It would be fair to say that Streatham-Croydon travelled over to Morden with ideas of a big win, unfortunately Old Rutlishians had not come to lay down. Streatham started strong, pinning the home team back into their own 22 for the first 10 minutes, dominating the scrum and the breakdown. However as balls were knocked on and chances squandered Streats started trying to force the game to get the opening score they clearly believed they deserved. This only had the effect of increasing the error count and eventually Old Ruts were able to clear their lines. 25mins already gone and from the resulting lineout Ruts took the ball and started making ground towards the Streats goal line, quick hands from the Ruts back line and they went over in the corner, well against the run of play. The only real positive from Streatham was the dominance of the scrum, although the whole team were guilty of being sucked into playing a slow tight game, rather than their own quick expansive play.

Following the score, the panic set into the Streatham XV, they were finding it impossible to get hold of the ball and spent the next 10mins pinned back in their own half. Eventually the break-through was made by Grant who went on one of his trademark barnstorming runs, unfortunately, 10m from the goal line he was deemed to have passed forward. Streatham's superiority in the scrum showed and taking the ball against the head were able to send it out to winger Auguiste who powered over the line, the successful conversion made it 5-7 to the visitors and only a minute left in the half.

Streatham collected the restart but failed to find touch, the resulting Ruts kick finding touch on the Streats 5m line, there followed a moment of madness from the Streatham jumper (name withheld to protect the bewildered), with a catch and drive having been called, the ball was passed off the top to a non-existent scrum half, popping up nicely for the oncoming Ruts pack who simply had to snatch the ball out of the air and touch it down to score. An unsuccessful conversion finished the Half. 10 - 7

Head coach Bob Dickinson had spent the last 40mins fuming at the lack of attack from the Streatham-Croydon XV and took to the half time huddle to give the team a deserved dressing down, what was said was between the players and their coach but whatever it was Old Ruts were just about to discover how good this SCRFC can be.

From the very start of the 2nd half, it was old head (and Man of the Match) Gordon Holder who lead the way, collecting the kick off, the oldest member of the squad by many years set a straight path into the oncoming defenders and it took 3 to stop him, quick ball and the backs were released in anger for the first time in the game, the resulting phases saw Ed Williams go in under that posts. It appeared Old Ruts hadn't learnt from their mistake and sent the next restart direct to Holder, this time the sound of the first defender bouncing off him was heard around the pitch before he was dragged down 10 metres later but the experience of Holder in the break down made sure Streatham got quick ball and again the attack was on, this time Grant finding the try line.

It has been said that the definition of idiocy is repeating the same thing and expecting different results and when Ruts restart went directly to the now rampant Holder, there was only going to be one outcome, again the strong running Streatham backs were unleashed, this time Williams pouncing on a nicely weighted grubber kick.

Streatham were now in the ascendence and there was little Ruts could offer in defence, with the scrum still dominant and the backs firing on all cylinders they did well to contain the score as much as they did. Grant going over twice in the last 15 minutes to get his Hat trick. The Streatham pack were giving the Ruts scrum such a torrid time that in a bizarre moment the referee requested that the Streatham tight five 'ease up' in the scrum or he would consider going to uncontested scrums. This was of course duly ignored by the SCRFC front row, who invited Ruts to request uncontested scrums and forfeit a player from the pitch if they were finding it too difficult.

Streatham-Croydon demonstrated how dangerous they are, they are the fittest, strongest and fastest team Streatham have put together for a while and the coaching team are moulding them into league winners. When they play as they did in the last 40mins no team in the Surrey leagues could contain them, however another performance like the first 40 mins could be the difference between promotion and another season in Surrey 3, there are teams in this league who will punish such a bad start. Dickinson and his team have two weeks now to find the secret to getting the team firing from the start.

Streatham take on Old Glynonians at Frant Rd on the 7th November.