The senior Rugby 7s squad got their season off to a flying start, winning the Plate at the Seaford College 10s. Playing the 10s format for the first time, gave an extended squad an opportunity to get some valuable game time ahead of the upcoming 7s tournaments.
Playing the hosts in the first game, Epsom struggled to get a grip of the 10s format and found themselves behind at halftime. A much improved second half – with tries from Jasper Lawler (P) and two from Sam Waugh (F) – gave Epsom a narrow 15-14 opening win. This was followed up with a convincing win against St Benedict’s 36-5, setting up a group decider with Christ College Brecon.
Brecon got off to a fast start, racing into a 14-0 lead. Epsom could not match their intensity and despite two late tries it wasn’t enough and Brecon progressed through to the Cup semi-final with a 24-10 win.
This defeat placed Epsom into the Plate semi-final where they would come up against Felsted, who finished runners-up in their group. With injuries now starting to impact the squad, Epsom had to dig dip and two wonderful individual tries from Josh King (H) – his final effort from 60m, and with the clock in the red – saw Epsom progress through to the Plate final 24-19. In the other semi-final, Brighton College just edged out Marlborough College 21-19.
The final turned out to be a very tight affair, Epsom should have been two tries up at the break but had no points to show for their dominance in the first half. A more clinical performance after the break saw tries from Charley Redknapp (G) and Jasper Lawlor (P) secure the Plate for Epsom and that was enough to see off a late charge from a strong Brighton side.
This victory is a great start to the season, the style of play throughout the day was excellent and the experience gained in winning this tournament will prove invaluable as we move forward. The signs look encouraging for another successful season, and we look forward to our next tournament the South Coast 7s at Portsmouth GS on Sunday.
Group Results
v Seaford College (Won) 15-14
v St. Benedict’s (Won) 36-5
v Christ College Brecon (Lost) 24-10
Plate Semi-Final
v Felsted School (Won) 24-19
Plate Final
v Brighton College (Won) 14-12
