Bognor RFC’s 1st XV travelled to south London to face Twickenham on a wet and muddy afternoon, returning home with a four-try bonus point, plenty of positives and the nagging feeling that a potential away victory had slipped through their fingers.

The hosts made the perfect start, crossing for an early try as Bognor struggled to adapt to the testing conditions. However, Bognor responded in the best possible fashion, using a powerful rolling maul to rumble over the line. Jeremy Newton Young added the conversion to get the visitors up and running.

Twickenham hit back with a converted try of their own, while Bognor thought they had found an equaliser only for the score to be disallowed for crossing. It was a frustrating moment for the visitors, who were beginning to show signs of what they could offer, but the scoreboard continued to favour the hosts.

Bognor’s difficulties in adapting their game to the conditions proved costly. On a surface where possession was precious and the ball was about as predictable as a raffle ticket in a hurricane, the visitors were guilty of kicking away too much hard-earned possession.

Twickenham capitalised, and despite Bognor’s competitive efforts, the hosts went into half-time with a commanding 31–7 lead. The scoreline, however, did not tell the full story.

Bognor’s scrum was dominant throughout, with the front row of Weller, man of the match Mitchell and Turner putting in a tremendous shift. The pack repeatedly got the better of their opposite numbers, at one point marching the Twickenham scrum backwards by a full ten metres. Hooker Ollie Mitchell also enjoyed an excellent afternoon at the lineout, finding his jumpers time and time again despite the challenging conditions.

The half-time team talk clearly had the desired effect. Whatever wisdom the coaches imparted in the changing room, Bognor emerged with renewed purpose, greater composure and the determination to make a contest of it.

The visitors began to turn their territorial advantage into points, with Foote powering over under the posts to get the comeback underway. A rumbustious drive from Rimmer followed, as Bognor’s forwards once again demonstrated their ability to make ground through sheer determination. Newton-Young then produced a fine try for the visitors after Twickenham had responded, and suddenly the game was moving towards a pulsating finish.

Bognor had rediscovered their attacking rhythm, and the hosts were being forced to work far harder for their points. The visitors' second-half performance was another demonstration of the heart, resilience and attacking ambition that have become increasingly evident in recent weeks. For the second consecutive game, Bognor outscored their opponents after the break, turning a seemingly one-sided contest into a genuine battle.

At 38–33, with the momentum firmly swinging towards the visitors, the prospect of an unlikely away victory was very much alive. Bognor had secured their try bonus point and were pushing for more, with the travelling supporters beginning to believe that something special might be on the cards.

Sadly, Twickenham had the final say, crossing late in the game to extend their lead to 45–33 and deny Bognor the opportunity to collect further points.

There was plenty to admire in Bognor’s performance. The first half will provide lessons in managing possession and adapting tactics to difficult conditions, but the second-half response was outstanding. The scrum dominance, lineout accuracy and attacking intent offer plenty of encouragement for the weeks ahead.

A special mention must go to Charlie Donoghue, who made a fine debut off the bench and contributed positively to the effort. It was also a pleasure to face Twickenham, who proved to be excellent hosts, and Bognor look forward to welcoming them for the return fixture.

The large travelling Bognor crowd deserved credit too. They braved the rain, mud and changing fortunes to support the team throughout, and were rewarded with an entertaining contest and a stirring comeback.

Bognor RFC 2nd XV continued their fine form with a resounding 78-7 victory over Chineham. They now sit 4th in Counties 4.

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