Esher U14s secure second place in Surrey Waterfall Cup

Esher U14s heroic in Waterfall Cup final

Sunday 28 April, Esher 7 Battersea Ironsides 38

The Esher U14s passage through the Surrey Waterfall Cup has been momentous. Playing in the top tier of the competition, Esher had an undefeated run through to the finals, bringing many moments to celebrate across the 23-24 season. But it wasn't the only team to enjoy such an ascent, and as the finals played out at Guildford Rugby Club in Godalming, Esher came face to face with Battersea Ironsides.

Across the matches of the Cup, the Esher U14s have shown an uncanny ability to compete; it's a team that has achieved against the odds, stopped larger teams in their tracks; a team that has staged comebacks and grasped victory; a team that has earned its reputation. It's a team that doesn't want to be beaten.

Battersea Ironsides came into the game with something else in their locker: they had conceded no points in the competition. It was clear that Ironsides was determined to defend that record and put everything on the line to do so.

Many of Esher's previous cup games have been defined by one style of play: the opposing team often uses big players to attempt to break the line, to maul from the lineout and dominate the scrum. From the early stages of the game, it was clear that Battersea was different: it was going to use aggression, speed and passing, the very facets that Esher has deployed through the competition.

The match became a game of breakdowns and the ref's whistle barely fell silent. Esher's scrummaging was solid, and on most occasions dominant. But Ironsides turned one wing and then the other, using passing and speed to best Esher. When the half-time whistle was blown, Battersea had 26 points on the board, and Esher had none.

That the referee had to wield the yellow card hints at the intensity of the game, but it was Esher's refusal to lie down and be beaten that earned them the honours. With Battersea pinned on their line in all-out defence, Esher tried once, twice and then a third time to get the ball over the line. The referee intervened again, awarding a penalty try again an Ironsides infraction and seeing Esher earn those valuable points.

That Ironsides went on to score two more - leading to a 7-38 final score - is immaterial. What the Esher U14s achieved was something symbolic. They put a mark on Ironside's clean sheet, they made a statement about Esher Rugby. The match was ultimately lost, but the achievement stands none the less: this Esher team finished in 50th place in the Surrey Waterfall Cup in 2022. The ascent to second place is meteoric, and unmatched in this competition.

Esher may not have left the field as Cup champions, but as the season draws to a close, the Esher U14s certainly left the field victorious. Esher will be back and in 2024-25, there's a clear score to settle.