TWRUFC 1st XV 13 vs Thanet Wanderers II 7

29th Nov 2025, KO 14:00

Thanet Wanderers II - Home

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Match Report

Back to winning ways !!!

Off the back of the previous weeks unfortunate and hard fought loss against dover (current top of the league) and with the opportunity to play at home for the first time in over 5 weeks, the exciting prospect of using this game as the bounce back point for the rest of the run up until Christmas was high.

As we welcomed our opposition a valiant Thanet Wanderers 2’s side into the clubhouse, the weather started to show its true colours in an attempt, I guess, to mark its territory for how horrible it was going to be for those 80 minutes. Any high balls were surely going to end up curling over into the horse field as the rain showed zero prospect of slowing down anytime soon.

A pre match meeting took place yet again, giving the boys the opportunity to focus on what they really needed to get out of the game to come. All cemented with some good old-fashioned banter (bullying) of a large section of our players featuring in the matchday slideshow on the TV. I think some of our players after watching the rain increase would’ve much preferred to join in with the rugby rascals being advertised!!!!

With Thanet being able to confirm their 15th and 16th players leading up to kick off we knew we were on for a game. The Ash boys entered the sheds with 10 minutes to spare, some quick discussions about what we expected from each other in the game and shirts on, the boys came out hit a line pressure drill and were straight out onto the pitch to give the first kicks off. As if to be comical, the rain decided to fall even harder at this time making our boys really dread the battle to come, but with the badge on chests every single player was filled with pride and well up for the occasion. Early on the Ash boys managed to win a penalty and with the precise kick from Brad Blaxland put us with a lineout about 15 meters out from the line. Setting up a 6 man line with Guy Williamson securing the catch and setting the base, the whole of the pack worked together to drive the maul up field, with it breaking apart the ball was in the hands of Number 8 Fin Parfitt who broke towards the touchline pinning 2 players on him before giving a soft offload to a peeling round Simon Race who dotted down for the first score of the day.

A string of clumsy plays including multiple knock-ons, messy passes, needless kicks and big hits, Ash wound up on the 5-meter line again this time being denied the score by a mixture of defensive brilliance form Thanet and personal mistakes from Ash. After 2 attempted tap-and-goes, the exhausted forwards decided to opt for a relaxing scrum which was brought down by the Thanet lads resulting in another penalty. The smart thing to do here, as Coach Neil said at the 80 mark, would’ve been to scrum again and stand the chance of our opposition receiving a card. However, as we all know scrum-half’s know best and in the process of Simon Race attempted to go quick and send it down the blindside, he undid the brilliance of his earlier try and made himself and I quote “look a bit of a tit” by knocking it on. The lesson we take from this: a cool and collected mind will always win you a game.

Shortly after this Blindside Flanker, Dec Quincey was forced to leave the field after finding a crater sized hole on the front of his shin. Injury news kept getting worse for the home boys with number 10 Brad Blaxland having to sit out of the fun after a dislocated finger ended his shift. Changes came, Matt Radbourne took over in the second row pushing Daniel (Bok) Norman to 8 and Fin back into 6, George Davis-Marks moved up to 10 and Ronan Qunicey took over at 15. This, however, didn’t last long after a Thanet player’s sliding knee collided with Ronan’s back after covering a loose ball put over the top, marking the end of the Quincey brothers’ days just before halftime. Overall, the feeling at 40 minutes was positive, good play was coming from every player on the pitch just not coming together to produce them scores. In the conditions Ash 5-0 Thanet was a decent finish to the half.

The second half however, wasn’t so great with how last week felt in the way of letting a lot of opportunities go a miss, with the hill to our advantage and the wind and rain calming the conditions were perfect to start piling on some scores in our own back yard. However, with big hits, hard runs and stupid decisions all across the field the boys were kept out for a further 20 minutes. At this point more sense came into the Ash, afterrealising how much the scrum was a strength a choice was madeto scrum down at any opportunity that came our way for it.

This decision from the leaders in Matt Radbourne and Kieran Munn-Holland, proved effective as shortly later on after a scrum pick up Dan Norman managed to take a crash before the ball made its way cleanly through the hands of Alex Mannning and Phillip Hopkins in the centers and found safe hands out wide with the wise head of Tommy Whittaker getting a score on the board for the old boys. Thanet snapped back, putting the Ash defense under pressure on our own 5 and sliding around the corner and under the posts for a converted try. The stress of the close score however, created a moment that secured the DOTD award when George Davis-Marks tried to channel his inner Jonny Wilkinson with a drop kick he sent straight into the oppositions outstretched charging down arms. Not one for the hinge profile my friend. He made up for it though converting a penalty with 5 on the clock, closing the game at Ash 13-7 Thanet. The initial relief was further backed up by a swift game analysis at the full time whistle the hard-grafted win was what mattered, but there was so much more to give on the pitch and so many points left out there for the taking.

Full Time Ash R.F.C. 13-7 Thanet R.F.C.

A massive thank you again goes out to the sea of green and white supporting from the sides fuelling on the boys on the pitch. Next week the boys take on Ashford Barbarians away from home, looking for the win to get the next winning streak going and hopefully staying for good.

After that we close our campaign before the Christmas break with Swanley at home 13th December and Snowdown away on 20thDecember

MOTM: Guy Williamson – being a “shadow” showing his class and work rate all across the field

DOTD: George Davis-Marks – Attempting a drop goal which was never on in a million years

Try Scorers: Simon Race, Tommy Whittekar

Penalties: George Davis-Marks