Cobham kick-off the season with seven-try victory at Old Cats

njmelton77
Sep 11, 2025
3 min read

Cobham's opening league fixture of the 2025/26 season was away to newly promoted Old Caterhamians. Their last fixture against one another had been back in March 2007, when Cobham won 13-18. Some family history was made with the captaincy passing to Tom Davison, following on from his father Billy and his Uncle Jack, as he led the team out in their new kit.

Cobham continued where they left off last season with 16 of the 18 man squad having come through the minis and youth. There would be debut appearances to Colts Tom Incledon and McDonagh, while Gabe Clark got his first start at prop.

The Old Cats had finished top of Surrey Counties 2 with 15 try bonus points and having only lost two matches, it would prove to be a stern test for Cobham. Indeed, it was Old Cats who had the momentum in the opening minutes, breaking the line and scoring a converted try in the corner (7-0). However, following a clean lineout take by Davison, the ball was fed to number eight Jake McQuade in the back line, who broke two tackles to feed centre Jordan Bond, who scored, although Dellapina hit the posts with the conversion (7-5).

The momentum was maintained when debutant Incledon side stepped and evaded the defence to go over, with Dellapina adding the extras (7-12). Caterhamians number 8 Oscar Nye then set-up the next score, when he made a break from the back of the scrum, which eventually led to a penalty close to the posts that keep the home side in touching distance (10-12).

After a period of play where both sides probed each other's defences without breaking through, Cobham's next score came from their own twenty-two. Winger James Edmondson collected possession, slipped the ball to scrum half Rory Penfold, who ran half the pitch before passing to Dellapina to score under the posts for a simple conversion (10-19).

Caterhamians added a further penalty (13-19), but it was the visitors who scored their bonus point try just before half-time; Incledon adding a well-deserved second try, which he had created after an incisive run from that Dellapina converted (13-26).

Caterhamians pressed the Cobham line to score the all-important next score but, like last season, the defence was strong. It was from deep in the Cobham half that the backline connected from a tap penalty with Incledon, Penfold, Saywell and McDonagh all involved, resulting in Bond scoring under the posts for his second try and another simple conversion for Dellapina (13-33).

The home side finally got a well-deserved try when hooker Alex Kelly went over (18-33). From the restart, a well collected kick ahead was fed out to winger Zachery Uddoh, to sprint over in the corner (23-33) as the fight back continued. However, it was Cobham who picked up the final points, with first Louis Porter going over (23-38) before Captain Davison adding a converted try. Final score, 23-45.

A confident start and Director of Rugby Billy Davison will have been pleased to secure a win on the road. This Saturday (13 September) sees the 1st XV welcome Haywards Heath to Fairmile Lane, kick-off 3.00pm, with the 2nd XV starting at 2.30pm against Chobham – all support welcome.

Cobham 1st XV Squad:-

1. Gabe Clark

2. Lewis Joyce

3. Ryan Aujla

4. Joe Harker

5. Hugh Farmer

6. Louis Porter

7. Tom Davison (Capt.)

8. Jake McQuade

9. Rory Penfold

10. Connor Dellapina

11. Inis McDonagh*