FOURTH PLACE FINISH FOR FIRST TEAM
Skipper scores in final league game; Vixens lose at home
A try by skipper Nick Parrott in his final league game for the club was not enough to prevent East London’s 1st XV from a 22-38 home defeat to Campion at Memorial Park in West Ham on Saturday (6 April).
Tries by number eight Parrott, prop Chris Brown and two from flanker Sacha Maly earned a bonus point for scoring four tries that left the maroon and blues fourth in the Counties 1 Essex league table with 66 points from 22 games.
East London’s first team won 13 games during the season, losing nine, scoring 575 points in the process and conceding 122. There were 24 different scorers who contributed to the total with full back Luca Rizzo leading the way with 17 tries, 32 conversions and five penalties in a total of 164 points.
East London 1st XV versus Campion: 1. Simon Leke; 2. Lewis Bourke; 3. Chris Brown; 4. Eoin Kelly; 5. Jack Rice-Lines; 6. Ben Pigott; 7. Sacha Maly; 8. Nick Parrott (C); 9. Ryan Billinghurst; 10. Rob Smart; 11. Matt Louis; 12. Antoine Louis; 13. Matt Shacklady; 14. Bill Brown; 15. Kevin O’Donoghue. Replacements: 16. Archie Leport; 17. Luke Staples-Preston; 18. Rob Vassie.
A side combined of players from East London’s second and third teams lost 12-17 in a home friendly with Campion 2s. Players from all four teams gathered at the end of the day to celebrate the end of the league season and player Nick Parrott’s farewell.
On Sunday (7 April) East London’s ladies’ side the Vixens lost 17-53 at home to league leaders Sudbury Ladies in Women’s National Challenge 1 South East (North).
The Vixens, who were missing many players because of injury and unavailability, played some good rugby with three forwards in their back line. They scored tries through Christine Kizito who started at inside centre before switching to front row, number eight Lauren Hatch and fly-half Aoife Farrell. Farrell scored one conversion. The defeat keeps the Vixens in eighth position in the league table with 24 points from 16 matches.
East London Vixens versus Sudbury Ladies: 1. Ella Blom; 2. Kat Salthouse; 3. Sorcha Caudery; 4. Louise Privett; 5. Caludia Madrigal; 6. Stephanie Smith; 7. Marie Schaller; 8. Lauren Hatch; 9. Rachael McMeekin; 10. Aoife Farrell; 11. Tilly Harrison; 12. Christine Kizito; 13. Whitney Bennet; 14. Nicki Barlex; 15. Freya Challis. Replacements: 16 Tolu Ogunsakin; 17. Lyssa Barber.