It was not only the 1’s who had plenty to celebrate at Barham Road on Saturday. Wimbledon 2’s, still with one match to play, secured the Surrey Premiership League 1 title with what was in the end a comfortable victory against third-placed Camberley, but with many similarities with their previous match against Richmond it did not always look that way.

Much of the first half was a dogged affair. Wimbledon had most of the possession with the forwards, who were dominant in the scrum, regularly launching attacks but keeping the ball tight and little sign of the running rugby that has been shown by the team for most of the season. Wimbledon had taken the lead on 12 minutes, kicking for the corner from a penalty and after several drives had been pushed back Number 8 Will Trimmer touched down with Calum Young converting. It was to be almost 30 minutes before the next score and once more it came from the back row. After the ball had been moved across the field stretching the Camberley defence Jamie Millais was put through near the posts, Calum Young again converting. The Dons went into half-time with a 14-0 lead but after a late yellow card for Trimmer would be playing most of the first ten minutes of the second period a man down.

The second half, though, saw a change in approach with a more expansive style of play evident from the start and almost immediately paying dividends. Ironically it was to be mainly the forwards who were to get onto the scoresheet. Winger Liam Ward set the tone when he made a touchline break from halfway before being bundled into touch just short of the line. From the lineout Wimbledon secured the ball and hooker Jag Mahal drove over to make the lead more comfortable. Barely two minutes later and in the same corner Tom Gulland went over after the ball had been moved repeatedly through the hands, closely followed by a further score from the busy Chris Dalley, Regan Botham converting the latter.

Camberley finally made it onto the scoresheet on 55 minutes with a converted try but it was not long before Wimbledon were again on the attack, running in four tries in the final fifteen minutes with the Camberley defence tiring. Skipper Charlie Maskrey led the way touching down in the corner, Tom Gulland grabbed his second after a line out catch and drive, Chris Dalley also scored his second after chasing a delicate chip over the defence from Botham, before Kieran Morris, in the final play of the match, sprinted through to touch down, again the corner. Botham added the extras to close out the Wimbledon victory at 55-7. The title was theirs, and well deserved it is.