Esher 41 Tabard 3

Tetley Bitter Cup second round

Tabard crashed out of the Tetley Bitter Cup on Saturday with a resounding defeat at the hansds of a very efficient Esher side. Although Esher were good, Tabard were never allowed to develop their forward power and, had they been able to get going the scoreline may well have been different.

Esher started fast and, as Tabard reeled under a succession of penalties, Esher should have taken an early lead but the Tabard defence held and it was 20 minutes before their first score came, a penalty by their star player, Jon Gregory, who came to Esher via Harlequins and Richmond.

Although Esher gained another penalty, Tabard fought back and their superior rucking looked set to swing the game towards them but somehow every time the ascendency was gained, they found themselves penalised for some misdemeanour and Esher came back.

A run across field brought Esher their first try and a lone penalty by Tabards stand off Nick Churchman meant that Tabard turned round just eight points adrift.

The second half followed the first with Tabard continually thwarted in the endeavours and Esher creeping ahead with further penalties until a good try from a line out drive put the game beyond Tabard's reach.

As the game moved towards its inevitable conclusion, Tabard saw number eight Ali Meltcalfe have to leave the field after a blatant case of stamping that went unseen, yet again, by all three officials.

In the dying moments Tabard threw everything into attack but this exposed the gaps and Esher got two breakaway tries to complete Tabard's humiliation.

Stand off Nick Churchman said: "Esher were strong, they had a lot of ex-London Irish and Richmond players in their side and we gave away a lot of penalties.

"We under-performed. At the end of the day we lost to a better team." Geoff Bird, Tabard's first team manager, said Tabard were outclassed and outplayed.

"Esher were the best side we've played this year," he added.

This Saturday Tabard resume their league campaign away at Weston-Super-Mare who are the only team to have beaten Esher this year.

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