Medway Rugby Football Club

Plate Final: Medway 10 Beckenham 5

24 February 2008

This contest was a typical final with both sides determined not to fall at the final hurdle. Beckenham had reached the final with good wins over Whitstable and Tonbridge Juddians whilst Medway had beaten Thanet and Dartfordians to reach the final. It was not a classic spectator’s final but a close contest with the team that held their nerve the best would be victors

Medway came out steaming for the first ten minutes with the majority of territory and possession and Beckenham were pummelled with forward attack after forward attack by Medway, eventually a penalty was awarded 5 metres out and Matt Wadhams took a quick tap penalty with Beckenham backs turned and dropped over the line to reward Medway’s forward dominance. Now Beckenham were rudely awakened to the fact they were in a final and started applying pressure themselves and were awarded two easily convertible penalties but the pressure told and the Beckenham kicker missed both. The half time whistle ended what was a fairly uneventful first 35 minutes.

In the second half Beckenham kept applying the pressure on Medway and were rewarded a try deep in the corner which was very similar to Medway’s first try that came from forwards driving to Medway’s line. The score was 5 points all and it was clear

the game was so close it would only be settled by the next scoring opportunity. Medway conceded penalty after penalty in the second half which made it difficult for any flowing play to develop. As the final whistle approached and with just 12 minutes left on the clock Simon Delange did what he does best, he ripped the ball from a maul and got away from covering tackles and struggled to sprint to the line to make it 10 -5. Medway then hung on to every ball and let the clock run down to scrape the win.

The result finished off the seventeen’s season off nicely because the Medway’s 17s and 18s will now combine to form a long awaited colts team for the remaining matches.

More pictures of the game and after the game

Plate Semi-Final: Dartfordians 17 Medway 20

Medway faced a much improved Dartfordians in the semi finals of the under 17s plate competition on Sunday.

Medway started the match in a buoyant mood and the first 20 minutes was all Medway’s with all territory and possession with attack after attack on the Dartfordians line and it was inevitable that they eventually cracked and allowed player of the match Michael Smith to score through a driving maul. Soon after the restart in a rare attack by Dartfordians saw them take the lead with a converted try. Medway although stunned at being behind kept playing all the rugby and Michael Smith was “awesome” with tackle after crunching tackle and ripping the ball from the opposition’s grasp. But as the first half was finishing Dartfordians showed how they reached the semi final themselves by show attractive attacking play however Medway sneaked the lead with an interception try to see the 1st half score at 7 - 10 to Medway.

The second half saw a Dartfordian resurgence but mostly Medway showed the best attacks and Simon Delange scored from a typical drive to the line after a forward rush down the right wing. As the try was scored an unsavoury incident occurred and once Medway had taken the conversion, they were incorrectly awarded a penalty 10 metres out from Darts line (the rules state the resulting kick off is reversed, not a kick where the incident occurred!). Medway took this opportunity and scored a second try from another push over maul. Medway again pinned Darts back on their on line and tempers flared and a player from each side was sent to the side lines to cool off. Medway were leading 20 -7 with just minutes left on the clock and sat back and Dartfordians run in two late tries to flatter the final score line.

Medway face the winners of other semi final, Tonbridge or Beckenham in the final next week.

Medway 45 Thanet 20

3 February 2008

Playing the first round of the knock out stages of the under 17 Plate Competition, Medway faced Thanet who they had won against earlier in the league stages 45 – 19.

Medway found themselves 5 - 0 behind n the opening minutes when both sides were getting used to the windy conditions. But in a confident mood Medway bounced back from the try drop out, won the maul and spun down the line and Robin Page found himself in space and skipped around a couple of tackles to touch down, Rumsey converted and Medway had taken the lead 7 - 5.

Man of the match, Simon de Lange had several carrying runs, putting Thanet on the back foot.

Medway strung several attacking moves together when Oliver George and Simon de Lange interlinked and put a loitering Sam Brice away to touch down on the wing, making it 12 – 5 to Medway. Thanet continued to look menacing in attack and scored a penalty try and converted, to see Medway 12 – 15 behind at half time.

Medway’s second half was much improved compared to the first half and less mistakes saw Michael Smith make a break down the wing and then a series of driving mauls saw Matt Wadhams take the glory with the try, again John Rumsey added the 2points to take the lead to 19 – 15. Medway started to take control and another strong de Lange run put Sam Garofalo away in the corner.

Medway looked the better side BUT Thanet looked good in attack and scored a penalty and well deserved try after several Medway handling errors to putting them tantalisingly close at 24 – 20.

Medway again scored straight from Thanet’s restart with Sam Brice picking up the loose ball, Sam Garofalo passing to John Rumsey and Tom Willoughby making the long angled run home to avoid the defence and score in the corner.

With the score now 31 – 20, Medway were the only side in the game and Simon de Lange magically appeared from the back of the maul to sprint home, them 5 minutes later, on an action replay of his previous score, he again appeared the wrong side of the maul to score again, with both tries converted by John Rumsey, Medway were 45 – 20 ahead.

Jack Townsend came on for the last 10 minutes and was the unluckiest player in the field to have two tries disallowed for knock ons.

Medway await their opposition in the semi finals in two weeks time.

A Game of Two Halves

Whitstable 6 Medway 5

A win in this the last league match of the season would mean Medway go through automatically to the under 17 Cup competition. On paper it looked as if Medway could easily win this contest but other things got in the way!

Medway won the toss and opted to play against a stiff sea breeze but despite the elements had the better of the early play and were up for the game. Once Whitstable started using the wind they pinned Medway back on their own line for 20 minutes but never really looked like scoring due Medway’s stout tackling and continually running the ball out of defence. The score would have remained even but for a penalty in the closing minutes of the first half which Whitstable first team player slotted over to go 3 -0 ahead

Medway having weathered the storm of the first half with wind and slope now in their favour pinned Whitstable back for most of the second half. Medway were playing well with long sustained periods of play then scored with a simple down the line move which Gareth Evans touched down. Whitstable had the rare attack and were awarded a kick which was out of range due to strong wind but were brought closer by a bizarre refereeing decision to go 10 metres up field. Whitstable gratefully accepted the chance and went ahead 6 -5 with a penalty kick. Medway’s game started to go down hill with a number a questionable refereeing decisions and Medway players started to argue with decisions and with each other, the play became untidy with players losing concentration on the task ahead. When the final whistle blew the reason why Medway had lost this important game was clear to most, but players must learn to accept rugby it’s always fair!

Medway Victors In Top Of Table Tussle

Folkestone 5 Medway 7

Medway faced top of the table Folkestone at their ground. It was wet under foot and bright sun made it perfect conditions and both sides were hell bent on attacking rugby right from the outset.

From the first whistle it was clear that the two sides were well balanced and the only thing better than their attacking tactics was the stout defence both sides displayed. There were scoring opportunities by each side which were only stopped by good tackles or the odd handling error. Medway showed dogged determination but lacked the killer punch which was required to break the Folkestone defensive line. The half time score of 0 -0 reflected how well balanced this game had been so far.

Medway started the second half with the sun on their backs knowing that the team making the least mistakes would surely be the victors. Folkestone broke the stalemate with a series of attacking plays including winning mauls which Medway should have secured but Folkestone capitalized to score in the corner. Medway raised their game and had a 15 minutes spell of attacking the Folkestone line but lacked the killer blow. That was before Medway had a 5 metre line out and Sam Brice tried to bulldoze his way through then Oliver George picked up to score the vital try. Jonathan Rumsey slotted the crucial conversion over to put Medway ahead. At the restart Folkestone came straight back at Medway with strong crunching runs through the centre and were awarded a 15 metre penalty slightly offset from the posts, but the closeness of the game and nervousness of the situation saw the penalty go wide and Medway saw the final minutes through to steal the win.

Both teams must be congratulated for a clean well tempered match, where the result could have gone either way. Jack Townsend had his first ever full rugby match and made excellent cover tackles as well linking well in attack.

Medway 0 Tunbridge Wells 0

After last week's listless performance this 0 -0 draw was far from being disappointing, playing against top of the table Tunbridge Wells, Medway were “miles better this week” in the forwards and the backs looked far more menacing. Both sets of spectators were treated to a good close game which only disappointed because of the lack of points.

The first half saw both sides squander early chances right at the last second in front of the try line and Medway lived to regret running an early penalty chance 35 metres out in front of the posts. Tunbridge made several attacks on the home team's line but for exceptional defence Medway kept a clean sheet. Tom Willoughby made positive breaks in the centre and would have scored but for stout Tunbridge defence. Jason Russell had a good first half spoiling good ball as well as supporting attacking moves.

The second half remained close but Medway weren’t quite quick enough getting the ball out to create good try-scoring chances. Tunbridge also came close on several occasions but were thwarted by solid Medway defence. Alex Waterman had yet another excellent match being solid up front in the tight and with a number of attacking moves too. Although the match finished even coach Chris Thompson claimed it was “a good 0 - 0 win”.

Medway 0 Cranbrook 15

Medway’s performance left players and spectators deflated and Medway’s under 17 league campaign took a big knock this weekend. Cranbrook was more up for a battle than a depleted Medway side. 

In the first half Medway won good ball at their own set pieces but lost most 50/50 balls in rucks and maul to Cranbrook. The first half score was 5 - 0 but there were very little for Medway spectators to cheer for. 

The second half started showing lots of promise with Medway wining more ball but Cranbrook looked dangerous and continued to break tackles making Medway looked mediocre. Cranbrook scored another two well deserved tries. 

Next week Medway face Tunbridge Wells, on paper a harder fixture than Cranbrook

Westcliffians 34 Medway 7

Medway’s Under 17s great season came to an abrupt halt on Sunday with their heaviest defeats for over a year. They were playing against a side which undoubtedly would have normally given them a close game but playing without key players because of injury and others unavailable made Medway’s task all the harder.

Medway’s first half was slow to start and Westcliffian’s scored within the first 5 minutes. Niall Barnes forced to play with an injury because of lack of available players came off injured half way through the first half leaving 14 players to fight on. Westcliffians took another two tries to leave the half time score 17 -0. Although Medway were staring defeat in the face they had held a good side from running up a cricket score.

Although Westcliffians doubled their first half score in the second period Medway put on a spirited performance. Medway attacked when they won the ball and defended stoutly. Westcliff scored early on to go 22 -0 ahead. The game was then marred by a purely accidental clash of heads but Medway’s Reece Malt came of worst with a nasty mouth injury. He then spent the following 24 hours in dentists and orthodontists in Medway and Kings Hospitals getting his good looks returned to normal (we all wish him well). Reduced to 13 players Medway soldiered on and a try by Captain Tom Willoughby lifted the spirits. After a period of dominance he burst through the Westcliff defence to touch down and Marlow converted. The game was 50/50 for most of the rest of the match but a couple of late tries by the home team flattered the final score line.

Over all the available players played well in difficult circumstances and coach Andy Rogers asked the players to put this game behind them and get back to normal at training and against Dartfordians next week.

Medway 38 Tonbridge Juddians 22

In this fiercely fought under 17 league fixture Medway were playing against a strong Tonbridge Juddians side. One thing that was clear from the first whistle was that the team that kept their composure would come out with the result as the match was so well balanced.

Tonbridge took an early lead with the first penalty of the match but Medway immediately bounced back with great movement in the backs and Fred Taylor set up a perfect opportunity for Alex Thompson to score in the corner but cold hands meant the chance was squandered. Early errors from both sides kept the match even. But man of the match Tom Willoughby’s jinxing runs kept surprising the opposition and one such run broke through the defence and Taylor made the link to put Sam Bacon away to score behind the posts and John Rumsey obligingly converted. Medway try inspired Tonbridge Juddians into a 10 minute onslaught on the Medway line and they eventually charged down a clearance kick and touched down to take a 10- 7 lead. Again Medway bounced back and a penalty 20 metres out saw Fred Taylor bully his way through his opponents defence to score and put the score 12 -10 to Medway. The first half remained close with both teams having a share of possession and territory but a momentary lack of concentration and missed tackles by Medway allowed Tonbridge Juddian’s to score under the posts to be the half time leaders at 12 – 17.

Medway were behind but remained composed and from the kick off early pressure resulted in Fred Taylor putting the ball down under the posts. 19 – 17 was the pivotal score of the match as the game remained at this score for some time and the next score was going to vital. Then Medway started making strategic substitutions and the players coming on made vital plays to change the match around. A TJ scrum was taken against the head and super sub Jack Marlow did a double dummy switch and then broke the Tonbridge line, made a 30 metre dash up the field and gave Tom Willoughby a clear run into the try line. As before Tonbridge immediately responded with a try in the corner. The game was again on and an interception try from Sam Garofalo put the game beyond a single score at 31 – 22. The Medway victory was sealed by a brilliant fly half Jack Marlow diagonal kick across field and there was super sub Sam Garofalo again to score the try which Marlow converted to make the final score 38 – 22

Canterbury 5 Medway 12

After Medway’s under 17s jubilant win against London Welsh last week this game was never going to live up to expectations. Medway “ground out a win which they have lost in the past” coach Andy Rogers said to his players at the end of the match.

The first half was littered with scrappy play by both sides with very few sustained periods of attacking rugby. Medway were 10 minutes into the match when Canterbury were caught offside from a ruck and scrum half Matt Wadhams took a quick tap penalty and Fred Taylor crunched over the line to score the first points. The rest of the first half never saw Canterbury really looking like they could score against a rugged Medway defence.

Medway were disappointed with their 1st half performance and needed to raise their game for the second half, this they did and Canterbury was never allowed to get into the game in the second half. Half way through the second period Medway were awarded a penalty in their own half and Sam Bacon took off on a diagonal penetrating run and was caught 20 metres short and Fred Taylor linked into the move and cut back inside to score Medway’s second try of the match and his own 10th try of the season. Canterbury scored a conciliation try in the closing minutes.

The game was not a spectator’s delight and will be most remembered for the welcome return this season of Sam Garofalo and Ricky Smith both returning from their log term injuries

London Welsh Shocked by Medway U17 Electric Strength

London Welsh 7 Medway 25 

The last time Medway under 17s ventured into Twickenham, the home of English rugby they were heavily defeated by London Irish, so this time they did so with some trepidation. But with possibly the best team this season they were still expecting a tough match and realised the enormity of their task. They were allowed to play on the division one’s side first team pitch with the stand and all the trimmings of a first class match. 

The game started at a fast rate and both sides seemed to be checking each other out, Medway gave Welsh the respect they deserved and both sides squandered early chances. After ten minutes Medway realised they were good enough to get a result and a penalty by Johnathan Rumsey helped them to settle down. Half way through the first half Simon Delange eventually broke the London Welsh line off loaded to Taylor who was stopped tantalisingly 5 metres out from the try line, the referee amusing gave the try then realised his mistake and awarded the scrum to Medway and the now all familiar pick up and crash over try from Simon Delange ensued and Medway were up 10 -0 but more importantly their confidence was sky high. Then London Welsh started to fight back and a move down the wing saw then go over to even the scores up to 10 -7, this gave Medway the shock treatment they needed, and Medway pushed and pushed the Welsh back further and further back into their half. An exciting 5 minutes of play all within 10 metres of the Welsh try line saw the Medway pack have several lunges to the line to score but with no success, then a set piece was awarded then who was there? Simon Delange to score his second pick up and go tries, the score was 15 -7 and the half time whistle was blown to give a welcome break for both teams. 

The second half was much scrappier than the first and a number of scuffles between players as the game was so close. Medway pushed up the field but also had to dig deep in defence. The Next try started with a Welsh line out awarded 20 metres out from the Welsh line and Medway stole the put in and quick ball from scrum half Matt Wadhams and fly half Jack Marlow gave Fred Taylor to make a great opportunity to run inside to break the defence and touch down. The last minutes of the match was mostly in Medway half and London Welsh pressing the Medway backs but an interception by Gareth Evans saw him run half the length of the field to seal the score line of 25 -7.

Rochford Hundred 7 Medway 21

With players missing due to various reasons Medway were thankful for new comers Luke Burns and Tom Geal making the numbers up to play at Rochford. Medway were not aware of the ability of their Essex opposition and with various players playing out of position it was not going to be an easy task to get a good result. 

Rochford started extremely strongly and it looked as if  Medway could be heading for lots of early points against them, but they defended stoutly and settled down with Captain Tom Willoughby playing scrum half for the first time for the team and flanker Rhys Mortley playing in the backs. 

The “boys from Sittingbourne” Simon Delange and Sam Bacon both played well with frequent breaks which ultimately swayed the game in Medway’s favour. Niall Barnes again “improved with every game he plays” (self quote). Medway’s first try started from a break from scrum half Tom Willoughby at the base of a scrum and the charging support behind linked well with Simon Delange ignoring the four man overlap to his left and cut back inside to release Sam Bacon to seal his welcome return this season to score under the posts. Medway made the half time score 14 – 0 with a period of pressure and Simon Delange picking up from the back of a scrum to score his now infamous No8 pick up and flop over tries. 

At half time Rochford bought on “the heavy Mob” in their backs with England youth player tae boot. Medway struggled with their oppositions new back line and Rochford fullback with dynamic speed made Medway look pedestrian as he scored under the posts to make the score 7 -14. Medway regrouped and slowly fought back to their pattern of play. Both sides then had perfectly good tries disallowed which left both teams bewildered but from Medway’s Delange disallowed effort the resultant scrum saw the ball spread quickly and Luke “Burnsie” Burns score his first for the under 17s this season. Jack Marlow converted his 3rd attempt at goal with a 100% record in the match. The rain started to bucket down but Medway held on to seal the win and getting ready for their next weeks “big boys” visitors Barking. 

21st October 2007 (League): Maidstone U17 7  Medway U17 27.

With one win and one loss so far in Medway under 17s league campaign it was imperative they got a win in this game to keep them on track to do well in the Kent under 17 league. The game was an excellent match for spectators with both teams competing hard for possession and varying play between forwards and backs. But ultimately Medway’s forwards strength gave them the upper hand and a greater share of possession, which was converted into points at regular intervals throughout the match.

Medway forward dominance saw a strong drive initially being held up just short of the line and the set scrum was won by the visitors and Rhys Mortley picked up to score the opening try. Further pressure put Medway back close to Maidstone’s line and stout Maidstone defence held the Medway forwards but the recycled ball was moved out to the backs and Tom Willoughby crashed over to score the try which he converted himself. 

Maidstone came out strongly after half time and challenged Medway's 22, but without result. Medway remained patient and regrouped. They forced Maidstone back over their own line earning a 5 metre scrum, Gareth Evans picked up at number 8 and forced his way over. Maidstone continued to rally and scored a well deserved converted try. Fred Taylor at centre caused Maidstone backs problems all through the match; in the closing moments he broke through a tackle on halfway and sprinted through to score under the posts. Tom Willoughby, having previously kicked a penalty, converted taking his tally to 12 for the game. 

14th October 2007: Medway U17s 23 - Sevenoaks U17s 7

The Medway under 17&s pack dominated this game with a welcome return of No 8 Simon Delange, who carried the ball superbly off the back of set pieces. With the forwards having the edge it made for a very open game and both sides made the most of their backs in a running three quarters game. Both sides defended well and also squandered opportunities and the first score came 20 minutes into the game with a Jon Rumsey penalty. It did not take long after that for centre Fred Taylor to score his now familiar loop around the back of a ruck to score in the corner. Taylor scored again minutes later from a shearing cross field run to score in the opposite corner. The score was 13 - 0 at half time which gave Sevenoaks, who were no mugs, time to regroup. 

Sevenoaks made changes to their side at half time with a number of more experienced players, so it was game on! The second period was no different to the first, with both teams using the backs.  Michael Smith set up a quick ball in a ruck and the ball was spun across the backline for Rumsey to score in the opposite corner. The game continued to be played in Sevenoaks territory, but Sevenoaks scored a great individual try by their centre, who scored under Medway’s post from almost the half way line. Medway’s pack was impressive throughout and the use of “roll on Sub’s” was seamless with the pattern of play never broken. Simon Delange made all the difference up front charging through with the ball tucked under his arm time after time. It was only fitting then that Delange would score the final points, when a kick through was miss fielded by Sevenoaks and Delange picked up and drove over to finish off a good pack performance. 

Ashford 18 Medway 17

The final score shows how close this match was but it could easily have been a different story!

Medway playing a heavier pack were holding their own in the scrum but were being pushed off rucks and mauls, but Medway were the first to score with a try from open forward play and Rhys Mortley charged over to score in the corner, John Rumsey stepped to score the conversion way out on the touchline. Ashford continued to press Medway up front but Medway showed great resilience and showed determination to battle for lose ball. The game was fought on scraps and Ashford scored two penalties and a try before the half time whistle and Medway were behind 11 -7 at half time.

The second half continued to be scrappy and was interrupted by sparks of inspired individual brilliance by Michael Smith, Jack Marlow and Matt Wadhams, who all had great runs only to be stopped short of the line. John Rumsey got the scores close with a penalty and the game was on. The game was played on the whole in good spirit but an unsavoury dump tackle on Tom Willoughby saw him taken to hospital. Unfortunately not all players in Medway accepted the decision not to punish the offender, and the Medway centre was asked to leave the field for descent. John Rumsey continued his good game with a kick dribble and chase but was held back by an opponent and the referee had no choice but to award a penalty try, which Rumsey converted and Medway were ahead 11 -17 again.

Medway with 14 players continued to fight and an individual try by the Ashford winger saw them pinch the game in the dying minutes.

30th September 2007 : Medway U17’s 21- Shelford U17’s 18 

Medway under 17’s played hosts to Shelford from Cambridge, who spent 2 hours travelling to Rochester because of Medways U17’s reputation.  

The game started at a furious pace with the Medway under 17’s in determined mood. Medway won ruck after ruck and had the majority of possession and territory until 15 minutes into the game, against the run of play Shelford were awarded a penalty and went  3 – 0 ahead. Then 5 minutes later Shelford showed a quality piece of backs play and spun the ball to their winger to score, Medway were stunned but did not give up, Medway were playing team rugby and Shelford had talented individuals, Shelford went further ahead with another penalty and Medway found themselves 11 - 0 behind and wondering why! Then Mr Reliable, Tom Willoughby, took the Shelford backs on, made the necessary space to let Fred Taylor score again after his 4 try tally of last week. John Rumsey stepped up to convert and leave the half time score close at 7 -11.  

Against the slope and elements in the second half Medway kept pushing forward, but the match was much more finely balanced with both sides sharing play 50/50. Shelford again looked dangerous and a clean break from the Shelford three quarter line opened Medway’s defence and Fred Taylor gave chase and caught the defender, but the referee adjudged attacker got the ball down before it was spilled. At this point most teams would have conceded defeat but Medway are made of more solid stuff than this, and Michael Smith picked up from the back of a ruck and made a solo effort to run 30 yards to touch down under the posts. The score was again tantalisingly close at 14 -17. The game then became ragged and the referee managed well to control tempers in the heat of the battle and had to yellow card a Shelford player after an ugly spear tackle on scrum half Matt Wadhams. Medway with bit between their teeth kept the pressure on and were awarded a 10 metre scrum and Oliver George scrambled a try with 5 minutes left on the clock. Medway managed to hold on, but know their return fixture in Cambridge in a couple of month’s time will not be an easy one.

23 September 2007 (League) : Thanet U17s 19 - Medway U17s 45

Medway started there season and their under 17 league campaign in the sunny isle of Thanet, with various changes to last years squad no one really knew what the new team would perform like.  

The game was 10 minutes old with both sides playing an attractive game with only a few handling errors, but a high ball into the sun fooled Medway’s fullback and the ball rolled nicely for Thanet to score the first points under Medway’s posts and Medway needed to wake up and get going. A brilliant solo breakaway from scrum half Matt Wadhams from the half way line ended with a five metre scrum awarded to Medway, which Medway won, put a simple ball our to the “man on steel” Fred Taylor to crunch over for the first, John Rumsey slipped over the conversion to level the scores 7 all. Medway had the bit between their teeth and continued to pressure the Thanet line, the next try saw a quick ruck ball passed down the corner for Fred Taylor to score his second try of the match. With seconds left on the clock in the first half Fred Taylor completed his personal hat trick of tries when Michael Davies won another brilliant line out ball and Fred broke through the gap in the centre. Medway looked comfortable with there 19 -7 lead at half time. 

The second half started with both sides having chances stopped with good defence but 5 minutes of pressure from Medway which had a penalty missed and the 22 drop out saw last years top try scorer Tom Willoughby’s  scrawny legs pump away and score his first of the season in the corner. The next try came from new comer Daryl Simmons with a typical wingers try which came down the line and winger Daryl scored, beating the two defenders on the outside. Thanet continued to show they could play rugby and there was end to end play, only being thwarted by sound defence at both ends of the field until Tom Willoughby broke through and scored between the posts. Again the ball was spun neatly from side to side and who was there on the wing to take advantage? Fred Taylor, to score his fourth of the game and take the score to 7 – 45.  Medway took their foot off the pedal a little with 10 minutes to go and let the home side in with a couple of soft tries but this did not detract from Medway’s supremacy throughout the rest of the match.