Worthing Raiders on a roll – win at Henley strengthens second spot in league

The match might have gone either way – until perhaps the last 15 minutes when Raiders controlled the game in a professional manner.

The visitors and their supporters were delighted with the result. It’s a few years since Raiders came away victors from Dry Leas.

Raiders maintain second place in the league on 78 points, four points clear of third-placed Barnes.

This weekend Raiders face North Walsham at Roundstone Lane and as they look for another victory to maintain the pressure on Blackheath, Matt McLean will be looking to pick up seven points to reach 3,000 points in National League rugby.

Raiders have had a good run of wins in recent weeks and arrived in Henley in confident mood.

They made four changes to the squad that comfortably beat Guernsey, Jamie Ure, Jack Doorey-Palmer, Jonny Smith and Fraser Bruce returning after injury and illness.

With little wind and a dry pitch, a fast, open game could be expected and indeed this turned out to be yet another outstanding game of open, running rugby between these two old adversaries.

Raiders made a promising start with ball in hand but the home side scored the first converted try of the game after excellent build-up play.

With nine minutes played a penalty was awarded against the home side. Raiders kicked towards the corner and made touch deep in Henley territory.

From the lineout the visitors drove the ball towards the home try line before fast hands moved the ball across the back line until it reached Curtis Barnes who rounded off the move with a try near the corner - 7-5.

Three minutes later Henley replied with their second converted try to extend the lead to 14-5.

McLean kicked a fine ’50-22’ touch finder, giving Raiders a lineout in Henley’s 22m area. Jack Forrest was on the scene and took a quick throw in, the ball moved to McLean and he scored under the posts before the home side could rebuild their defence. The conversion made it 14-12.

This topsy-turvy first half continued and with 17 minutes played Raiders attacked from a scrum deep in their own half. McLean made a half break and fed the ball to Barnes, who set off down the touchline at great pace before diving in at the corner to score his second try. McLean converted and the visitors led 14-19.

After successfully defending a lineout, the visitors succumbed to the next catch and drive by Henley as they touched down to level the scores at 19-19.

The visitors scored their bonus point try a couple of minutes before the break.

From a lineout the visitors set up a driving maul and Barnes burst into the line in midfield from the blindside wing. His break required a brilliant, last ditch tackle a metre from the Henley goal line.

The defending side were penalised at the tackle and a yellow card was issued, Raiders elected to have a scrum on the Henley 5m line and Frank Taggart picked the ball up and dived over to score Raiders’ bonus point try - 19-24 at the break.

Raiders started to use the bench to maintain the high tempo. Jamie Ure was replaced by Fraser Bruce and by midway through the second half they had released the whole of the bench.

Raiders turned the ball over deep in Henley territory and a great piece of skill on the left touchline saw the Henley player chip the ball over the defence and regain the ball before feeding it to a team mate who streaked of down the field.

It looked like it was going to be a great score until Barnes appeared from the opposite wing and in the old-fashioned way brought off a great ‘corner-flagging tackle’.

Raiders conceded a penalty, Henley kicked to touch close to the try line and from the lineout they drove to the line and scored an unconverted try to level the scores at 24-24.

Whenever teams play in such an open and fast style errors are bound to occur and so it was that as Henley attacked deep in Raider territory the excellent defence from the visitors caused the ball to be spilled.

The visitors were on it in a flash and before you could blink McLean was off down the right wing at pace.

Cover came across but he was able to step inside the defence and touch down close to the posts. Converting his own try, the visitors were now back in the lead at 24-31.

For the rest of the game Raiders had the better of possession and territory although Henley always looked capable of breaking away to score.

The point at which Raiders secured the win was in the 26th minute of the half, when after several penetrating carries in the Henley22m area the home side conceded a penalty just to the right of the posts. McLean calmly stroked it over and the visitors had a two score lead at 24-34.

The visitors’ aggressive defence kept Henley pinned in their own half and under plenty of pressure.

Henley in their efforts to score and earn a second bonus point gave up five penalties in the last ten minutes.

Raiders were able to relieve any pressure and the visitors remained in the ascendancy.

A couple of minutes from full time Henley tried to run out of defence and Jack Doorey-Palmer made a great tackle and Jack Lake was over the ball to win a penalty.

Referee: Mike Lamb

Scorers: Tries: Barnes (2), McLean (2), Taggart. Con: McLean (3). Pen: McLean

Team: Ethan Clarke 2. Elliott Luke 3. Dan Sargent 4. Jack Lake 5. Jamie Ure 6. Liam Perkins – Captain 7. Will Hoare 8. Frank Taggart 9. Iago Davies 10. Sam Evans 11. Curtis Barnes 12. Jack Forrest 13. Tom Derrick 14. Tom Bowen 15. Matt McLean. Bench: 16. Jack Doorey-Palmer 17. Caleb Ashworth 19. Fraser Bruce 20. Jonny Smith 22. Will Rigelsford.