SHARP PAYN CAUSES OLD JOHNIANS' TO SUFFER

The Met secured a convincing bonus point victory against top four rival Old Johnians with an impressive defensive display. Travelling to a bright but breezy Wimbledon RFC, the Met faced an Old John's XV who started the day a mere four points behind them in the league; the Old Boys were hoping to get back to winning ways after losing last time out.

The Met got off to a sensational start with Rory Payn running in the first of his two tries within 30 seconds of the kick-off, finding an inch of space to sprint down the left touchline, leaving defenders trailing in his wake. From the restart, Old John's quickly established themselves in the Met 22 and although they were next on the score sheet with a try of their own and were also the recipients of a number of kickable penalties, they had no answer to Payn's pace on the left wing. One of many Johnian handling errors was exploited by Payn on 24 minutes who hacked a fumbled Old John's ball towards an unguarded goal line. Although he stumbled in the act of gathering his own kick, Payn found fly-half Sam Druce in support who finished off the move under the posts. Five minutes later, another John's handling error at a lineout just outside their own 22 gave the Met the chance to move the ball across the pitch where once again Payn had too much strength and pace for the very thin defence and ran in his second try. Old Johnians bookended the half with a try that was very similar to their first, but their kicker was having no success into the face of the wind and the Met changed ends 24-10 to the good.

Old Johnians were probably a little puzzled as to how they were so far behind. The home side had recorded the majority of possession and were ahead on territory but they could not breach the resilient Police lines, nor did they possess a rapier like Payn.

The Met started the second half in wonderful style and with the try of the match. Having worked the ball back into the Old John's half from the kick-off, second row Jack Doswell picked the ball from the back of a ruck and galloped 50 metres, sitting the Johns' full-back on his backside with a glorious sidestep, to bring up the try bonus point for the Met. Half an hour of huff and puff by both sides followed, with neither looking very likely to cross the other's line. Again, the hosts had the majority of possession and began to dominate territory too, but there was still no way through the Police cordons, ably marshalled by skipper Healy, with Ferguson and Burman tying up the opposition with ferocious defence. Old Johnians eventually got the try that their field position superiority deserved but it was too little too late and both a try bonus and a losing bonus point went begging. Druce added a late penalty to improve the Met's points aggregate and finish with a further 17 points to add to his season's haul.

With Bec Old Boys seeing off Economicals and picking up the full complement of points, the Met remain level with them at the head of the table on 43 points, whilst Old Johnians find themselves drifting backwards towards the rest of the pack.