1st XV
Matches
Sat 12 Jan 2019  ·  London 3 South East
Folkestone Rugby Club
1st XV
Tries: S Fell, S Stewart, A TolmanConversions: S Fell (2)Penalties: S Fell (2)Yellow Carded: K Smith
25
14
Old Dunstonians
FOLKESTONE 1stXV  25	OLD DUNSTONIAN 1stXV	14

FOLKESTONE 1stXV 25 OLD DUNSTONIAN 1stXV 14

Alex Ruddock13 Jan 2019 - 01:40
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Some scintillating rugby in the first half was replaced by a hard slog of defensive play in the second.

FOLKESTONE 1stXV 25 OLD DUNSTONIAN 1stXV 14
Saturday 12th January 2019. LONDON 3SE. Report by Alan Schofield.

Some scintillating rugby in the first half was replaced by a hard slog of defensive play in the second.

The reverse earlier fixture between the two teams produced the highest numbers of points in any match this season in the league, but Folkestone with 37 of them managed to concede 45 points to lose the game.
OD’s being just a league point behind the Folkestone, were keen to leapfrog their position but they came across opponents who are in good form with a settled team and a belief in themselves - and for which they had to rely on for considerable periods of the game.
In front of a larger than usual crowd, supplemented by many ex-players Folkestone put on a performance to be proud of in which they had to endure 18 penalties awarded against them, one penalty try, and one Yellow Card. Some scintillating rugby in the first half was replaced by a hard slog of defensive play in the second.
It all looked like business as usual in the opening exchanges with The Stones swinging the ball around the field in a series of attacks – and holding territory well within the OD’s half. A penalty in the fourth minute was easily converted by Seyhan Fell – followed by another one, in front of the posts as OD’s interfered with play at a ruck. 6 – 0. Then Seyhan Fell put OD’s downfield kick back upfield with a tremendous 45 metre kick and a sideways bounce into touch. OD’s had some brobdingnagian forwards, but Folkestone had Mat Roots and therefore their customary forward power was nullified – and, although conceding 2” of his 6’4” height to his opposite number, Rob Godden did well at the line-outs and Alex Price and Liam Trinder were a constant presence when there was defence to be done. As the ball smuggled into the 22 metre zone Mat Roots took it up and was just hauled down after a charge at the line that fully occupied three defenders.
It was hard work for Folkestone against team who for the most of the season held second place. OD’s having settled into the game did present many problems for them to confront. Jordan Godden made a last-ditch tackle to stop one dangerous attack and Callum Palmieri was forced to high kick out of defence when The Stones were forced ever backwards. But then, so quickly, the game changed as OD’s fumbled. Folkestone won the scrum and then a line-out and a penalty advantage as the ball passed through the three-quarters out to Seyhan Fell on the left-wing touchline – he executed a clever kick forward using the outside of his boot, caught the cover defence all awry and ran through to snatch the ball and touch down. A superb conversion hit the far post angled through for an additional two points. 13 – 0.
The Stones continued with open rugby with Jon Morton and Adam Tolman stretching their opposite numbers and the forwards fed them well from the loose and set pieces with Scott Stewart making hard yards before releasing it to Callum Palmieri – and another attack was launched. Folkestone were in a game where, at times, their opponents threatened strongly – but the defence rebuffed any of these hopes and the scoreboard confirmed that Folkestone were worthy.
Connor Leather came on for the second half to replace Adam Bloomfield.
To emphasise The Stone’s massive defensive effort – early in the second half OD’s took control of the ball with penalties and scrums going in their favour, they tried a succession of pick and drives – but when they eventually mis-handled they saw that they were 15 metres back from where they started!
Callum Palmieri’s kicking put OD’s into retreat, and Adam Tolman forced them back to their line, almost scoring a try. A conceded penalty kick was fielded and Adam Tolman put a 30-metre fly kick that forced OD’s to concede a line out at close quarters. Then Folkestone went for them…John Eustace, with Kyle Deakin went close, but the big defence held firm until Callum Palmieri threw a 20-metre fast pass, bringing the whole back line into play – and it was Scott Stewart, following up the move, who grabbed the ball and head-down powered his way over the line on the far left wing. Seyhan Fell failed to convert, but the 18 – 0 score-line looked good, but possibly not too comfortable.
But OD’s were far from done as Pedro Casares and then Kieran Smith came on, but only briefly as he was yellow-carded and sent back to the touch-line for a rather over-enthusiastic, but blatant interference. A remarkable period of play followed when OD’s put in attack after attack, stress testing Folkestone to the limit. Penalties abounded, scrums were taken, Folkestone were forced back, and back again - to their line, but still they resisted. More penalties – in fact at this stage Folkestone had seven penalties awarded against them and still OD’s could not break the massive wall of defence by all 14 players. Only the referee, seemingly, could break the mould – and this he did by finally awarding a penalty try to OD’s. 18 – 7.
Eye-brows were raised and foreheads furrowed as more penalties were piled onto Folkestone as the visitors could ostensibly do no wrong! OD’s continued their attacks and eventually broke through centre-field when the fast winger came inside to take a pass, break through and run through under the posts to put the score-line to a nervous looking 18 – 14 with OD’s well on top – but the 40 minutes was overdrawn by 2 minutes. When everyone expected the referee to blow for full time, he shocked the unofficial time-keepers by announcing another 4½ minutes of play!
But not only did Folkestone hold OD’s in their own half they performed a coup de grace by a typical move, started by the front five forwards, played on by the back row, fed out by the scrum half into the hands of the three-quarters and it was Adam Tolman who side-stepped an exhausted OD’s defence to touch down for Seyhan Fell to drop kick the conversion for a very hard fought win as the stopwatch clicked close to 48 minutes. 25-14.
Owing to a strange situation in the fixture list - Folkestone now have only one home match between now and 9th March and that is the next game they will play against second placed Beccehamian is three weeks away.
The remaining seven fixtures will prove season defining for Folkestone who have won seven of their last eight fixtures and look better and more settled as a team as they have done for some time.

Team: Adam Tolman; Seyhan Fell, Kyle Deakin, John Eustace, Thomo Murray; Jon Morton, Callum Palmieri; Bob Porter, Adam Bloomfield, Mat Roots; Rob Godden, Alex Price; Liam Trinder, Jordan Godden, Scott Stewart.

Subs: Connor Leather, Pedro Casares, Kieran Smith.

Scorers: Seyhan Fell 3, 3, 5, 2, 2: Scott Stewart 5; Adam Tolman 5.

Match details

Match date

Sat 12 Jan 2019

Kickoff

14:00

Meet time

12:30

Attendance

90

Competition

London 3 South East

League position

5
Folkestone
7
Old Dunstonians
Team overview
Further reading