Epping 2s 53 - Finchley 2s 17

Now you can't say that 2nd team games of late are dull and this match was far far far from that.
This was the first league game of the year with team strangely sitting in seventh place but having lost the same amount of game than the team in second ( thanks once again Saracens Amateurs)

With the club fielding three teams for only the second time this season Epping arrived with the bare fifteen. This also included a rather flu ridden Smelley.
Fortunately Finchley also had personnel issues and could only field fourteen players. Of course the teams were evened out with Ed Lobbo being a more than willing sacrifice.
Finchley kicked off and rather unusually Clapton had the better of the early exchanges with the forwards making ground and recycling quickly. With no more than five minutes on the clock and after several forwards charges the ball was spun wide to the ever improving Jordan Watson who outpaced the oncoming defence to finally dot the ball under the posts.
Moments later and the fun started to really begin!!!
The game restarted and from the resulting ruck skipper TC was forced from the field with a hurty ankle.
Ed replaced the captain in the unfamiliar position of second row and with his first touch of the ball found himself charging over the line with multiple Finchley defenders hanging off him.
Two tries up and apparently in full control Clapton then suffered there second mishap of the day when Rhys Brown strangely walked off the field. After further inspection it was noticed that Rhys's nose had rather been spread over most of the poor back rows face.

Having a player advantage galvanised the home team and back they came with a try.
At this point coach Potato had fetched kits from car and by the time he had returned Finchley had scored a second try. More worryingly though full back Joe Walker was holding his shoulder having dislocated it in a tackle.
Off came Joe, on came Potato.
with Finchley still having a player advantage Epping went back on the front foot with backs Fraser Parris, George Douglass and Jordan Watson all finding success with ball in hand.
Clapton started to pile on the points as the Finchley backs could not cope with the direct running.
To all add to Claptons woes Jakk Harty had also twisted his ankle but manfully carried on. Smelley check, not looking good
The remainder of the game was a bit of a haze I'm afraid as I was rather focussed on getting through it.
Finchley scored one more try. Epping scored several.
Thankfully no one else went off injured.

Players worth a mention, the front row pairing of Adam Power and. Jamie Howatt both enjoyed the hard yards. Lucas Moretta who started at outside centre but moved to the back row tackled his little heart out.
Fraser Parrish and Jordan Watson were both virtually untackleable. The man of the match though went to Ed Lobbo who broke his forwards virginity, scored two tries and would have slept very well on Saturday night.

The club host Harlow next Saturday in a friendly that will give everyone a jolly good run around before the more serious England V Wales begins