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Regional 2 Thames Round Up : Gameweek 21
A look back on the weekend's league action
With just four full rounds left of Regional 2 Thames, a crunch weekend of league rugby passes ; let's take a look at what happened in the games just gone.
Aylesbury 34-38 Windsor
A huge result for Windsor who live to fight another day in the survival race, winning a high scoring thriller at Ostler's Field, the home side falling to a fourth straight defeat.
Windsor had led 21-12 at half time before 39 further points were scored in the second half, able to edge proceedings and come away with the try bonus. However, they will need to win all of their remaining games with at least two bonus points (and hope results elsewhere go their way) to have any assurance of safety for 2022/23, beginning with a home fixture against Belsize Park next week. They are currently bottom with 24 points from 19 games.
Aylesbury are not quite mathemtically save themselves though one win in their remaining three fixtures will do the job in a good season for the club, having garnered 49 points from 19 games and in 6th place.
Fullerians 19-17 Beaconsfield
A last gasp penalty from Dan Evans gave Fullerians vistory against Beaconsfield in a 'ten pointer' at Coningesby Drive, giving his side a win in dramatic fashion.
In a very tight game, Fullers went into the break with a two point lead, 9-7 up through three penalties from Evans in response to Beaconsfield's converted try. They furthered their lead just before the 50 minute mark with a try for Shaun Smith that Evans was ablel to add to for a 16-7 lead.
Undeterred, the visitors came back into the game in the last quarter through a 68th minute penalty then a converted try in the 77th, retaking the lead at 17-16 in the very late stages. It was down to Evans to take the high pressure penalty (Beaconsfield having infringed at the scrum), which he duly slotted for a famous win in Watford.
This boosts Fuller's survival hopes manifold as they move on to 41 points from 18 games in 8th place ; for Beaconsfield, the forecast becomes very different with 27 points from the same amount of games played but in 11th place - a win against Fullerians would have seen them six points behind their hosts.
Watch : Dan Evans wins the game for Fullerians
Hammersmith & Fulham 45-13 London Cornish
A second half blitz from Hammersmith & Fulham blew away a dogged London Cornish, in their last away fixture of the 2022/23 season.
The Hammers led by just a single point at half time - 14-13 - with Cornish having taken an early lead. However, the league leaders took full control after the break, Joe Carolan scoring 25 points including a hat trick to keep himself in the hunt for the top individual points scorer in England.
The win keeps Hammersmith top, 81 points from 18 games and their fate very much in their own hands ; Cornish may be looking over their shoulder slightly during the run in, seven points above the nominal third relegation spot, 44 points from 18 games in 7th place.
Hammersmith & Fulham 45-13 London Cornish
London Irish Wild Geese 27-15 Belsize Park
A strong second half of the season for Wild Geese continued with a routine win against Belsize Park who hover above the relegation zone with four games left.
Irish - having played 20 games - are in 5th place with 58 points, nine ahead of 6th (Aylesbury) and nine behind 4th (Old Priorians) and have little to play for for their remainin two games, but Belsize slide to 9th, 38 points from 18 games - with three of their last four games against sides in and around them in the league, before finishing against Hammersmith, making for a tense run in.
Old Haberdashers 37-33 Cobham
Undoubtedly the shock result of the weekend, Cobham's 12 match unbeaten run was ended by Old Haberdashers who give themselves a massive hand in Regional 2 Thames survival.
Habs asserted dominance at Croxdale Road in the first half, leading 22-10 through five penalties for Tom Jackson, plus a conversion to go with Josh Bunn's try. Luke Flower and Dan Allchurch scored the tries for Cobham in the first half.
The second half saw the game continue to open up and Cobham reduced the gap to two points via Yanni Loizias and Rory Penfold (22-20), Habs then stretching the lead back out to seven points.
Substitute Tom Farrelly scored ten points for Cobham to put them ahead at 30-27, yet Harry Briffit and Jackson were the heroes for Old Habs in the late stages, adding the crucial seven points that saw them take a vital victory into the last few remaining fixtures, Cobham taking two losing bonus points from the game.
The visitors retain second place (70 points, 18 games) but promotion hopes may well be fading, unless they are able to beat Hammersmith at Hurlingham Park this coming Saturday ; Old Haberdashers can climb out of trouble if they beat Belsize Park in two weeks. The side currently have 37 points from 19 games, just one point behind Belsize.
Old Priorians 6-26 Amersham & Chiltern
Three tries in the last eight minutes was enough for Amersham to secure an away win at Perivale, with OPs unable to score a try in a league fixture for the first time this campaign.
A close first half saw Chiltern lead 7-3, Will Clarke pulling it back to 7-6 on 70 minutes before the visitors accelerated to victory, giving the winners impetus in their hunt for promotion.
Old Priorians guarantee themselves 5th place - a highest ever finish at Level 6 - and have 67 points from 20 games in 4th, while Amersham are on 70 points, leapfrogging the Twisters into 3rd, with 18 games played, level on points with Cobham.
OPRFC 6-26 Amersham & Chiltern
That completes the round up for this week. For the full table, along with results and fixtures, please visit the RFU website :