The game opened in tense fashion, with both sides trading blows in a tight first half. Playing into strong winds, East London were forced to dig deep defensively while looking to establish their attacking rhythm. Despite the conditions, debutants Stanley Northcott, George Goldspink, Marius Pintilli, and Conor Pearson made their mark early, helping to shape the side’s focus on dynamic attacking pods designed to generate dangerous field positions.

It was Fabio Ogunfowora who put the first points on the board, calmly slotting a penalty to settle the nerves. Soon after, the crowd were treated to a moment of brilliance: Sacha Maly launched himself in spectacular style, diving over Chingford’s defensive line to score a sensational try that summed up East London’s intent.

The second half began with a spark, as Niall O’Shea showed blistering pace to slice through the opposition and extend the lead. Chingford, however, were not to be silenced, hitting back with two tries of their own by exploiting gaps in the East London defence.

But the response was emphatic. The forwards took control of the contest, spearheaded by Andy Coleman, who had been carrying strongly and making metres all game. Their dominance laid the platform for further scores, with Ben Clare delivering the final blow – a superb solo effort that saw him weave through defenders with smart footwork to touch down.

Fabio Ogunfowora capped a fine performance from the tee, kicking three conversions and two penalties to bring his personal tally to 12 points.

At the final whistle, East London emerged deserved winners, 21–32, having shown resilience, power, and flair in equal measure. With four debutants bedding in seamlessly and the attacking framework beginning to click, it was the perfect start to the season.