In perfect playing conditions, Vandals U14s travelled to local rivals Esher RC to claim a hard-fought victory.

Esher came out strong, with midfield duo Rhys and Ario putting in an impressive shift that demanded resolute defence from all the Vandals boys with notable strong tackling from Max, Ben A, Ben H and Adam. The Esher scrum was extremely strong, with both sides contesting fiercely for dominance and in game play Esher’s forwards often edged the rucks and found a solid structure in their back line.

However, when Vandals created an attacking position, their sharp line speed and incisive breaks ensured they went into half time with a narrow deficit of 12–17.

The second half saw a noticeable lift in Vandals’ performance. They ironed out the inconsistencies from the first half, spreading the ball more effectively and improving their ruck speed. Running straighter and holding their positions, the team began to exploit space with real intent.

One of the standout moments came when Aaron’s well placed pass found Freddie, who swiftly fed Jimmy to finish off a superb try — a move that perfectly showcased the growing maturity and awareness of the squad this season.

Equally impressive was the team’s discipline. The boys stayed composed and determined. In an extremely tight contest, both teams crossed the line five times, leaving conversions to decide the outcome. Vandals’ captain Ben Harper proved the difference, delivering an outstanding 80% kicking success rate to seal the win.

Head Coach Paul praised the team’s character:
“The boys had to dig deep today to find the win against Esher’s strong attack. When we had the ball, we worked hard with the space but learned a lot in what was a real battle. Going forward, we need to focus on improving our rucking speed to prevent the opposition from getting their hands on the ball. All in all, I’m really proud of how the boys worked as a team and kept it together throughout.”