On Saturday Mersea Island travelled as a squad to Thurston to take on both their 1st and 2nd XV. Thurston – who were relegated for Counties 1 last season – are a competent outfit who have maintained their position in the London leagues for many seasons.

Thurston kicked off and Mersea had the first opportunity to attack, with a handful of phases being played out before a kick downfield. Thurston countered and although the chase was a good one, Mersea were penalised at the breakdown. From the ensuing lineout, Thurston strung together 10+ phases, but the Mersea defence – as it would do for most of the first half – was a solid blue wall, and the ball was eventually knocked on. Mersea couldn’t exit, and Thurston went back on the attack, with Mersea holding on with some crunching defence on their own goal line, and eventually winning a penalty. However, the kick to touch was missed, and Thurston attacked again. Although another knock on occurred, the opening stanza was exclusively played in Mersea territory as the visitors struggled to get into the Thurston half. Eventually a good kick chase resulted in another knock on by Thurston, and Mersea had an attacking opportunity up at halfway. Mersea went through multiple phases and it was Thurston’s time to defend. Mersea spilt the ball forwards and Thurston kicked high and found grass, with the bounce favourable to the home team, and they went on the attack again. Phase after phase Thurston attacked inside the 22 but Mersea kept them out with heroic defence, especially from player of the match Adam Randle, who had bust his nose open on virtually the first tackle. Mersea eventually won the ball back and hacked it down field, but the kick didn’t find touch. Thurston countered but lost the ball in contact. Pat Gardiner cleared up and fired that ball back to Ben Norfolk who chipped over the Thurston defence and with no one home, Fullback Isaac Sestak won the race to dot down for Mersea. Gardiner converted and it was 0-7 after 20 minutes.

With confidence following their defensive display and points on the board, Mersea took the kick off and went through multiple phases. However, Thurston countered a ruck and won a penalty to take them back deep into Mersea territory. From the lineout Thurston threw everything at Mersea who again had to defend, which they did stoically and again won a penalty, although still deep behind their own lines. Mersea – who had almost exclusively defended – managed to put on a few more phases and win another penalty, taking them back into the Thurston half, but the lineout throw went astray, and the home team had another opportunity to attack. Wave after wave of attack got Thurston back into the Mersea 22, but somehow the visitors held them out and after winning a penalty, Thurston took the shot at goal to make it 3-7. From the restart, both sides got an opportunity to attack, and a game of kick tennis begun, until Mersea took the initiative and Gardiner took the ball on the fly and weaved his way back to 5 metres from the Thurston line. The ball was recycled quickly and was shifted to the right for winger Tom Struth to score, but the pass was adjudged to be forwards, and Thurston were let off the hook. From the scrum, Thurston exited and Mersea had an attacking lineout just outside the Thurston 22. Veteran Andy Sutcliffe climbed high to secure the ball, and from first phase, centre Brad Gardiner danced his way through the flailing defenders to run in and score Mersea second of the match. Pat Gardiner converted and against the run of play, Mersea had a 3-14 lead. From the restart, Mersea phased a few times then exited well back up to halfway. Thurston then attacked through multiple phases before hoofing the ball down field where they regathered only metres away from the try line. Mersea scrambled well, and although holding out Thurston, conceded another penalty which the home side kicked to touch. The throw was knocked on by Mersea, and Thurston had an attacking scrum. With only seconds to play in the half, Thurston bludgeoned away at the line to finally breach the Mersea line. The conversion was good and Mersea took a slender lead into the break at 10-14.

The second half began with Mersea kicking off, and after only one phase, Thurston lost the ball in the contact and Mersea had a chance to attack down the right. After a few phases of close quarter attack, Mersea also lost the ball in contact and kicked the ball 60 meters down field into the Mersea 22. Sestak countered but was caught just inside his own red zone, with Mersea exiting only just a few metres up field. The Thurston lineout was pilfered and Mersea went back on attack. Two phases were crashed up through the middle before the ball was shifted to replacement Charlie Goldring who drew and passed to release wing James Deighton down the left edge. Deighton – who beat four – was finally cleaned up on the Thurston 40m line, and when the ball went right, Mersea were isolated, and Thurston won the penalty. Thirston knocked on from the lineout, but from the resulting scrum, Mersea lost the ball in contact and after a handful of phases Thurston scored their second try of the match. Their Flyhalf kicked the touchline conversion and Thurston took the lead, 17-14.

The next 10 minutes belonged to Thurston as the Mersea team began to tire after their heroic defensive efforts of the first half. From their own half, Thurston shifted the ball right into space and managed to slice through up to the Mersea 22 where a neat offload allowed them to score on the left. Another near touchline conversion from the Thurston flyhalf made it 25-14. To their credit Mersea came back into the game and controlled territory and possession and put the home side under pressure. Thurston had a scrum on their own right hand 40 metre line, and following good pressure from Pat Gardiner, the ball went a bit loose, and the subsequent kick was charged down by Randle. The ball squirted back into the Thurston goal and Ben Norfolk won the foot race. The conversion was missed, and Thurston held a slender lead of 25-19 with less than 20 minutes to play. This however was the last time Mersea would be within touching distance of the home side who ran in four more tries in the last quarter of the match, coming away with a 47-19 win on the day.

Mersea Island can take a lot of heart from another quality performance against a decent Thurston 1st XV, especially their defensive display in the first half and holding a well fought lead into half time.

The Islanders are back in action this weekend with a home tie against 5th Placed Shelford 3rd XV.