A heavy pitch and constant rain suited Caldy’s playing style a lot more than it did Rosslyn Park’s. Both sides showed great commitment, but the longer it went on and the muddier the pitch got the more the outcome looked inevitable.

Park shaded the early exchanges and it was no more than they deserved when fly half Harry Leonard slotted over a fourteenth minute penalty to put the visitors in front at 3-0.



Park aspired to a more expansive game than did Caldy, but it proved to be an afternoon for pragmatism. Park could not find a way through an excellent defence, and Caldy looked happy to field any number of kicks and run the ball back.

With the half hour approaching it was the home side who got the first try through right-winger Nick Royle, scrum half Ben Jones converting for 7-3.

The big warning for Park came five minutes before the interval when the Caldy pack made mincemeat of Park at a scrummage and number 8 Josiah Dickinson picked the ball up from the rear of the scrum and bullocked his way over the line, Jones converted for 14-3 at half-time.

Park started the second half determined to come back, had the better of the early play, but could not capitalize on some good approach work.

It was a hammer blow to Park’s chances when, on 57 minutes, Dickinson again scored a try fashioned out of tight possession, this time too far from the posts for Jones to convert, leaving Park just 23 minutes to get back a 3-19 deficit.

It is impossible to fault the effort the Park players made, but it was not the afternoon or the conditions to be playing catch-up rugby.

Caldy scored two more tries in the last ten minutes through replacements Stu Cross and Tommy Banks, both converted by Jones for 33-3.

The final tally probably flatters Caldy, but they provided a lesson on how to play in these extreme conditions. Park were left dreaming of the green, green artificial surface of home.



Rosslyn Park Head Coach, Kieran Power said, “The endeavor and application of the boys was brilliant, but territory and possession showed in favour of Caldy and that told the story of the game essentially”.

Park: Robinson; Crane, Henderson, A Ellis, Amesbury; Leonard; Gash; Nwakor, Vaughan-Edwards, Wade; Spencer, Frampton; Ovens, Barnard, H Ellis.
Bench: Hudson, Higgins, Spivey, Crow, Grove.
Park scorers: Leonard (P)

Next weekend Park are at home to Old Elthamians in a South London derby, kicking off at 3:00PM.

Charlie Addiman

Images: David E Whittam

February 12, 2018