Sutton & Epsom 49 – Harlow 19. Saturday 10th May
A great deal of credit must be given to Papa Johns for their contribution to grassroots sport. Sutton & Epsom have finally caught up with their soccer neighbours in Gander Green Lane and heartily embraced the competition. In 2022 Sutton United had a day out at Wembley for the 2022 EFL Trophy Final sponsored by the renowned pizza supplier. United lost 4-2 after extra time having been denied by Rotherham’s 96th-minute equaliser in normal time. In contrast to the soccer competition that had all of the League One and League Two clubs plus 16 category one academy teams the take up for the rugby equivalent has been apathetic. A picture of the end of season landscape was provided via the unreliable format of a club survey and the inaugural year was greeted with cascade of walkovers and the competition remains somewhat unloved despite a plethora of trophies being available that are spread liberally across the levels.
This season Sutton could have felt unlucky having been given a rare away first round tie and being in a section of the draw that would lead to two further away rounds. But the appetite for this competition is akin to a super model dining on nouvelle cuisine in the 1970s. Grasshoppers RFC generously provided a walkover in Round 1. S&E advanced to the next round against London Irish Wild Geese for a game due to be played at Hazelwood. However, a pre-booked tournament meant that no pitches were available and the game was switched to Rugby Lane. A grateful Black & Whites scored a magnificent seven goals in a 49-33 triumph. Destined to be on the road again they were saved by the start of the cricket season and Crescent Farm was unavailable for Rugby and Sidcup RFC journeyed to Cheam. Another 49-point haul, including a hat trick from lock Ewan McTaggart, and a 49-27 win saw the hosts advanced into a semi-final against Harlow.
For devotees of Sutton Rugby Harlow RFC are a familiar foe having been promoted as champions of London 2 North they played S&E from 1993-4 to 2003-4. So it was a delight for the Rugby Lane crowd to welcome back the Essex club on a beautiful sunny afternoon with a place in the final the prize for the winners. Sutton & Epsom fielded a strong squad featuring 11 from 18 of the players with the most league appearances from this season. Liam Batty initiated proceedings for the visitors who played towards the Cabbage Patch. S&E opened brightly looking to employ their back division at every opportunity. An excellent 50/22 from Tom Lennard put the hosts in a prime attacking position. The ball safely secured from the throw it went to the wing where Archie Fitzgerald touched down. Unfortunately, the final pass was forward but fortunately play was brought back for an earlier misdemeanour. Sutton took a tapped penalty and Rob Hegarty muscled his way over from short-range. Freddy Bunting mastered the breeze for a 7-0 lead after five minutes.
The Black & Whites dropped the restart on their 22. Harlow took advantage and centre Casey Teague made a telling break with Brad Etherington in support the ball came to lock Bamidele Coker who lost control just short of glory. Denied the instant reply the visitors were forced back on the defensive. Captain Bunting turned down a kick at the sticks on the 22 in favour of the nudge to the corner. The Rams repelled the catch and drive and Sutton released their backs. A long miss pass by Bunting bounced favourably for Archie Fitzgerald, on a rare visit to the UK, to gather and score in the corner. Freddy Bunting made light of a challenging conversion for 14-0.
At the end of the first quarter the hosts were reduced to 14 men when Kyren Ghumra knocked on an attempted interception. It was a justifiable yellow as a wonderful floated pass on the Harlow 22 had created a fabulous opportunity to counter. Buoyed by the numerical advantage the Latton Park men went in search of their first score. Once more the ball was lost under the posts but, on this occasion, Harlow secured possession and a jubilant Matt Gleeson crossed the whitewash to score. Liam Batty impressively converted the winger’s try to trail 7-14. However, Sutton soon restored their 14-point cushion. On the half-hour, having secured the line out ball, Freddy Bunting executed a set play to score. He added the extras to his try for a 21-7 lead.
If the home crowd thought this was going to be a pleasant processional bathed in sunshine they had a rude awakening. For the remainder of the first period the men from Essex gained the ascendancy. The back row triumvirate of Stalley, Hoole-Jackson & Etherington marauded forward. The centre combination of Teague and Lancaster made breaks and lock Bamidele Coker was producing an eye-catching display. Running back a Sutton clearance from halfway forwards and backs combined in unison. For the third time a probable score was thwarted by a fumble in sight of the line. However, as per Sutton’s opener, play was brought back for a penalty. Prop Mobashar Mahmood powered over the line for the visitor’s second try. Liam Batty made it 14-21 with an excellent kick.
With the first period approaching time added on the men in green made a stunning break from halfway deep into the Black & Whites 22 as the hosts scrambled in defence. In fact, S&E were saved when the play was interrupted by their physio treating an injured player who was in the path of the attack. Play was brought back for a knock on and a Harlow scrum. Brad Etherington picked up from a retreating pack and carried it forward for his back row comrade Dale Stalley to score. The conversion just drifted by the posts but the game was well poised with Sutton & Epsom leading 21-19. The first half concluded with Harlow on the front foot and the result very much in the balance.
The second half began with two key incidents, which on reflection, proved to be most significant for the final outcome and shifted the momentum in this encounter. In the first minute Kyren Ghumra made amends for his earlier botched interception by picking off a pass and sauntering in from forty metres. The Bunting boot made it 28-19. That most demoralising form of try to concede was followed moments later by a yellow card awarded against Harlow. The team of three showing consistency penalised a knock on that occurred whilst attempting to cut out a Sutton pass. Down to 14 the visitors were immediately punished. The penalty was kicked to the corner, the catch and drive was clinically executed as Dan Jones was ushered over the line for S&E’s fifth try of the afternoon. Another immaculate conversion from the flank made it 35-19 and a game that was on a knife-edge had swung violently in favour of the hosts.
In addition, the Sutton defence was much improved in the second period as the organisation and alignment that had become an encouraging feature of the recent league campaign was present once more. Indeed the Black & Whites were to keep a clean slate in the second half. Another familiar feature, the impressive form of Adam Bibby, became evident the longer the game continued. His balanced running, gliding through the defence and bouncing off would-be tacklers combined with selfless passing gave the S&E attack another dimension. With the numerical advantage the Surrey men could have added three more scores. Firstly, they failed to pass the ball down the line where an eager Archie
Fitzgerald would have scored. Secondly, Kyren Ghumra was held up over the line by tenacious tackling. Finally, and most unexpectedly, Adam Bibby lost control of the ball under the posts in the act of scoring.
The dynamic Dale Stalley lifted the siege with a barnstorming break from the scrum that followed the Bibby boob. The flanker exploded down the paddock and reached halfway leaving a poleaxed Sam Palombo in his wake. The unfortunate 15 was ushered off the pitch to take no further part in the contest. Restored to their full complement the Rams tried to get back into the match. They were aided by a flurry of penalties as they pressed hard for a morale-boosting score. The Black & Whites defence was now far more resolute and cussed resilience eventually saw them earn a turnover penalty near their line.
As the match continued the Essex team were not helped by injuries as key performers were replaced. The heat, the situation and the scoreboard made the game become increasingly scrappy. With the final whistle approaching the Rugby Lane team added two more goals to their ledger. Good fortune favoured the hosts as a probing kick bounced cruelly away from the cover and arrived in the hands of Josh Rea who triumphantly strode over. The Captain made it 42-19. Then Sutton maintained their numerical novelty of scoring 49 points in every round. A penalty awarded for a scrum infringement on halfway was kicked to the 22. Tom Lennard made the telling break from ten and Archie Fitzgerald, with his dubious hair colouring, collected his second try. Freddy Bunting maintained his 100% conversion record for the day, and in the competition, as his personal tally rose to 19 points and his side advanced to 49-19. Soon after the referee concluded proceedings.
After a thoroughly entertaining match Sutton & Epsom had earned their place in the Papa Johns Men’s Regional 2 South Plate Final. The game had started with a Sutton swagger, no doubt the result of two comprehensive victories in earlier rounds, but Harlow had shown enough intent to indicate to the neutral observer that this might not be an easy afternoon for the hosts. Harlow hit back and by the break were more than in contention as only an errant conversion separated the teams at 21-19. However, the Black & Whites scored 28 unanswered points in the second half to gain the glory of a place in the final. That match will take place on Saturday 17th May at Shaftesbury Park. This fine facility is familiar to S&E as it was a venue during their National 2 season being the home of Dings Crusaders in Bristol. Their Plate Final will be one of four matches that afternoon as a festival of club rugby starts at 11am. The Sutton charabancs will not be departing at breakfast but at a more polite time of midday as their game against Drybrook is the last one on the menu at 5pm. The West Country outfit were Sutton’s first ever Papa Johns opponent in 2023. On April Fool’s Day the Mannings Ground men left Rugby Lane 31-0 winners so the 2025 Sutton vintage will be keen to make amends this Saturday.
Sutton & Epsom: Palombo, Fitzgerald, Bibby, Bunting ©, Ghumra, Lennard, Lovatt, Lennie, Howes,
Johnson, Glanville, McTaggart, Rea, Jones & Hegarty.
Replacements: Madadangoma, Duey, Davies, Davis, Williams & Nelson.
Harlow: Creasey, Hunter, Lancaster, Teague, Gleeson, Batty, Enyon R., Mahmood,
Davies, King, Coker, Garner, Stalley, Hoole-Jackson & Etherington ©.
Replacements: Alagoz, Clark, Terrington, Enyon O., Wright & Rundall.
Image credits: Robin Kennedy