A nail-biting match: Tonbridge v Brighton 1st XV

The annual clash against Brighton is one which the boys eagerly anticipate, and it most certainly lived up to its reputation.

The game began with close competition in the midfield, with Tonbridge gaining the upper hand through set-piece dominance in the lineout. “We pride ourselves on being the best lineout team on the circuit, they’re the foundation of our game,” said Sam (Sc5). With this advantage, Tonbridge looked to gain ground in open play, with powerful and pacey centres taking an early lead. “Our attacking structure relies on our players’ quick feet and soft hands to break the line,” added Tiger VC (SH5).

Despite this strong start, Brighton fought back well, and some intense gameplay in the first half saw both teams level at 14-14 going into the break. True to the nature of Tonbridge 1st XV, a mixture of smart, tactical rugby and the ever-present mentality of “digging deep when it matters,” as Sam (Sc5) put it, earned the team a scrum on Brighton’s five-metre line.

Thanks to aggressive carries, Tonbridge took the lead early in the second half at 21 – 14. However, Brighton gained the upper hand in the final 20 minutes, and an unconverted try followed by a penalty proved too much for Tonbridge to answer. The final whistle blew with Brighton taking the win, 21-20.

It was a tough loss to swallow, but the boys are fuelled by this performance as they look ahead to facing Eton on Saturday.

Written by

Captain 1st XV

Barnaby (PS5)