Esher v London Welsh Preview

Played two, lost two doesn’t seem like the most promising pre-season statistic. But, as ever, the bare facts don’t tell the whole story. The truth is that we’ve seen two defeats against Premiership opposition, but performances which have had London Welsh followers feeling optimistic about the new Championship season. Our final pre-season fixture is away at Esher on Saturday (29th August, 3pm ko).

London Welsh are very familiar with the Molesey Road ground, having played their last ‘home’ fixture there, beating Moseley 50-37 at the beginning of May.  It was the second time we had used the ground as our adopted home, the first being some 15 years ago for a Courage Five South fixture with Tabard in the promotion-winning 1994-95 season.  In addition, we’ve obviously met Esher four times in the last two years in National One, winning three and losing the first fixture back in September 2007. 

While the recent friendlies with London Irish and Saracens have rekindled relationships which date back to the 19^th Century, our first meeting with Esher was a mere 36 years ago.  The club wasn’t formed until 1923 – history tells of four friends meeting in a pub and deciding to form a rugby club, and one of them insisting that the team adopt the colours of his hometown club, Newport.  Without wishing to sound arrogant, it must have been quite a coup for Esher’s fixture secretary to secure a fixture with Welsh.  The previous season (1972-73) had seen Welsh record 26 wins from 40 fixtures, scoring 781 points (including 135 tries); we had been semi-finalists in the Cup, won the Middlesex Sevens for the third successive season, and won the Western Mail Welsh Championship while also finishing third in the Sunday Telegraph English Pennant.  And yet, on 12^th September 1973 London Welsh ran out at Esher and secured their biggest ever victory, 74-16.  There were 14 tries in all – four apiece for JPR and new signing Clive Rees - while Gerald Davies, in a new kicking role, added nine conversions. 

Upon the advent of league rugby, Esher were placed in London One but were relegated at the end of the inaugural season and took five years to gain promotion, at which stage they were only one rung below London Welsh on the ladder.  By the time they reached the National Leagues in 1998, however, we had won three promotions in four years and re-established ourselves in what was then Premiership Two.  It took them nine years to catch us up, but in 2007-08, under the leadership of former Rotherham coach Mike Schmid, Esher beat London Welsh 28-16 at the newly renamed Pillar Data Arena in National One in the first league meeting between the clubs. 

For most of the second half of last season, Esher were most people’s adopted ‘second team’ in National One.  The ridiculous decision to relegate five of the 16 teams had created a gulf whereby many clubs – Welsh included – had invested heavily in playing personnel in order to push for a Championship berth.  Those who perhaps had to cut their cloth more wisely – including the two promoted sides and perennial strugglers such as Sedgley Park and Newbury – quickly found themselves cast adrift.  Esher had looked doomed to be the fifth casualty at Christmas, but the dawn of 2009 saw the team rise as the wins were racked-up.  Many observers marvelled at the prospect of one of the so-called ‘big’ names being cast adrift, as Esher threatened to overhaul Moseley, Rotherham and Plymouth Albion.  Ultimately, however, they’d given themselves too much to do, and following our 32-21 win on 18^th April, they were relegated from National One to, erm… National One. 

Esher have won both pre-season fixtures so far, beating Barking 38-34 and Henley 24-3.  Next weekend’s first round of league fixtures sees them visit another of the relegated sides, Manchester, although arguably most supporters already have one eye on week four’s match at home to newly-promoted London Scottish. 

London Welsh supporters have enjoyed their recent visits to Molesey Road, and many have found themselves wandering down when the Exiles have been away from home.  It’s a club first and a business second, which many people feel is how things should be.  As Welsh have moved towards a full-time playing squad, several players have also drifted over to Esher.  Just as we benefited in the past from Wasps’ or Saracens’ decision to offload established players, so Esher have welcomed the likes of Lee Starling, Colm Hannon, Neil Taylor and Sam Ulph.  They also recruited Robbie Shaw last season, although he’s since moved on to Bristol, and have James Campbell back at hooker after missing much of last year through injury.  Dean Richards placed many of his young Quins players at Moseley Road last year, including Charlie Amesbury, Seb Stegman and Seb Jewell, although it remains to be seen whether the Quins management will continue the relationship with Esher now at a lower level.