Brunel started the game strongly, applying early pressure in the midfield. This spell of dominance paid off when they moved the ball swiftly from left to right, allowing winger Josh Barnes to cross the whitewash for the opening try. The conversion was missed, leaving the score at 5-0 to Brunel.

Both teams displayed solid attacking and defensive play as the first half wore on. Just before the break, Finchley capitalized on a knock-on by Brunel’s scrumhalf. Dom Goring slotted a penalty from inside Brunel’s 22-meter line to narrow the deficit. The halftime whistle blew with the score finely balanced at 5-3.

Finchley came out firing after the restart and quickly showed their intent. Nick Williams powered over the line in the 44th minute, with Dom Goring adding the extras to put Finchley ahead for the first time at 5-10.

For the next five minutes, Finchley maintained the momentum, keeping Brunel under pressure. However, Brunel fought back and regained territory. In the 55th minute, their center, spotting no clear options, executed a pinpoint cross-field kick to find winger Josh Barnes, who scored his second try of the match. The missed conversion left the scores level at 10-10.

As the game entered its closing stages, it appeared destined for a draw. But in the 78th minute, Finchley were penalized for offside just inside their half. Brunel’s Jack Thorne stepped up and calmly slotted the penalty to seal the victory for the home side.

The final score: 13-10 to Brunel University.

Despite the narrow loss, Finchley earned a losing bonus point, which keeps them at the top of the table heading into their next game. Finchley will look to bounce back when they host Cheshunt at home on Saturday, 7th December, 2.00pm KO

A well-contested game from start to finish.

#FinchleyRugby
#WeGod Again

Match report by Steven Rigby