Papa John’s Plate Regional 2 South Final

Drybrook RFC 36 Sutton and Epsom RFC 27

DRYBROOK RFC’s 1st XV completed a historic club treble, as they took the honours in the Papa John’s Plate Southern Final after a fantastic comeback from a 16-point deficit.

With the 2nds and 3rds also winning their leagues, the Ladies continuing to grow in numbers and the Mini and Junior section boasting well over 200 members, the club has achieved an exceptional standard.

Drybrook arrived at Shaftesbury Avenue, Dings Crusaders’ Bristol home, after beating Bournemouth 26-22 to make the final.

Sutton kicked off in glorious conditions and Drybrook quickly forced several early penalties, Haydn Lewis punishing them on five minutes with a sweetly struck kick for a 3-0 lead.

Sutton’s big forwards pushed back to secure a penalty when Drybrook slowed the ball, and kicked to the corner before a well-executed catch and drive secured the first try of the game, converted for a 7-3 lead.

With 25 minutes gone, Drybrook’s Jack Moss was sin-binned for an accidental tip tackle and from the penalty Sutton scored their second try, again rumbling over from close range.

Worse was to come as the Sutton backline then broke through to send their centre coasting in under the posts for a converted try.

At 19-3 down Drybrook needed a moment of inspiration, and cometh the hour, cometh the man, as captain Mitch Bourne crashed over from a lineout.

Lewis was bang on with the kick and Drybrook were in double figures at 19-10.

Sutton added another three points though as Drybrook got isolated in attack and conceded a penalty, for a 22-10 half-time score.

Green Army fans have seen some great second half performances this season, and Drybrook needed one now.

And Bailey Watts was the man on hand to start the comeback, Mitch Baldwin making a strong break, the ball being moved right then left, and the all-action flanker picking a great line to burst over for the try.

The boot of Lewis added the extras and Drybrook were back to within five at 22-17.

Ten minutes later and they were level, the ball moved left after a good driving maul from a lineout for Cai Rogers to dive over.

The Green Army were then sent into raptures as Baldwin burst through to score, Lewis adding the conversion for a 29-22 lead.

Sutton hit back with an unconverted try to make it 29-27, and then missed a penalty kick six minutes from time to lead.

The game was still on a knife edge with both teams chasing glory, but Rhys Greenway looked to have sealed it for Drybrook when he chased a kick and seemed to have touched down in the corner, but it was not awarded.

There was joy moments later though when replacement scrum-half Ioan Vaughan-Jones breached the defence to score for Drybrook, Lewis’ conversion taking them more than a converted try away at 36-27.

And the Forest boys were soon able to celebrate a historic treble for the first time in the club’s history.

It was a fitting way for coach Tim Stevenson to say farewell and the deserved icing on the cake for a wonderful squad.

Elsewhere, a last-gasp try by Ed Bennion secured a dramatic 30-27 win for Ledbury over Winnington Park at Doncaster in the final of the Papa John’s Regional 2 North Shield final.