Richmond's perfect ten (From Richmond and Twickenham Times)

Richmond's perfect ten

10:38am Monday 31st October 2011 in Richmond RFC

With their tenth successive victory and seven more tries, Richmond moved seven points clear of second placed Worthing in the National Two league table.

Visitors Shelford made Richmond work hard for their win but, in truth, the winning margin could have been greater if Richmond’s finishing had matched the quality of the excellent build up play.

Richmond made five changes from the previous week, three in the backs and two in the forwards.

The home side, in front of a crowd of over six hundred, started strongly, earning a penalty in front of the posts in the opening minute.

However, the chance was pulled wide in a strong crosswind and it took another eight minutes before the first points were scored.

Dougie Abbott was prominent in early action, both in attack and defence, and he took a tap pass from a free kick to set up the first try.

A long pass found Will Browne clear on the outside and the winger did well to regain his feet quickly,after being ankle tapped, and dive over in the corner.

Minutes later, Harry Edwards put Johnny Wehbe clear, following an Afi Okeshola burst, but the final pass was forward, and then Greg Sullivan went close in the next action.

Nevertheless Richmond maintained the impetus and it was the forwards who showed the way for the next score.

A sequence of scrums five metres out found Shelford under huge pressure and, after several resets, the power of the Richmond scum was conclusive, No 8 Edwards getting the touchdown.

The third try followed on the half hour and once again stemmed from the forwards’ domination. Referee Tom Foley penalised the Shelford forwards in the scrum and Richmond kicked to five metres, before skipper Tom George drove over from the line out to take the score to 15-0.

Whilst Richmond were dominating up front, Shelford had their moments and, when Richmond were penalised for crossing, fly half Harry Owen kicked well down the touchline and lock Redmond Newberry took the tap from the line out to power through the home defence with surprising ease.

Owens’ conversion took the score to 15-7 and Richmond still had work to do.

Once again the home side created chances, with the back row in imperious form and combining to great effect.

One scintillating move saw all three involved, together with Toby Henry and Tom Gregory, and passes were fizzed to mesmerising effect but somehow the final touch again went wrong.

Similarly Tom Chesters, who ran some wonderful lines from full back, made another scything break with a man outside but still Richmond could not finish.

Five minutes into the second half, Richmond emphatically got their finishing right with a decisive fourth try.

Will Browne came powerfully into the line and burst a tackle to find Wehbe on his shoulder and the left wing finished in style, jinking past the final defender to score under the posts, Luke Cousins adding the conversion.

More frustration followed. Richmond followed up a kick ahead and the last Shelford defender looked isolated and certain to be penalised for holding on, but somehow the penalty went the other way and Shelford took the opportunity to kick to the far corner.

When Tom George was yellow carded in defence, Shelford raised their game and built pressure through their forwards in the home 22.

When the next scrum went down, Mr Foley pre-emptively pointed to the posts and awarded the visitors a penalty try.

For a while the visitors pressed for a third try but Richmond held out well and gradually reassumed control, despite conceding a surprising number of further penalties.

Half way through the second half, Henry and Wehbe led a kick and chase down the blind side and harried the Shelford defence into conceding a line out deep in their 22.

Man of the match Will Warden, who worked prodigiously throughout, won the line out ball and the forwards drove over for Edwards to get his sixth try of the season.

Two more tries followed before the final whistle as the home side again demonstrated their impressive fitness in the closing stages.

The sixth try was set up by Chesters, who did very well to accelerate up field to take a high ball and outflank the defence with a smart kick down the touchline.

The full back appeared to be obstructed as he followed up but Sullivan was the next man up and made no mistake, judging the situation well.

The final try ‘said’ a lot about this Richmond team. With the final whistle imminent, Richmond chose to tap and run a penalty in their own half, rather than boot it into touch, and after most of the side had handled in a patient build up, Davies took the final pass to touch down under the posts for a real team try.

ubstitute Tom Platt converted both the last two tries to take the final score to 41-14.

Next week Richmond travel to second placed Worthing and this victory should set them up well for the challenge ahead.

Tries: Browne, Edwards (2), George, Wehbe, Sullivan, Davies.

Conversions: Cousins, Platt (2).

Team: T.Chesters, J.Wehbe, T.Gregory, G.Sullivan, W.Browne, L.Cousins(T.Platt), T.Henry (T.Drewe), A.Okeshola (D.Parkinson), D.Burr, T.Walford, W.Warden, C.Davies, T.George (J.Fiori), H.Edwards, D.Abbott.