Match Report – Caldy 24 Richmond 19

It was déjà vu all over again as Caldy ground out a win against a determined Richmond side in this dead rubber cup tie. Caldy’s backs coach Richard Vasey summed up the prevailing. “There is gulf in the match day intensity between league and cup. The run of cup games in February has stifled the momentum we were building up in January. We picked a strong side for today’s game but despite the win it felt more like a pre-season friendly. We have a lot of work to do before we fly off to face Jersey in a fortnight.”

Richmond’s preparations for the game suffered a set back when second row Sam Collingridge broke his ankle in the warm up but the London side took that in their stride and dominated the first quarter of an hour, denying Caldy any possession and scoring a fine try through Miles Wakeling to take an early lead.

Eventually Caldy woke up and drew level through a trade mark catch and drive with Adam Aigbokhae touching down. An acrobatic swallow dive over a try line ruck brought up Richmond’s second by the powerful Myles Scott to take the visitors out to a 12-5 lead with Bill Johnston’s conversion.

It was nip and tuck until the break with a further score by Richmond’s Zuriel Makele being bracketed by a brace by the Ravers’ Rhys Hayes who stepped his way through the Mond defence for his first and intercepted just in the Caldy half for his second.

Turning around 19-17 to the good never looked to be enough for Richmond, and so it proved as Caldy upped their game in the second half securing more possession, with the final score by winger Nick Royle from a delightful chip kick by full back Elliot Gourlay.

(Photograph by Kieran Free)

The visitors threw the kitchen at Caldy in the last quarter of the match, but despite Caldy eventually going down to 13 players as yellow cards were shown to JJ Dickinson and Gourlay for illegal defence, Mond were unable to cross the line.

The match highlights were a committed defensive effort by Caldy in the last quarter of the game with open side Nyle Davidson being outstanding, and for Richmond the NFL style touchdown by Myles Scott. Both sides will be glad their run in the Groundhog day is over and both clubs can now concentrate on league business.