Thanet Wanderers I/II 64 vs TWRUFC 1st XV 14

18th Sep 2026, KO 19:45

Thanet Wanderers I/II - Away

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Match Report

This one is a tough game to report, as it’s difficult to try and write against the scoreline and portray how well the boys actually did when there’s 64 points against us.

Let me set the scene, playing on a Friday night away from home is always a tough condition to start on, add into the mix that there is 40 players across Thanet 1s, 2s and 3s warming up ready to face our 19 men. Add to that equation the great Joey “locked down” hales pulling his groin in warm up, Private Lawn stepping in at …………. 13 !!!!!!!, and the consideration that Thanet’s 1s are 5 leagues above us, well I think it’s safe to say that the Ash boys were definitely considered the underdogs of the day.

When arrived at Thanet we were kindly given 2 changing rooms and our own block of showers, very accommodating considering it was a maze to get that far to the back of the clubhouse. The warmup was disjointed due to everyone arriving at awkward times but with 45 minutes left to spare till kick off, we were all ready to go splitting between back and forwards sharpening up moves and runs, we were all in for the battle that was about to come.

The game was played in 4 20-minute quarters, each one of them being a queue for the boys in Green and White to have to play against a fresh set of legs.

The first quarter was primarily against the home sides first team, these boys were big ball carriers and hard hitters, but our lads stood it up well, we stayed in the game even though we let through some scores around the corners but we were rock solid throughout the middle.

The second and third quarters were where we really showed our colours, battling mainly the 2nd team, who we face later in our league season, our set piece brilliance came to fruition. The lineout was almost seamless securing all of our own put ins and winning a couple of defensive challenges as well. We walked the home sides scrum for most of that 40-minute period splitting apart their pack as we went about charging through the middle of them, frustratingly not gaining any real penalty advantage for our hard work. The backs moves came alive with more space to run against a much less reactive defence we got the ball wide and fast and gave ourselves quite a few good look ins at tries which just didn’t quite amount to points unfortunately.

We’d fought back showing the true spirit of the Ash badge, putting points on the board and dominating the game up until then, when the inevitable happened. When we were on our knees gasping for air and already battered and bruised, the home side opted to re-introduce their 1st XV to the pitch and there was nothing our boys could do. After already giving everything and putting their bodies on the line for 60 minutes, to stretch that effort for a further 20 was too much. The boys rallied and put in some brilliant shows of defence on the line and in our own half, but it proved very tricky to get back into the game after conceding a few points around the corners from quick and very precise Thanet hands. The injuries for our players started mounting up and the fatigue continued to build, and we were having to go against opposite numbers who had just had a 40-minute rest.

Over the entire 80 however, there were incredible positives to take on board. We fronted up the challenge of playing a much higher ranked team than ourselves and took the physical battle to them for the whole 80 minutes. The breakdown was messy, and poorly policed but we just got on with it defending our own ball and giving a good try at battling theirs as well. The recent efforts we’ve put into our pod work, was actually put into practice and tested in a live game situation ready for the league season, and the new backs moves in exactly the same way.

To our injured players rest up and get fit and back into training when your bodies are ready for it, and to update the ongoing score, Scrum-half/Full-back Simon Race is currently 2-0 down against his arch nemesis concussion. Some fans are saying the trilogy might be complete within the current season but regardless of when it happens it is sure to be a sellout hit at the box office. Rest up mate and get your training in can’t let the threepeat happen.

All in all, there was nothing to be ashamed about, cut every single player on that pitch open and they just bleed Green and White and that is all that we can ask of you all, a true club spirit and mentality. To face an opposition so many leagues higher and still display the class we did was an exceptional performance.

Thank you to all of our supporters on the sideline, we couldn’t do it without hearing you cheering us on every time we get knocked down.

And Thankyou to Thanet for hosting and for facilitating a Friday Night Lights fixture, best of luck for the rest of your season and we’ll be back in Broadstairs soon to face your 2nd XV.

Now onto the start of the league Season, and our first home fixture where we host Tonbridge Juddians 3rd XV next weekend (26th September). They may not have been the good pictures scoreline results we wanted, but these last 2 games are the toughest pre-season’s we have ever attempted as a club, and they’ve allowed us to prep our game above what is expected for a league and hopefully have set us up nicely to hit the ground running on Saturday.

FT: Thanet 64-14 Ash

MOTM: Guy Williamson (Brilliant all-rounder performance)

DOTD: Henry Lawn (for the most recent of his many debuts)

Try Scorers: Dan Norman, Brad-Lee Nash

Conversions: Brad Blaxland (2)