On a week that saw half the games in the league cancelled due to the bad weather, it was a very happy surprise to get our game going ahead, against our favourite rugby club Weybridge Vandals!

Having had a very festive break and being led to believe the boys had a good Thursday session leading into the match, running off all the Christmas puds and Quality Streets, the boys ended a well rehearsed warm up with a quiet confidence.

With a slightly changed team, given the new no train no play rule (a great new addition), we welcomed a debutant Dante Maynard recently getting approval from his daddy to play for the seniors. Weybridge with the kick off had the game very quickly underway, attempting to stick with their quick flowing game style, were met aggressively by the Grinstead team, who where meeting the Weybridge runners and stopping them in their tracks. It was for a very smart tap and go penalty by the Weybridge 9, that eventually lead to the first score of the game, as Grinstead scrambled to get back on-side and the smart thinking 10 found an overlap and a mismatch out wide which helped the Vandals to easily run over the line (the place kick to come, saw the kicker end up flat on his back and miss - silver linings and all that).

The rest of the first half seemed like it could have gone either way, both teams had their players doing their jobs and it was a great contest to watch, the forwards putting in some lovely big hits namely Rory and Dave, the backs pushing up as a line in defence keeping their structure and making their hits when it mattered. We even had a Brimo break which was exciting to watch until he realised he had another 30 meters to run and looked for the contact.

In a first half that saw Weybridge put onto a team warning within the first 10 minutes, it was hard luck but fair, that Grinstead ended up receiving the first yellow and it had to be debut boy Dante for a howling error taking a player out in the air with his chin, the 8 milked it for all it was worth and was still hobbling around the park come the end of the match.

The half time oranges all consumed and the coaches speeches completed, the game was set to restart with the scores at 3 - 5 with all to play for.

The second half started as frantically as it ended with both teams attacking and defending for their lives, penalties allowing each other into the others half with kicks for touch and the forwards jostling for possession around their line out, it would unfortunately be a red card that probably decided the outcome of the game, with Grinstead being put down to 14 men early into the second half.

The team however continued with their efforts and it still looked like it could have gone either way until another Weybridge scored another try out wide as the boys were beginning to get stretched. Oli Billin, back in the 10 shirt, kept the fire alive though through his trusty left boot, slotting two more 3 pointers to keep the Grinstead boys in the game. A Leggat try in the 75th minute brought the scores closer still, but although the boys pushed for the winner, it just wasn’t to be.

With a final score of 14 - 20 it will be a sore reminder of what could have been especially with the performance the boys put on in tough conditions against very tough opposition. A losing bonus point against top four opposition is a small consolation.