Alton's Comeback Stuns Ruts

Alton fight back from 22-6 down to edge Old Rutlishians 31-30 in an EDF Junior Vase thriller.

In terms of drama, commitment and enterprise, this was as good as an advertisement for grass-roots rugby as one could hope for.

All eyes may have been on Paris, but Alton and Old Rutlishians served up a classic of their own in south-west London in Saturday's EDF Energy Junior Vase third round clash.

Alton hung on to win a magnificent cup-tie by the skin of their teeth - or the width of a post to be more accurate.

Having trailed 22-6 a minute into the second half, Alton surged into a 31-25 lead and appeared to have closed out the game, but a dramatic injury-time try from full-back Ben Long gave stand-off Joe Worrall the chance to win the game for Ruts with the final kick of the match.

Unfortunately for Worrall, it was a fiendishly difficult kick from tight on the left-hand touchline and even though he is unlikely to strike a ball more sweetly, he watched in agony as the ball hit the corner of crossbar and upright and stayed out. Sport can be a cruel mistress.

It was particularly hard on Worrall, whose effervescent performance earned him 20 points, but Alton were well worth their fourth-round place after their remarkable second-half fightback.

Alton endured something of a torrid time in the first forty minutes; they were repeatedly turned over and their scrummage was constantly shunted backwards by a powerful, unified Old Rutlishians pack.

Centre Zane Roworth opened the scoring for Ruts on the quarter-hour with an opportunist effort that started as a seemingly aimless meander across the pitch and ended with him finding a gaping blindside gap and an extra gear - he scored unhindered.

Steven Ott responded with a penalty for Alton but Worrall extended the hosts' lead after half-an-hour when he clattered over from a five-metre scrum. He converted and added a penalty shortly afterwards and though Ott slotted another three points in first-half injury-time, Ruts were well in control at 15-6.

The hosts extended their lead just 48 seconds into the second half when wing Darren Ramen's half-break and timely inside pass put Worrall through for his second try and at 22-6 down, Alton appeared to be set for a drubbing.

But the introduction of veteran back-row man Kevin Wilson proved to be a masterstroke.

Wilson put in a barn-storming second-half performance and added leadership and a much-needed streak of venom to Alton's ailing forwards, and within minutes of his arrival, the visitors were back in the match.

Ott kicked his third penalty and then left wing Stuart Eade reduced the arrears further on the hour-mark when he scragged a loose ball from Bruce Oliphant's speculative chip; Eade added his second four minutes later after Alton won a succession of quick rucks, and quick hands from centres Phil White and Ott gave the wing room to slide over in the corner.

At a stroke, the game's complexion changed - Alton were steady in the scrums, hitting the rucks hard and playing with a fluidity that they never threatened in the first period.

Worrall added another penalty but his forwards were tiring badly and Alton struck again seven minutes from time with a lovely try. The forwards pressed and pressed with a series of pick-and-drives inside Ruts' 22 and quick ruck ball from scrum-half Jason Grace's blindside break was spun wide to Andrew Davies on the left; his measured pass allowed back-row colleague Shane Watts to barge his way over.

Ott converted to give Alton the lead for the first time in the match, and six minutes later a fourth-round tie appeared to have been secured when replacement wing James Ross dotted down in the right-hand corner following another series of punishing short-range drives by his reinvigorated forwards.

The hosts were not done, however. Four minutes into injury time, Alton secured scrummage ball on their 22 and just needed to put the ball into touch to seal the win, but a fluffed clearance and a sweeping Ruts' counter saw Long outpace the cover to score a dramatic try in the corner.

But the woodwork's intervention ensured the crowd's joy rapidly turned to despair and it is Alton who will go into the fourth-round hat this week.

* Alton aim to get off the mark in their Hampshire One campaign when they visit Fareham Heathens this weekend.

Old Rutlishians: Long; Ramen, Roworth, Edser, Cockeram; Worrall, Moulton; Clarke, Fillern, Carter; Keohane, Court; Weiss, Mannes, Gregory.

Tries: Worrall (30, 41), Roworth (17), Long (80+4);

Conversions: Worral (2)

Pens: Worral (2).

Alton: Johns; Wills (Ross 47), White, Ott, Eade; Collins, Grace; Happel, Parratt (c), Gay; White, Oliphant; Watts, Dennison (Wilson 47), Davies.

Tries: Eade (61, 66), Watts (73), Ross (79);

Conversion: Ott;

Pens: Ott (3).

Pictures can be viewed at: http://homepage.mac.com/alistair.willman/PhotoAlbum11.html