Outgoing captain of the Harlequin Wanderers John Masters couldn't disguise his delight in winning the final game of the season against perennial rivals Kew Occasionals by 7-5, writes D-M Kirk-Sargeant.

Describing Kew as 'an occasional side with a lot of quality,' Masters said he couldn't have asked for a better way to end the season.

"We have been playing each other for nearly 20 years," he explained. "It's our favourite fixture and the one we strive to win every year. But we last defeated them about two years ago, which makes this victory especially sweet."

The result could so easily have gone the other way. Kew Occasionals were on the attack from the off and kept the Wanderers on the defensive for most of the game. Kew's first try came three minutes in and Wanderers had no answer for most of the first half, until Hamid Zayouna and David Guthrie made a break through Kew's defence giving Brandon van der Westhuizen the opportunity to equalise with Guthrie converting the try.



Masters will continue to play for the Wanderers next year, with the captaincy now falling into the capable hands of Patrick Barrow.

Harlequin Wanderers squad: John Masters (Capt.), Patrick Barrow, John Lawrence, Jon Fairweather, Graeme Blackmore, Tom Cooper, David Wells, Hamid Zayouna, Paul Jensen, Mike Pudner, David Guthrie, James Hayden, Henry Quinlan, Peter van Loo, Graham Sidorowicz, Simon White, Nick Wooton, Brandon van der Westhuizen