Southgate 10-24 Finsbury Park
Report by Andy Budd

New home, new season, but a familiar level of scintillating social rugby was on show as Southgate began their 101st year at Broomfield Park on Saturday.
Facing the legendary might of Finsbury Park 2nd team, a brave home squad may, ultimately, have gone down to defeat, but there were still plenty of positives to draw on.
Conceding a try inside a few minutes would have discouraged lesser sides, but drawing on their epic cup final victory of the previous season, the home team refused to give way.
After this kick up the collective arse, Southgate responded, levelling the scores by half-time, and with last year's skipper, Joycie, to come off the bench, a first win of the season was a possibility.
Anyway, God knows who actually scored for us – but I have a vague recollection that Sam Saterlay broke off a maul and then also set up Sam Barnes to score in the second half. Well played Sam. Sadly, though, victory was always a step too far, but hey, that's what counselling’s for.
Commendations go to high-profile new signing from American football, Garrett for a man of the match performance and Stef for complaining about how hard it is to tackle low – which is quite something, given that he's pretty low to begin with. Otherwise, big hands go to Dan and Shane for rolling back the years, Alex for learning the dark arts of the front row forward, Doug for ‘Doug stuff’ and Aidan ‘Joycie’ Joyce for playing despite pus pumping out of an in-growing toenail that he'd attempted home-surgery on prior to the game. Everyone else put in great shifts too.
Thankfully, the final score, a 24-10 loss, was mostly forgotten after quite a few isotonic, recovery beers and, doubtless, a kebab or two. And this spectator, for one, went home reassured that on Southgate’s broad shoulders, the entire pyramid of English rugby can rest securely for another century. Bravo boys. Proud to be one of you!

Southgate: Seagroatt (B), Millar, Karikari, Seagroatt (A), Humphries, Seagroatt (M); Forzoni, Mead, Saterlay, Watson, Langan, Wallace, Cusack (capt), Eid. Subs: Joyce, Barnes