Match Reports Archive

On Saturday, Sevenoaks looked to build on their excellent away win against East Grinstead, with a similar performance against Warlingham.

They did this emphatically, scoring nine tries in the process and thus consolidating their position of second in the table.   Oaks went ahead early on thanks to the boot of Barry Irving.   Straight from the resulting kick off, Mike Walton collected and charged at the Warlingham defence.  The ball was shipped to James Garcia, who on the day was winning his 100th cap for the first team.  The Spanish powerhouse outstripped his man, drew the last defender and sent the rampaging Ben Aspinall through.  He in turn wrong-footed the full back to score under the posts, Irving duly converting.   Warlingham came back with extra vigour, and scored a penalty to make it 8-3 after an infringement for offside.  

This stunned Oaks into life and through the powerful running of Messrs Beasley and Baldouck, found themselves ten metres short of the Warlingham line.  The ball was recycled to fly half Matt Bates, who hit a cross field kick to Matt Dodd.  The winger collected the kick and side-stepped his man to touch down, which Irving converted.  

Oaks then had skipper Edy Alteirac sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes after an offside offence in the middle of the pitch.  However, with 14 men they worked themselves into a scrummaging position where the excellent  Walton controlled the ball at the base of a scrum and touched down, Irving once again adding the extras.  

With a comfortable lead at half time, Oaks were keen to push for the fourth try and thus gain the bonus point.  They did this immediately from the kick off, as David Swainsbury collected the kick.  The ball was recycled to Max Beasley, who made a tremendous break through the midfield before offloading to Dodd.  Dodd in turn sent flyer Jonny Barber down the wing before he drew his man and sent Barry Irving under the posts for an exhilarating score.   Sevenoaks were flying, but to their credit, Warlingham fought back with a score of their own. 

After working the ball in midfield, the powerful Warlingham number eight burst through and smashed his way over the line for a converted score.   However, Dodd was quick to respond, and once again off a hanging kick off, Warlingham spilt the ball.  The left winger won footrace to the line and dotted down to restore Oaks' advantage.   The last half an hour was to belong to James Garcia, who was rewarded for his bustling runs and offloading with a try after Unwin had hacked through.  The big winger raced through to touch down, and this was soon followed up with another score the centurion when he latched on to the back of a driving maul.  Breaking off five metres out, Warlingham had no answer to his power, as his bashed his way over for his second score.  Oaks, by this point, were well out of sight.  

However Warlingham still refused to lie down, and scored a controversial consolation try when Bates seemed to have one the race with the Warlingham winger to the loose ball and touch down for a re-start, only for the referee to award Warlingham the score.  This was followed up by another score by Warlingham number ten Agate, whose quick thinking from a tap penalty enabled him to dive over. 

At this point, Oaks were in danger of allowing the opposition a losing bonus point.   It was only right then that Oaks were to give the Paddock faithful a final flourish, and they did this first through young Jonny Barber, who speed from full back enabled him to cruise under the posts. 

And finally, the scoring was completed by Man of the Match Garcia, after Barber had offloaded to Bates, who gave the winger the ball to complete his hat-trick on a day to remember.   In a breathless game, Oaks ended the right side of a 62-20 win. 

 Most pleasing for the home side will be the way they have now put together two consistent performances and are really gathering momentum in the lead up to Christmas.   They now have a week off, before returning to league action away to Purley John Fisher.