Worthing Raiders open with loss to Old Alleynians – but there are positive signs

It wasn’t the result that was hoped for but it was a good fightback to earn two league points. Some basic errors with handling and tackling had cost Raiders dearly but there were plenty of positives to take from the game, not least the strength of the forward play.

For the neutral in the 300-strong crowd this was an entertaining game between two well-matched sides.

After a long pre-season, extended by two weeks due to the condition of pitches after the hot dry summer, Raiders got the new campaign under way with recruitment during the off season seeing around 15 new players join the squad along with several others returning after finishing at uni.

Raiders began the campaign with half a dozen players sidelined but Saturday’s squad included seven new signings.

The visitors kicked off attacking the northern end and within a minute had a penalty which flew wide. Alleynians had the better of possession and territory for much of the first half, but Raiders defence was solid.

Both sides made errors and looked a little rusty. The visitors had three catch and drives from short range but on each occasion the Raiders repelled them.

When Raiders were able to maintain possession, they were able to take the game to Old Alleynians and set up chances. But errors and good defence thwarted them.

On 25 minutes, Jack Lake received a yellow card, and the visitors took advantage when with their fourth catch and drive they managed to cross Raiders’ line to open the score, missing the conversion.

During the final ten minutes of the half, Raiders got themselves back into the game with some more controlled rugby and Lake returned.

With the clock almost on 40 minutes and the visitors in possession in the centre, Raiders aggressive defence caused them to fumble the ball as they were forced back towards their own line.

Stanley Keats made a break before offloading to Peter Welsh, who crashed over to level the scores and Ed Hartley converted to give Raiders a 7-5 interval lead.

Within a minute of the restart Fletcher Rose had to leave the field with an injury. Luke Gill replaced him in the back row.

With Alleynians on the attack, Raiders had a scrum on their own 5m line. They comfortably won the scrum but a misunderstanding saw the ball fall free over the goal line and the visitors pounced on it to score their second try which they converted - 7-12.

The visitors scored again after five more minutes, converting the try to make it 7-19. Raiders made changes, some tactical, some due to injury. Matt Bosworth and Jaiden King joined the game.

Raiders were deep in the visitors’ 22 when they lost the ball at a ruck. As Old Alleynians tried to run out of defence they lost the ball in a tackle and Tom Adams was on hand to pick up and charge over the line to score his first try in first team rugby. Hartley converted - 14-19.

When Raiders gave away a penalty in the 18th minute of the half the visitors elected to kick the three points to extend their lead to 14-22.

During the next ten minutes the hosts conceded two more tries, the second of which was converted, to make it 14-34.

Raiders showed great spirit in the last ten minutes, scoring two more converted tries.

The first was tracked down by scrum half Keats after the scrum had pushed the visitors back over their goal line and the second came from Jaiden King on the left wing after some nice open play. Hartley converted them to bring the score to 28-34.

Raiders went all out to close the six-point gap but ran out of time and the referee brought the game to a close.

The Castle MoM: Peter Welsh