, one of which was converted. More worryingly, on a day when men from both sides picked up serious injuries, Blues suffered two more such knocks and had used all their replacements.

Three minutes into the second half things took a turn for the worse when KCS crossed the whitewash for their bonus point try, converted 22-0.

The response from Blues was instant. From a scrum on halfway, Matt McLagan passed the ball out to Qilosoivalu who breached a gap in the opposition defence and charged down the pitch, his momentum carrying the ball and the last defender over the try line. Converted by Charlie Norton, 22-7.

Chichester suffered another injury and were reduced to 14 but they continued to press KCS and a rolling maul five metres out was illegally stopped and the referee awarded a penalty try, 22-14 after 54 minutes.

Seven minutes later Blues reduced the deficit further. Rhys Thompson burst between two defenders on halfway and accelerated clear towards the 22m line with Qilosoivalu in support.

An offload from Thompson beat the last man for the Fijian centre to score his second try under the posts, 22-21 with Chichester seemingly on top.

But on 66 minutes the referee produced his yellow card and Blues were down to 13. Undaunted, they defended resolutely and survived for ten minutes without conceding points.

With the clock running down KCS made their numerical advantage work and scored a converted try for 29-21. Blues upped the tempo and won a penalty that Thompson sublimely kicked into touch on the 5m. With two bonus points on offer, the pack, decimated by injury, couldn’t win the lineout and the whistle went.

On Saturday, Chichester welcome old rivals Gravesend to Oaklands (3pm) for the first time in four years.