Friday night at the RAG saw a proper Richmond occasion, as Vikings and Saxons went head-to-head in the Gauchos ROC London Shield Final in front of a strong home crowd.

With close to 200 down to watch, it said everything about the club at the moment, two senior sides in a final, plenty of noise on the sidelines, and a real sense of occasion under the Friday night lights.

On the pitch, it was the Vikings who came out on top, running in a 36–18 win to cap off what’s been an outstanding season for James Brooks’ side. They’ve been the team to beat all year and showed why again here. Physical up front, organised, and clinical when it mattered.

The group they put out had real quality through it, with over 400 1st XV caps in the squad and a number of Champ players returning from injury, including Callum Torpey, Sam Smith, Archie Brosch, James Langston and Greg Kitson. That showed in how they controlled the game. Their set piece gave them a solid platform, they were direct and physical around the contact area, and when chances came out wide, they were clinical enough to take them.

It wasn’t all one-way traffic, though.

For the Saxons, getting to this final has been a huge effort. A 3rd XV competing in a league stacked with 2nd XVs and finishing third in the regular season is no small feat. They’ve backed it up with some proper performances, finishing the regular league with the least ‘points against’, reflecting their strong defence. A 24-22 semi-final win away at Blackheath in what is Rugby’s oldest ever fixture probably summed them up best: tight game, big moments, and finding a way to get it done.

They carried that into Friday night. They stayed in the fight, looked dangerous when they moved the ball, and had their moments. The standout was Sam Laity’s try at the end, breaking from midfield and going 40 metres to score in front of the posts, which got a real reaction from the crowd.

In the end, the Vikings just had a bit too much control and accuracy across the 80. It’s a well-earned win and a strong way to finish the campaign.

Vikings head coach James Brookes said, “Friday's hard-fought victory against The Saxons was a great finish to an overall good season. The 2nd XV can be challenging for all to be a part of for various reasons, but special mention goes to Archie Winchurch-Beale, who has led the team from the front throughout and has been the glue behind the team's success.

It’s also been great to see some of the Kings boys push on and gain 1s debuts in recent weeks. A strong 2s side always creates a competitive 1s side, so I congratulate all who have been instrumental in making this the case.”

Saxons head coach, Simon Devis said, "I was proud of the way the Saxon players fronted up. We struggled with the Vikings set piece and conceded 3 tries off from their catch and drive. However, in open play, we challenged well and caused the Vikings some problems. It was a great way to finish the season, and congratulations to the Vikings."

Head of Rugby Rob Powell added, “It's been a big year at the senior end of the men's section at the club. While the 1st XV have been battling away to secure their status in the champ, both the Vikings (2s) and Saxons (3s) have been enjoying significant on field success. The Vikings are traditionally strong and often win the London Shield. For them to have been joined in the final by the Saxons is a massive effort. We had a great FNL at the RAG on Friday where the Vikings came out winners 36-18 winners, but it was a hugely competitive game and a testament to the hard work by Simon Devis who oversees the open squad and the other coaches and Conditioners who have worked with him this year including Zoran Higgins (Saxons coach alongside Simon Devis ), Daf Williams, Cal Cardwell and Matt Badgery.”