Wells were 3 - 0 up after 2 minutes after Thanet knocked on from the kick off and then infringed in the resulting scrum.  Matt Murtagh slotting home the penalty with ease.

The early exchanges of the game were even with both sides clearly adopting an open running game which suited the conditions.  It was apparent though that the Thanet pack were heavier and that the Wells front row were in for a tough afternoon.

Thanet pulled level on thirteen minutes with a penalty in front of the posts  following a sustained period of attack inside the Wells half.  Wells responded well through some decisive attacking play notably by the two centres Murtagh and Siti Turagaiviu and full-back James Warren who joined the attack at any opportunity.  However, simple mistakes saw opportunities missed and their efforts unrewarded.  Thanet wasted opportunities too including a kickable penalty on nineteen minutes just outside the Wells twenty-two.

Continued pressure from Wells was rewarded, however, in the thirty-third minute when Wells won a penalty just inside the Thanet half  for going over the top at a maul.  Murtagh’s kick was by no means easy and the ball seemed to hang in the air for an age before dropping the right side of the bar.

As the clock struck 40 minutes and the game slipped into injury-time Wells chose to run a free-kick awarded at a line-out in their own half.  However, Wells were turned over at the following ruck and an alert Thanet spotted a stretched Wells defence. The ball was spun out wide on the right where outside centre Ash, sprinted in for a well taken try.  The extra points were added to make it 6 -10. 

Still in injury time, a lovely run by Wells winger Stuart Morton took him within yards of the Thanet try line.  The ball was re-cycled to the awaiting backs only to be intercepted by a quick thinking Ash in the Thanet centre who ran almost the entire length of the pitch to score a great solo try.  The conversion was added and the whistle went for half-time leaving Wells shell-shocked at the injustice of the score-line, 6 - 17.

Early exchanges in the second half produced little until a well taken unconverted Wells try on fifty minutes by Stuart Moreton followed some good work in the line-out by Iain Bartley who had tidied up well and released the backs. 11 -17.

From then on Wells toiled whilst Thanet seemed to gather momentum taking control of the set pieces and making life very difficult for the front row.  However, Wells stood firm in defence and Thanet found it hard to break through.  Points eventually came Thanet’s way on seventy minutes in the form of a penalty awarded for preventing the ball from being released.  Murtagh went off nursing an earlier groin strain replaced by Rob Greig and prop Richard Sparks made way for Mick Sedgwick.  However, it was destined to be Thanet’s afternoon and the game ended Tunbridge Wells 11, Thanet Wanderers 20.

The evening hog roast and live music at the Clubhouse was enjoyed by players, wives, girlfriends and children and was an excellent way to help momentarily forget the result and enjoy the on-going Indian Summer.

Saturday Tunbridge Wells are away to Old Colfeians, kick off 3pm.

Wells arrived at Sidcup in confident mood as the only unbeaten side in Invicta 2. The pack remained largely unchanged, with James Lineham reverting to second row and James Kenway starting on the flank. However, due to unavailabilities, the Wells back line was completely re-jigged, Mark Goff moved in to 9, with Lee Walker at 10, Ben Achlam and evergreen Rusty Rusbridge in the Centres, Simon Waymont on the wing and new boy Andy Kemp at Full Back. Only Si Beamish remained in position from the previous week’s victory over Beckenham.

Any expectation that Sidcup would be a push over was quickly forgotten as a very strong home side dominated the early encounters. Their backs were lively and well led from Fly Half, and they showed a willingness to run from all parts of the pitch. In the forwards Sidcup were strong in the scrummage, although eventually Wells managed to win the upper hand and in the second half began pushing the home side back. In the lneouts, despite a couple of early not straights, Wells were outstanding and it was good to see the side finally taking its own ball consistently and with some style. Hancock’s throwing was excellent and the 3 jumpers, Harrison, Lineham and Kenway, all took good clean ball.

Throughout the first half Wells struggled to compete, all too often losing possession in the contact area, or through infringements or through simple mistakes. Fortunately Sidcup, though they looked good, lacked the end product and made a good number of errors themselves, such that at half time Wells were only down 8-0. The challenge in the second half was to find some way of breaching the home side’s defences, something we had not managed in the first half.

With Nige Follows on for Lewis Russell at prop, the scrummages looked more stable, and Nige added some direct running to our game. But it was Sidcup who scored first, running a kick back 60 yards against a bemused defence for a soft try in the corner. In response Wells’ pack began to take control and generated some good possession. A towering high kick from Goffy found the Sidcup winger wanting, and from the dropped ball Wells took possession and blue-balled it to the line for Follows to score. The renewed hope was soon dashed as Sidcup scored another avoidable try, but Wells bounced back with a good Achlam kick deep into enemy territory. From there the forwards took over and once again kept the ball under tight control to drive to the line for Rob Harrison to score.

At 18-10 Wells concentrated on the pick-and-drive game, but whilst the ball control was impressive, we were never going to be able to make the ground needed to score without some more substantive breaks.