Charlton Park’s social‑media education continued this week with a midweek RFU workshop, where the presenter confidently declared: “I bet you lot don’t report when you lose.”

Well… challenge accepted. At Charlton Park we report win, lose, draw, or get flattened like a tent in a hurricane, and this week definitely falls into the latter category.

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The Match (20 Minutes of Hope, 60 Minutes of Character Building)

For the first 20 minutes, Charlton Park looked sharp, ambitious, and genuinely threatening. We went close a couple of times, only for eagerness to get the better of us and the ball to pop loose in contact. The plan was to chase a try bonus point and keep the pressure on the teams around us.

Ashford, however, had other plans.

Every time we attacked, they countered with pace, precision, and the sort of ruthlessness normally reserved for nature documentaries. Their early tries came directly from our own attacking moves, and by the second half the pattern was set: we pushed, they punished. Their discipline at the breakdown and physicality across the park meant they fully deserved the win.

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The Table, the Tension, the Houdini Factor

The bottom of the table remains tighter than a prop’s hamstrings on a cold morning. All four sides in the relegation mix lost this weekend, which means the great escape is still very much alive.

And speaking of escapes… we’re hoping to have Harry Houdini back in the starting XV next week. If ever there was a moment for a bit of magic, it’s now.

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Positives (Because There Were Some)

1. We scored two tries, which is two more than none.
2. Peta Miller was pitch‑side capturing fresh photos for our social media—proof that we were definitely present and occasionally upright.
3. The lads kept going to the end, even when the scoreboard was doing its best impression of a fire alarm.
4. And most importantly, the performances of our young guns were a genuine bright spark:
• Tevin Amisi‑Safi brought energy and intent every time he touched the ball.
• Lenny Jeannoutot showed maturity beyond his years, especially in defence.
• Louis Gounet worked tirelessly, refusing to let the scoreline dent his effort.
• Ozzy Bury played with confidence and bite, a proper glimpse of what’s coming through the ranks.
These lads didn’t just hold their own—they gave us something to build on.
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And Now, the Monty Python Philosophy

When life hands you a 66–12 defeat, you whistle, grin, and look on the bright side. Rugby is absurd, joyful, painful, hilarious, and occasionally humiliating—and that’s why we love it.

So we dust ourselves off, we smile, we train, and we go again.

Next up: Deal & Betteshanger Lions — and we’ll be doing everything we can to make sure it isn’t feeding time come 2.30 next Saturday.