In blustery conditions caused by Storm Amy, the Lions B’s continued their outstanding start to the season with a hard-fought 38–7 victory over local rivals Chiswick 2nd XV. The strong winds — with gusts up to 50mph — made for a scrappy but entertaining contest, as both sides battled the elements and each other in Round 3 of the Middlesex Merit Premier.
Coming into the match, the B’s had been in dominant form with two emphatic wins (64–5 vs New Zealand Kiwis and 83–0 vs Old Streetonians 2nd XV). Chiswick, meanwhile, had enjoyed a solid start to their campaign, setting the stage for another spirited local derby between familiar opponents at King’s House.
—————————-
First Half
The opening quarter was a cagey affair, both teams adjusting to the swirling wind. Handling errors were inevitable, but the Lions scrum quickly established control and provided a strong platform throughout.
The breakthrough came in the 21st minute, when sustained pressure saw the ball worked wide, and Ezekiel “Ziggy” Toga finished smartly in the corner. Chiswick responded swiftly with a converted try to level the score at 7–7, capitalising on a rare lapse in the Lions’ defensive shape.
Momentum swung back in the hosts’ favour on 31 minutes, as Cameron Symes broke clean through midfield from halfway before linking with Cameron Wray, who released Wise Ratuvou to score out wide. Wray then added a beautifully judged conversion into the wind.
Just before the break, Aengus McCrimmon sparked a trademark counter from deep, and quick recycling allowed Ziggy to beat five defenders en route to his second try of the match. Wray’s conversion gave the Lions a 19–7 halftime lead.
—————————-
Second Half
The Lions started the second half brightly but were frustrated by handling errors and the difficult wind. A period of pressure from Chiswick — aided by a yellow card to Flynt Preston (52’) — tested the B’s defence, but the pack held firm, dominating the set-piece and territory battle.
As composure returned, so did the points. On 67 minutes, Flynt Preston and Wise Ratuvou combined brilliantly to send Cameron Symes clear down the right. Symes’ offload found Morgan Churchill, who powered over for the bonus-point try.
Momentum built from there. Another sweeping move saw Morgan Churchill cross again on 76 minutes, after an incisive link-up between Symes, Fraser Waddell, and Ziggy. Wray slotted the conversion impressively from the touchline.
The final say came in the 80th minute, as Cameron Symes and Morgan Churchill once again combined to break down the right wing, only to be tackled just shy of the 22, off the back of a quick ruck, Ross Currie passed to Flynt Preston, who bulldozed his way through four tackles to score under the posts — a fitting end to a dominant pack performance. Wray’s conversion capped off a 38–7 win.
—————————-
Tries: Ezekiel “Ziggy” Toga x2 (21’, 33’), Wise Ratuvou (31’), Morgan Churchill x2 (67’, 76’), Flynt Preston (80’)
Conversions: Cameron Wray x4 (31’, 33’, 76’, 80’)
Yellow Card: Flynt Preston (52’)
Man of the Match: Flynt Preston – relentless in the scrum, powerful in the loose, and fittingly capped off the win with the final try.
—————————-
Coach’s Corner
B’s Coach, Drew Todd, reflected on the performance:
“In those conditions, control and patience were key. We dominated the scrum and showed real composure to take our chances when they came. There’s still work to do on our accuracy, but the boys should be proud of another strong performance.”
—————————-
Looking Ahead:
With three consecutive bonus-point wins, the Lions B’s sit joint top of the Middlesex Merit Premiership and are fast becoming the benchmark for consistency. Next weekend offers another opportunity to build momentum and further test their depth, with several players pushing for selection across all squads. The focus now turns to maintaining standards and translating early-season dominance into long-term league control.
—————————-
Saturday 11 October
Next up for the Club, 2x teams out this weekend:
Lions vs Worthing (H)
– Venue: King’s House Sports Ground (W4 2SH)
– KO: 15:00
+
Lions B’s vs Quintin (A)
– Venue: Chiswick RFC (W4 2SH)
– KO: 14:00
