National Division One

Camberley 24 Wharfedale 11

Camberley, one of the division's newcomers, got off to a winning start at this level when after an evenly contested first half the Greens failed to make their experience count and three late penalties for the Surrey outfit exaggerated the difference between the sides, writes Keith Lewis.

It was the first ever meeting between the clubs and Camberley, last season's champions of National Two South, included eight new faces recruited mainly from Premiership ranks.

One player left on the touchline was former England star David Pears - a target for the Greens last season who is now on the brink of throwing in his lot with Camberley. What a difference his tactical nous might have made to Wharfedale as they chased the game in the final quarter!

The Dalesmen did include Pears' former Harlequins team-mate Glen Harrison, making a welcome return to his home club after five years absence, and former Fylde prop Richard Lancaster, who like Glen was following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather by pulling on a Wharfedale shirt.

Ominously Camberley went into the game with a 15-match unbeaten home run whereas Wharfedale had the unenviable record of not having had a victory away from The Avenue since their one-point winning margin at Lydney in October 1997.

The Dalesmen certainly made the brighter start as prop Lancaster and hooker John Lawn drove on, lock David Lister took the first lineout and the home side just managed to bundle Wharfedale winger Adam Mounsey and lock Neil Dickinson into touch by the corner flag.

Camberley's nerves were settled in the ninth minute when they drove from a lineout on halfway and the ball was recycled along a slick back division to fullback Tim Robinson who went over in the corner.

Although the home fly-half and captain Guy Gregory missed the difficult conversion he made no mistake with a penalty in front of the posts and the former Wasps player went on to cause the Greens problems with pin-point kicking from hand and slick service to his inside centre Gavin Thompson, once of 'Quins and England B.

Wharfedale's young fly-half David McCabe, clearly not one to be over-impressed by rugby CVs, almost created a try for winger Steve McManus with a superb long pass, but the home defence was alert to the danger.

A driven lineout on halfway created the chance for Mounsey to open his account with a penalty, and although the Dalesmen then lost their captain Charlie Vyvyan with what looked like a hamstring problem the side rallied with replacement John Hartley on and levelled the scores just before half-time. The instigator was Andy Hodgson, also on as a replacement, who cruised into space before chipping through for Mounsey to touch down in the corner.

The Greens restarted in earnest but after flanker Hedley Verity had caught Gregory in possession and Mounsey had been stopped two metres short Camberley eventually broke out of defence and earned a penalty at the other end. Gregory's kick failed but Wharfedale's poor drop-out resulted in a scrum back and Camberley moved the ball wide where winger James Faulkener crossed and Gregory converted to make it 15-8.

Mounsey then narrowed it to 15-11 after a sparkling break by Lister and Hartley, but the Greens disappointed in the final quarter when after ample possession and a spate of unforced errors the nearest they got was a half-chance for McCabe.

Gregory rubbed salt in the wound by adding nine points with his boot in the later stages and the Dalesmen were left to reflect on what might have been.

There were many credits of course. Philip Peel underlined his potential with cool authority in the front row and it was good to see "Hodge" back in action for the Greens.

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