Esher new boy Tom Whelan secured the perfect birthday present as he collected a debut try in his side's 28-22 triumph at Richmond on Saturday.
Fly half Whelan, who celebrated his 24th birthday on Thursday, opened the scoring for his team before further scores from Jay Udo-Udoma and Spencer Sutherland secured a narrow win in their National Division One opener at the Athletic Ground.
Esher, coached by Ricky Nebbett, Chris Kibble, and Craig Chalmers, overcame three sin-binnings to register kick the campaign off with a win.
Richmond make the short trip to Rosslyn Park for another local derby next weekend, while Esher host Henley Hawks.
