Phil Jones

With both sides throwing the ball around as though they were taking part in a South Sea sevens tournament, the Tigers improved their lead on 20 minutes when Andy Craig rounded off a dazzling back move to go over for the game’s opening try, improved by Jones to extend the visitors’ lead to 3-13.

A second try followed soon afterwards when the forwards played their part in the set-piece.

Haring down field, Chris Briers fed an inside pass to Jamie Albinson who went over for what he thought was a valid touchdown.

However, Briers’ pass was ruled forward with the put-on going Esher’s way at the resulting scrum. But the Tigers’ pack took the scrum against the head with Albinson picking up to force his way over for the try he thought he’d scored minutes earlier! Jones added the extras to make it 3-20.

Unfortunately an Albinson touch-finder didn’t make it over the intended line and Esher ran the ball back to force an unconverted try courtesy of fly-half Dave Hewitt to make it 8-20 at the break.

Ten minutes into the second half and Hallet cut Esher’s deficit to nine points with his second penalty of the afternoon but it only served to spur the Tigers on.

Intense pressure close to the home line forced a Tigers’ scrum; with possession won the ball was fed back inside to Briers who went over for his side’s third try, once more converted by Jones to make it 11-27 after 62 minutes. Three minutes later it was 11-30 after Jones landed his third penalty.

Esher were then handed the man advantage when from the re-start Briers was adjudged to have tackled the Esher catcher out in the air and sin-binned.

The home side stepped up their intensity and turned pressure into points with a second try on 72 minutes courtesy of hooker James Campbell to make it 16-30.

Again showing quick thinking they fielded the restart and ran the ball wide to finish on a high with a third try from former British Lion Rob Henderson, but could not deny Sedgley the win, as the Tigers hung on for victory
 
ESHER
Hallett, Moore, Armitage, Henderson, Flockhart, Hewitt, Barr, Cormack (C), Campbell, Smith, Harris, Inglis, Blakeburn, Starling, Barrell.
Replacements: Alexander, Goldsmith, Mockford, Barker, Butterworth, Clouston, Lane
Tries: Hewitt, Campbell and Henderson
Conversions: Hallett
Penalties: Hallett 2
 
SEDGLEY TIGERS
Riley, Hall, Craig, Payne Briers, Jones, Albinson, Halsall, Roddam, Du Plessis, Fourie, Townson, Newton, Ponton, Skurr
Replacements: Birchall, Keys, Norris, Crous, Nutt, Wilkinson, Van DeVenter
Tries: Craig, Albinson and Briers
Conversions: Jones 3
Penalties: Jones 3