Match Report for 1st Team

Saturday 24 October 2009
Esher 39 vs Blackheath 18

Esher top after first half romp over rivals

ESHER.....................39pts          BLACKHEATH.....................18pts
Tries; Loizides13, Marler 20, Copsey 24,                        Tries; Lewis 55, Vaughn 63,
Briggs 25, Slemen 45,                                           Conversions; Humphries 63,
Conversions; Ulph 13, 20, 24, 45,                               Penalties; Humphries 16, 48,
Penalties; 4, 8,

Esher top after first half romp over rivals

By GEOFF NORDEMANN
The Rugby Paper

Esher maintained their 100 per cent start to the season courtesy of a destructive first half performance against strugglers Blackheath.

Mike Schmid's side were relegated last season but are now a healthy eight points clear at the top of national league one. But the director of rugby will be concerned with the complacency which has snuck its way into his side's recent second half performances.

The hosts ensured a four try bonus point well before the interval and only added one score after the break, which was in stark contrast to Blackheath who scored 15 points in an almost mini revival.

Schmid admitted:" the second half was crap apart from the first five minutes"

Full-back Sam Ulph opened the scoring for Esher after just four minutes with a thirty metre penalty. Four minutes later he chipped a sixteen yard one to double the score. And a try soon came when a loose Esher pass bobbled across field to be grabbed up by ulph who passed to Thomas  Loizides to canter home Ulph converting.

Blackheath's Paul Humphries replied for the visitors with a penalty on sixteen minutes, but just four minutes later, Loizides grabbed a loose Blackheath pass, offloaded it to prop Joseph Marler who evaded all attempts to stop him and scored giving Ulph the easiest of conversions.

In the twenty fourth minute Richard Briggs cut through the centre field passed onto winger James Copsey, who turned the defence inside out and touched down for Ulph again to convert.

A minute later Briggs skipped home after The Esher pack secured good scrummage ball on the 22 to give them a near invincible 32-3 lead at half time.

Esher started the second half with purpose, playing the best rugby of the game with several quick ruck balls and Captain David Slemen finishing with his usual grace, Ulph converted and somehow pressed the off button on his walk back.

Heath's Humphries kicked a penalty and after exerting good pressure Tyson Lewis's day glow boots carried him home on the wide left. Eight minutes later Heath's Matthew Vaughan ripped clear through the centre to score under the posts Humphries converting for the final points of the game.

Schmid admits he has to sort out his squad's concentration levels. As against stronger opposition their second half daydreams could be costly.

Esher: Ulph - Copsey - Loizides - Baumberg (Taylor) - Briggs - Slemen - Barnes (Cowley) -
Marler (Millard)- Campbell - Warren (Hannon) - Barker - Turner (Smith-Bernal) - Blakeburn - Starling - Renwick

Tries;
Loizides 13, Marler 20, Copsey 24,                       
Briggs 25, Slemen 45,                                         
Conversions;
Ulph 13, 20, 24, 45,                              
Penalties;
Ulph 4, 8,