The local derby against Crawley always brings a bit of chaos, doesn’t it? Tighter tackles, louder touchlines, and that delicious mix of nerves and noise. This one at Southgate Park had all of that and then some, as St Francis came out 21 to 12 winners in a bruising, brilliant afternoon that had drama before a single pass was even completed.

Straight after kick off, things went sideways. The referee, who we all sincerely hope is recovering well, took a nasty accidental boot to the head after slipping in the opening seconds. Not something you see every week. Play stopped, and in stepped Callum Blackburn, who calmly grabbed the whistle and made sure the derby could go on. The applause he got said it all.

Once the chaos settled, St Francis switched straight into gear. The forwards made the first statement with some heavy collisions, and the backs followed with intent. From the base of a ruck, Ryan Morrissey spotted the gap and charged over for the opening try, with Rylan Bridgen cool as you like with the extras. Seven nil and St Francis were already dictating the tone.

The home side kept the hammer down. Dominance up front, aggression at the breakdown, and plenty of chat from the stands. It wasn’t long before Morrissey doubled his tally, finishing another well worked move that left Crawley scrambling. Bridgen again nailed the conversion, and St Francis looked in complete control at fourteen nil.

But derbies are never that simple. A yellow card for one of Crawley’s front row seemed to wake them up rather than slow them down. Credit where it’s due, their scrummaging stepped up a level, and they fought their way back into the game with two well earned tries, closing the gap to fourteen twelve and setting up a tense second half.

Then came the real test. Ten minutes with Josh Rolfe, the Otter Whisperer to those in the know, cooling off in the sin bin meant St Francis had to show some proper grit. The defensive line held, tackles stuck, and the work rate across the park was relentless. When Morrissey barrelled over for his hat trick, you could feel the collective exhale from the crowd. Bridgen slotted his third conversion to seal a deserved twenty one twelve win.

And just when you thought the entertainment was over, the post match scenes delivered one last laugh. In strode Rylan Bridgen wearing a pair of sparkly, fully vajazzled jeans that stopped the whole changing room in its tracks, and there’s a fair chance even Louie Spence would have been proud of them. Yet, it summed up the mood perfectly, a group of lads who graft together, take the knocks, and still end the day in stitches. That’s what makes this club special and still maintain the bragging right in Crawley.

Final Score: St Francis 21, Crawley 12

Man of the Match, Ryan Morrissey
Dick of the Day, Rylan Bridgen
Honourable Mention, Al Ellis and Josh Wretham