Old Alleynians RFC

Team lift’s the Papa John’s Community Cup

It was 20 years ago when an Old Alleynians team last took the field at Twickenham, and hopes were high as the Counties 1 league-winning 1^st XV travelled to HQ in the May sunshine.

The route to the final of the Papa John’s Community Cup was a challenging one, and the team had to navigate tough opposition (and a few scares) against Grasshoppers, Wimbourne, Dagenham and Chobham. At Twickenham the team would face Harlow, unbeaten all season, the top seeded side and the on-paper favourites. It is testament to the strength of the Harlow side that OAs gave their best performance in the final game of the season.

After an intense week encompassing training, mental preparedness sessions, a captain’s run, and a team lunch, the team travelled with confidence levels high. The build-up at the ground was curtailed by some of the logistical constraints of back-to-back fixtures being played that day, but the team was focused and raring to leave the players’ tunnel.

The support on the ground was exceptional, comprising friends and families of the players, plenty of former OA’s captains and players, and a strong contingent of representatives from the Youth section, all of whom made their voices heard and repping the black and blue as the team took the field.

The strong travelling Harlow contingent was quickly quietened, and after a strong start OAs had the chance to get the scoreboard kicking with a shot at goal that was unfortunately put wide. The opening quarter of the match saw OA’s with all the possession and playing all the rugby, and a dynamic break and offload from Will Lawrence nearly saw prop Charlie Thompson go over. With Osontokun dominating both sides lineout ball, the team went close again from a trademark driving maul but an error led to another missed opportunity to get on the scoreboard.

After dominating early proceedings, the Harlow defence remained impervious and anxious thoughts turned to OAs failure to convert possession into points. But with 21 minutes on the clock, a slick offload from Osuntokun to Crouch, followed by quick ball at the ruck saw Anthony deliver to Dewing who fed Tommy Williams with a beautiful triple miss pass. Williams fended his opposition winger and touched down in the corner. The conversion went wide but nerves with calmed with OA’s getting on the scoreboard.

The Harlow fans were mainly forced to cheer dogged defence against OAs, as Vogel’s dancing feet to recover a loose pass took him close. The OAs lineout has been a deadly weapon all season, and a lineout 5 metres out was taken by Osuntokun before Weightman led the pack in a rumble towards the line. Pulled down just a few metres out, Rory Simpson broke from the ruck and burrowed over the line, to extend his try-scoring record at international stadiums. With 40 minutes on the clock, runs from Grahamslaw and Crouch drove inroads into the Harlow defence and with advantage being played, the ball was spread wide before second row Osuntokun took the ball on the wing and was shocked not to outpace an opposition winger for the first time in the season. With play being called back, Dewing knocked over the penalty in front of the posts. 13 – 0 to the OAs at half time.

The team started the second half strong, and were soon making inroads. A rolling back the years break from scrum-half Toby Anthony saw a slick offload to Crouch, who consistently made metres throughout the game. With 49 minutes on the clock, and the pack battering the Harlow defence through Philpot, Asamoah and Grahamslaw, Anthony and Dewing fed centre Lawrence who glided through under the posts. Dewing slotted the extras and OAs were sitting on a comfortable 21-0 lead.

With 68 minutes on the clock, Harlow saw their best passage of play and after some physical carries, their prop bulldozered his way over the line. With the extras made, OAs would have to dig deep, and after letting some sizeable leads erode in previous fixtures, the team was determined not to let Harlow back into it.

Playing on a large pitch, in warm weather and with bodies starting to feel the effects of the physicality of the opposition and the adrenaline of the occasion, head coach James Knox increasingly looked to the talented bench to close the game out. A possibly intentional short lineout was snagged by Crouch and followed up by a strong carry from Mair, capping a Lazarus-like resurrection from spending most of the season injured. Replacement scrum-half Holden fed Winduss, Lamprell and Malins taking the team close to the Harlow line again.

With less than 5 minutes to play, Adetosoye, coming off the bench due to a broken bone in his hand, set up quick ball at a ruck. Holden fed Winduss and a jinking run from Crouch offloaded to Simpson in a flying wedge of support runners. He straightened, and drawing his man fed Rory Holford who outgassed the covering defender to touch down and extend his record-breaking try-scoring record this season. Winduss converted and with minutes to play, the coaching staff could breathe and start to take in the incredible atmosphere in the ground.

Harlow were having to chase the game now and with OAs controlling possession well through the pack, Holden fed Winduss. With a deft dummy, he glided through the defence and galloped away to a 50-metre solo score.

It capped what was truly the most complete performance by the team in a season of highs, and a magical moment for the full squad and coaching staff as the trophy was raised to the OAs chants ringing round the west stand.

Scorers:

Tries – Williams, Simpson, Lawrence, Holford, Winduss

Conversions – Dewing, Winduss x 2

Penalties – Dewing