With Reilly Franklin Talbot still injured Captain Lucas Overtoom moved into the inside centre role with Ben Holder timing his return from injury well to take over at Flyhalf.
The match kicked off in freezing conditions under floodlights. OR’s have made a habit of starting games well this season and this Saturday was no exception with 7 minutes gone on the clock as Gravesend tried to build an attack Lucas Overtoom intercepted a pass and won the 40 metre foot race to score the games first try. Overtoom also converted to give a 0-7 lead.
Reigatian’s high tempo game was causing Gravesend defence problems and in an attempt to slow down the ruck ball a penalty was awarded to the team from Reigate which Overtoom converted 0-10 with 17 minutes gone.
Next it was Tom Allen as the ball was played through a number of phases Reigatian created an overlap which Allen kindly accepted to score in the corner 0-15 after 20 minutes.
Again Allen was involved with the next try as a monster kick from inside his own half. Aran Courtney Walker gave chase and with some confusion within Gravesend defence Courtney Walker got to the touch down first. Overtoom converted from the touchline. 0-22.
Gravesend had a massive pack and certainly could live with the mobile and speed of Reigatian’s forwards their weight in the set piece was a constant threat. With OR’s down to 14 men following on from Ethan Monk’s yellow card Gravesend first try came from a driving maul from a Line Out. They conversion was missed and the score at half time was 5-22.
With Monk still in the bin for the start of the second half. The visitors pack remained under pressure but once again the Reigatian team showed a massive team spirit and commitment to hold Gravesend out. Once the numbers were again balanced OR’s were able to gain some field position and not managing the try scoring of the first half they were awarded a Penalty that Overtoom calmly converted. To move the score to 5-25. Gravesend continued to push but the Green and Blue defensive line held firm until the 30th minutes when under pressure from the Gravesend forward Ciaran Nestor was shown a yellow card and once again Reigatian’s were reduced to 14 men. The man advantage at this late stage gave the Home forwards a lift and they pushed hard for the final ten minutes. Just after the yellow card they crashed over for a converted try 12-25 and the minutes were ticking down with the last play of the game and in the 5th minute of injury time Gravesend managed their third try. No conversion so a final score of 17-25.
Excellent away win for Old Reigatian and that now means third in the league one point behind second place Battersea. Next week OR’s 1st XV are at home against London Cornish.
1.Ethan Monk. 2. Ciaran Nestor 3. Toby Collister 4. Oli Brooks 5. Jack Baart 6. Sam Foreman 7. Jack Baart 8. Ryan Taylor Travers 9. Alex Skinner 10. Ben Holder 11. Finn Coyle 12. Lucas Overtoom 13. Tom Allen. 14. Aran Courtney Walker 15. Conor Woods
16. Ciaran Lee 17. Harry Plowman 18. Dom Smith
