Match Report: London Scottish C Lions 31 – 14 Haringey Rhinos
Middlesex Merit Div 2 – Round 16
King’s House Sports Ground
Saturday 28 Feb, KO 13:00
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The Kings House Sports Ground basked in crisp early‑spring sunshine as London Scottish C Lions hosted Haringey Rhinos for a rare double‑pointer, 14 league points hanging tantalisingly in the balance after the sides’ earlier meeting was washed away by the winter rains. The pitch, firmed by a dry spell at last, looked perfect. The low sun and light breeze set the stage for an open, expansive contest — and the Rhinos wasted no time embracing it.
Haringey exploded out of the blocks, their sizeable forward pack thundering into collisions and punching holes through the Lions’ defence. Inside 20 minutes, the visitors had surged to a 14–0 lead, their heavy carriers asking questions the home side initially struggled to answer. For a moment, it looked as though the Rhinos might run away with it.
But the Lions are made of sturdier stuff. Having weathered the early storm, they began to find their shape, their defensive line tightening and their tackling precision returning. The forwards, outsized but never outmatched, grew into the contest, matching Haringey’s physicality in the loose and refusing to yield an inch in the scrum. With momentum shifting, London Scottish began to impose themselves scoring 2 quick tries to counter the visitors initial success with Rio Iwabuchi scoring 1 and continuing his streak with a second moment of individual brilliance in as many weeks. Spotting a sliver of daylight, the fly‑half danced through defenders with deceptive footwork, wriggling his way over the line to ignite the comeback.
Head coach Sophie Messem made a bold tactical call on the half‑hour mark, replacing a centre (and captain) to move Booth into midfield after he had impressed as a blood sub. It was a masterstroke. The Lions’ attack suddenly hummed with pace, direction, and aggression. At half-time, Scottish had wrestled control of the match; by the second half, they owned it.
The captain’s return at flanker after the interval further anchored the pack, and from that point on, the Lions were relentless. Try by try, pressure by pressure, they surged ahead. An early twist in the second half saw scrum‑half Alex Reeve forced from the field through injury, a reshuffle placed Calum Booth, returning to the squad for the day, into the 10 jersey.
With Haringey attempting a quick goal‑line dropout to catch the Lions napping, Booth reacted well, claimed the kick on the 10m line, and set off leaving Five defenders clutching at thin air as Booth tore through the heart of the Rhinos’ defence to score under the posts. It was a stunning solo effort, a try that swung the match beyond doubt.
Yet there was still time for one final flourish.
With the Lions inside the own 22m in the closing moments, Booth shaped to clear before stepping inside a charging Haringey runner. With space opening, Booth kicked clear and into the path of Stephan Okeke at full flight, who had endured frustration earlier when a certain try slipped away through an unlucky knock-on. Gathering at full pace, he streaked away from 60 metres out to score a glorious, cathartic try and seal a remarkable 31 unanswered points for the Lions.
It was a fitting end to a big day for the club. Fraser Waddell marked his 50th cap, Booth made a triumphant return, and all three London Scottish sides playing in the triple‑header claimed victories — a clean sweep to delight the home faithful.
From a 14‑point deficit to a 31–14 triumph, the London Scottish C Lions delivered one of their most disciplined, determined, and dynamic performances of the season. On a bright, blustery afternoon made for rugby, they rose to the occasion — and then some.
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Next Round: Saturday 7 March
Lions vs CS Stags (A)
– Venue: King’s House Sports Ground (W4 2SH)
– KO: TBC
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Lions Bs vs Rosslyn Park 4th XV (H)
– Venue: King’s House Sports Ground (W4 2SH)
– KO: TBC
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C Lions vs Hendon (A)
– Venue: Hendon RFC (NW4 1RL)
– KO: TBC
