A creeping sense of deja vu for Old Priorians as they were once again beaten in the final play, this time by Marlow, the visitors edging out the Twister 52-47 and winning their first game against OPs in the process.

In what was a thrilling encounter, Marlow and OPs traded early tries, the Buckinghamshire side the first on the board in the opening minutes, working wide to score in the corner, well converted for 7-0. A perfectly executed cross kick from scrum half Harry Lyons went into the grateful arms of winger Jack Wheeler to make it 7-5 mere minutes later, but Marlow were then able to motor and took a 21-5 lead despite some assiduous home defence.

This proved to be a cataylst for Priorians who hit back quickly, Rory Gaffney's incisive and destructive midfield break laying a platform to feed Ollie Mayes who was able to finish a fine move by the hosts, Will Taylor converting. Further good work by OPs - pinning Marlow back into their own half - allowed for more reward with Rhodri Darwent wriggling free of would be tacklers to provide the third try of the day for the home side, reducing Marlow's lead to 21-19.

The visitors then found themselves camped on the Twisters 5 metre line, eventually going over to reestablish a modicum of dominance in the tie ; yet, a wave of indiscipline saw Marlow receive three yellow cards towards the end of the first half that saw OPRFC benefit by way of a penalty try, the difference between the sides just one missed conversion as they swapped over at 28-26.

An excellent start to the second half for Old Priorians saw Kimen Nyam score a wonder try and a definite contender for try of the season, kicking the ball through from a very loose pass with incredible precision, allowing him to gather the ball and race in under the posts unopposed to put his side ahead for the first time. Marlow put three between the posts shortly after for 33-31, before OPs had their best spell of the game.

A ten minute period yielded fourteen points through Cathal Sheehan and another for Nyam with Taylor adding to his total, putting clear daylight between themselves and Marlow at 47-31 with around a quarter of the game still to go. Far from over, Marlow pulled a try back five minutes later and then found themselves in the ascendacy in the final ten to go over in the 75th to make it 47-45.

And so to the final play ; Marlow put themselves in good field position with a penalty kicked to touch for a lineout, the ball then spreading into the backline where a tremendous dummy broke the Priorians defence apart, moving into the 22 before the final pass went to hand and over the line, Marlow stealing the points at the death to take the fixture by 52-47.

There will be a lingering feeling of what could have been for OPRFC, having worked themselves into a winning position only to see it fall away in the final stages ; that said, they were competing against a big, well resourced club who are only perhaps now beginning to realise their full potential. There is little to complain about in the attacking department for the Twisters but conceding fewer points per game will surely be on the agenda going forward.

This leaves OPs in 10th position on 2 points in what is still a congested looking Regional 2 Thames, as they welcome London Irish Wild Geese to St Benedict's Playing Field next Saturday.

OPRFC Scorers

T : Wheeler, Mayes, Darwent, Penalty, Nyam 2, Sheehan

C : Taylor 6