On Saturday, London Scottish Lions B’s wrapped up their league campaign in style with a commanding second-half performance to overcome a resilient London Japanese side at King’s House Sports Ground.
The game started as a fiercely contested battle, with both teams locked in an intense physical encounter. The opening 20 minutes saw neither side able to break through, with defences standing strong. Eventually, it was the Lions B’s who struck first, as David Greene crashed over from short range off a pass from scrum-half Ross Currie. George Fisher added the extras, putting the home side 7-0 ahead.
London Japanese responded almost immediately, crossing the whitewash in the 26th minute and converting to level the scores at 7-7. The Lions B’s hit back through Ollie Boyes on the half-hour mark, but with the conversion going wide, they held a narrow 12-7 lead. The visitors were proving to be a determined opponent and managed to score twice more before half-time, with tries in the 35th and 38th minutes, both converted, to take a 21-12 lead into the break.
Echoes of the Lions B’s opening-day defeat to London Japanese may have been on the minds of some players and supporters, but there was no time for self-doubt. If the B’s were to claim the league title with a victory, they needed to step up—and that is exactly what they did.
The second half was a masterclass from the Lions B’s as they turned up the intensity and put on an incredible display of rugby. What followed was 50 unanswered points, showcasing their attacking firepower and defensive resilience. Fraser Craid got the ball rolling with an early second-half try, closing the gap. Fraser Waddell, making his return after more than six weeks out with a hamstring injury, powered over to put the Lions B’s back in front, with George Fisher converting. From there, the floodgates opened, with Angus Dandie, Aengus McCrimmon (twice), and Daniel Law all adding their names to the scoresheet as the B’s ran rampant.
With just minutes to go, the Lions B’s weren’t finished yet. After earning a penalty, George Fisher kicked to touch, gaining crucial territory. From the resulting line-out, the ball found its way to fly-half Felipe Dellinger, playing his last game for the Lions, who linked up with Ollie Boyes. Boyes sliced through the midfield before executing a pinpoint looping pass to winger Fergus Chapman, who touched down in the far corner—a stunning end-to-end team try and the perfect way to round off an exceptional second-half performance.
Although the Lions B’s had already mathematically secured the league title simply by playing the game (as the Middlesex Merit Table awards two points for a loss, and they only needed one to clinch the title), winning in such emphatic style was the perfect icing on the cake.
A huge thank you goes out to everyone who came down to support the team from the sidelines, as well as to all the players who have represented the B’s this season. The campaign isn’t over yet—next up, the Lions B’s face Finchley 2nd XV in the Middlesex Merit Bowl semi-final on Saturday, 12th April. We hope to see plenty of support at Finchley RFC as the B’s aim to add more silverware to their already successful season.
Meanwhile, the Lions will be looking to follow in the B’s footsteps this Saturday, 5th April, when they take on Aylesbury RFC. Just like the B’s, they need only one league point to secure their own title. It promises to be another massive weekend for the Club, and we encourage everyone to come down and cheer them on.
