‘Tis the season to be jolly. There was jubilation and celebration of a rugby kind as Richmond stole a last minute away victory against local rivals Rosslyn Park in the final pre-Christmas league fixture. The game had swung first one way and then the other, but Richmond deserved their victory for a cussed performance epitomised by the shuddering aggression of their defence. Richmond take four league points, leaving them in eighth position but with a game in hand over five of the sides above them.

Richmond had four changes to their starting fifteen, mostly as a result of injuries. On the wing, Chidera Obonna made his debut, having joined from Newcastle Falcons. Remarkably, only three of the starting fifteen had started the September home game against Park and one of the three, Alex O’Meara, was in a changed position.

Richmond kicked off and Obonna immediately got his first touch, bundling a Park player into touch. The early momentum was with Richmond, helped by a couple of penalties which ensured territorial advantage. Henry Cheeseman made a good half break, but the Park defence held. However, after seven minutes, the game turned. Richmond were again on the attack but making limited progress as the ball was worked out to the right. The attempted grubber kick then hit a boot, ricocheting into the hands of Park centre Patrick Kelly. He still had fifty metres to run but he had the pace to make it to the line and touch down halfway out for an unconverted try.

Galvanised by the breakaway score, Park now had the next three penalties, and Joshua Bragman used the third, conceded at the breakdown, to kick from in front and extend the lead to eight points after thirteen minutes.

With defences closing down space, both sides opted to hoist steepling box kicks and test the back three. Full back O’Meara was outstanding for Richmond, time and again running in to heavy traffic to leap and claim possession and then make good yards. After twenty minutes, the Park pack got a good drive going from twenty metres and Richmond did well to stop them on the line and get the drop out.

Richmond’s best moment was a superb 50/22 by O’Meara which set them up twenty metres out but frustratingly the lineout ball was lost. Finally, just after the half hour, Richmond did get the next score which followed a penalty. A kick ahead had gone just too far for the chasing Lucas Schmid and when play was called back, the referee awarded Richmond a penalty, kicked into the 22 by Alex Burrage. This time Richmond got their maul moving and the pack determinedly drove over, skipper Alex Post at the back to claim the try, converted by Burrage.

Five minutes later, Richmond had the lead. Burrage was illegally stopped following up a grubber kick and, as it was right in front of the referee, Park skipper Arthur Ellis had to take a ten minute breather. At half time, the game was evenly poised at 8-10.

As the third quarter progressed, Richmond started to dominate. The defence were forcing constant mistakes from their opponents and the pack were using every opportunity to muscle their way forward, using the drive. Momentum was briefly stalled when Cheeseman was yellow carded for illegally intercepting a pass out to the dangerous Charlie Walker, but Richmond reorganised well. Park had one good chance when winger Benji Marfo was first to a kick ahead and tried in vain to secure the ball. He has it. Oh no, he doesn’t.

After 59 minutes, Luc Jones cleared down the touchline and Park secured the lineout ball. However, this time scrum half Ewan Fenley delayed too long in preparing his box kick which was charged down by Schmid. Grabbing possession, the flanker had thirty-five metres to go and seemed bound to be caught but he had the pace to pull away and touch down unopposed. With twenty metres to go, Richmond had a two-score lead.

However, it only lasted five minutes. The defence had once again worked prodigiously to hold a Park attack and steadily drive them back. However, this time, the referee pinged Richmond for hands on the ground and Park opted to cut the lead to four points by converting a penalty from in front. Additionally, Richmond now lost the services of Ntinga Mpiko, who suffered a nasty arm injury.

With fifteen minutes to go, Park seemed to switch up a gear whilst Richmond fell back too far into defensive mode. Three successive Park penalties indicated building pressure as they worked their way up the touchline. A lineout in the 22 provided a chance to get the driving maul going, and Richmond’s problems were intensified when skipper Alex Post was yellow carded for coming in at the side. Now five metres out, Park made no mistake with their routines and hooker Jasper Cameron got the touchdown. Joshua Bragman’s conversion gave his side a three point lead at 18-15.

Richmond had five and a half minutes to reclaim the game. A kick out on the full was followed by a knock on in the gloom. Richmond were trying to inject urgency but couldn’t secure possession. However, a scrum penalty provided some impetus and got Richmond into Park’s half. Park were scrapping hard in defence but now conceded two more penalties. Richmond had the option of a kick at goal to level the scores but opted instead to kick into the 22.

Twenty metres out, the forwards secured the ball, but the Park line held. Finally, with the referee poised to blow his whistle at the next stop in play, Richmond spread the ball wide with Park hell bent on hitting the line hard. Tom Hitchcock spotted the chance and put a lovely grubber behind the try line under the posts. Could a Richmond hand get there first? Henry Cheeseman was the man and he was instantly surrounded by a swarm of Richmond players as the referee confirmed the score. Ted Landray added the conversion and the celebrations began.

Head of Rugby, Rob Powell commented ‘A last minute score, which is very exciting. I think we battled hard and deserved to win. We’ve had quite a lot of adversity in injuries and things like that and lost the games within seven this year so far. Fair play to the players and all the staff for hanging on in there and sticking to what we are doing, because it’s been a bit of a tough period. To show the resilience to come back and win here is a great feat, so well done to all of them and now we will kick on and have a good 2024’.

Tries: Post, Schmid, Cheeseman
Conversions: Burrage, Landray
Penalties: Burrage

Team: O’Meara, Obonna, Cheeseman, Hitchcock, Kaye, Burrage, Jones, Spring, Post, Mpiko, Monson, Murphy, Schmid, Breeze, Benson

Replacements: Maguire, Litchfield, Wakeling, Marsh, Landray