There is a lot to unpick from this game. The spectators were entertained with 14 trys being scored in all, but the Antlers will be disappointed with the first 30 minutes where they got blown away by a Harpenden side who looked right at it from the start. The hosts secured the try bonus point and raced into a 24-0 lead inside half an hour; Teddington’s response was spirited and admirable, but ultimately it was a lead they could never reel back in. The Antlers finally came to life on the half hour mark with Alfie RANSOM and Harry SMITH getting the visitors on the scoreboard, but a fifth try for Harpenden meant the sides turned around at 31-14.
The second half started in an ominously familiar fashion, with the Hertfordshire side bagging two more trys to push the lead out to 43-14 and leaving Teddington wondering what they could salvage from the game. The final 20 minutes belonged to the Antlers though. 1st XV skipper Jack VALENTINE and full back Max AITKEN, both returning from injuries, came off the bench along with Emmo ALLEN, and a rejuvenated Teddington scored a further 4 trys: one each for VALENTINE and AITKEN, a second for SMITH and one for scrum half Will MAVIN. Amidst these trys, Harpenden scored their eighth as the visitors tried to play out from their 22. A try bonus point was secured and given a few more minutes maybe a losing bonus point would have been within reach. Given the first 30 minutes, this was a reasonable outcome for Teddington, but they will need to have a look at why things didn’t click early on. Harpenden however were a significantly more difficult opponent than when the two sides met in September and fully deserved their win. Teddington return to Bushy Park next week to face London Irish in the final league game of 2025.
Final Score Harpenden RFC 50 Teddington RFC 38. Man of the Match Tom PUGH.