Tonbridge Juddians 61 Worthing 31: National League 2 East match report
09:50, 25 March 2024
updated: 09:50, 25 March 2024
By Adam Hookway
Tonbridge Juddians are finishing the National League 2 East season on a roll after their fourth successive win - a 61-31 thrashing of Worthing.
Judds scored nine tries to Worthing’s five to go into the last three games of the campaign firing on all cylinders.
The hosts set the tone after five minutes when a series of attacks saw the ball thrown high and wide left for Ryhan Taylor-Dennehy to dot down.
As the first quarter drew to a close TJ’s power game and ability to attack through backs and forwards saw Alex Reid barge over and then rampage in for his second with a dancing run from 40 metres. Two Tom White conversions made it 19-0.
TJs messed up the restart and gifted Worthing their first try and they added a second shortly afterwards as TJs hesitated and failed to gather a box-kick to allow the scrum-half to regather and scamper to the line.
Worthing then offended twice in quick succession and TJs set up a driving maul from a 5m lineout. A few phases later Will Colderick was too much for the defence and he crashed over for the bonus point.
Tonbridge nabbed a fifth try with Will Holling driven over before Worthing replied just before half-time with TJs leading 33-19 at the break.
The second half started in a blur with Juddians upping the pressure and the wind now at their backs. Worthing fumbled in defence and from the scrum Sam Evans found space for Duncan Tout to touch down and as TJs powered through again with Alfie Scopes proving too strong for a tiring Worthing defence.
Ben Mutch was another willing try scorer from the forwards with White slotting his seventh conversion of the afternoon.
Worthing weren’t done with their own try bonus point up for grabs and they secured it on 67 minutes before Will Colderick was sent flying in the corner with a no-arms tackle that gave TJs a penalty try. Worthing ended the scoring with their fifth touchdown of the day.
Fourth-placed Tonbridge are next in league action on April 6 with a trip to title-chasing Dorking.