Playing for a guaranteed berth in Div 2 next season (and coincidentally to move into the Top 10 teams in Surrey), Sunday's league game against the Park was a tough fixture. They'd topped that league (a couple of times?) and won (but didn't take) promotion in previous seasons, ... so we knew that they would be tidy. And ten minutes in, over 20 points down, we had been shown just how tidy! Big and direct, tight technical skills at breakdown, good hands, a couple of fast lumps, good pace out wide, and a robust, organised defence. It wasn't looking good for the remaining 40 minutes ....

But huge credit to the boys. They kept focus, kept competing and sniping, made hits, nicked ball and tried to get the Chipstead game going. Using a new rolling bench approach, the boys came off and went on smoothly, and the momentum of the game swung, if not to us, then at least back towards parity. True, when the Park got the ball they looked like they were coasting downwind - and when we got it, it looked like we were playing into a stern and unforgiving headwind, but as the game wore on, it became more engrossing, more rousing to watch. With the league points gone, as the clock ticked on, we were clearly playing only for pride, and for each other. And we did that brilliantly.

All teams will meet a better one. Even Scotland. But not every team has that slightly cussed determination to keep grinding on, to keep trying things, and to keep playing rugby when it might be easier to let in 40 points quickly and get off the paddock and into the warm. The day was summed up by the last play of the game. The sensible thing at 38 points down on being awarded a penalty in your own 22 would have been to hit touch and end the match. The Chipstead boys tapped and went. OK, we lost another try as a result (doh!) but you know what? Ambition in the face of adversity. The desire to play right to the end. To tap and go, to get stuck in, when all is lost. We LOVE that.

Andy & Nick