Few in the sodden stands at Peckham Lane expected Dulwich Foxes to survive the afternoon, let alone win it. But a fearless second-half performance turned a 22–3 half-time deficit into a thrilling 31–29 victory over local rivals Clapham Harriers.
The Harriers had been ruthless in the opening 40 minutes, exploiting a Foxes lineout that malfunctioned three times in the first quarter. Fly-half Callum Ferris kicked a penalty and converted two tries as the visitors built what looked like an unassailable lead.
The turnaround
Foxes coach Nia Rowlands made three changes at the interval and reshuffled the back row. Within ten minutes, prop Sione Latu had barrelled over from short range, and the Foxes’ pack began to dominate the breakdown.
Winger Abdi Hassan added a brace, including a 60-metre interception try that sent the home crowd into raptures. The decisive moment came with three minutes left, when replacement scrum-half Katie Doyle snipped over from a rolling maul and Jamie Okoro converted from the touchline.
“At half-time I told them: nobody is going to remember the first forty if you give them the next forty. They took that personally.”Nia Rowlands, Dulwich Foxes head coach
The result lifts the Foxes into the top half of London Division One for the first time since 2022. Harriers coach Ben Whitcombe admitted his side “switched off at the worst possible moment”.
