In from the Side

Mark Newton is a new and relatively inexperienced player on the B team of a London rugby club for gay men. He has a drunken encounter with Warren Hunt, a star player on the A team. Both men are in unhappy, long-term relationships. Warren's boyfriend, John, is also another star player on the A team who Warren only stays with out of loyalty for helping him during a difficult period in his life. Warren is initially worried the affair will get back to John. Mark's condescending boyfriend, Richard, allows for an open relationship as long as Mark tells him about it and doesn't let it get past a one-time occurrence. While Richard travels for work, Mark and Warren decide to pursue a relationship. Mark's attempts to hide his infidelity cause his relationships with his teammates to suffer. Henry, another new rugby player, develops an alcohol problem due to his loneliness and unreciprocated feelings for Mark. After losing their first game, B team takes on a serious competitor to establish themselves as a committed team or else they'll be dropped. Wanting to be with Mark, Warren offers to join the B team under the guise of helping them win. In doing so, B team player Gareth is benched for the game, causing him to be resentful toward Warren. The team wins the game, and Mark abandons a drunken Henry to have sex with Warren at the hotel. The team notices Mark's detachment from the team, and Henry feels abandoned by Mark. Richard comes home and declines to spend Christmas in the French Alps with Mark's parents, prompting Mark to invite Warren instead. Warren is warmly welcomed by Mark's parents and enjoys Christmas together. Mark's mother reveals that she took his father from a long-term relationship and felt extreme guilt for hurting his girlfriend. During their marriage, his father had multiple affairs. His mother warns Mark that a relationship born from deception only continues to create more and causes widespread collateral damage. Mark's father argues that he cannot be preoccupied with not wanting to hurt other people's feelings or else he would miss out on the joyous things life has to offer. At the club's New Year's Eve party, Warren sends a text to Mark while Gareth uses his phone. After seeing the text, Gareth tells Henry and John out of revenge for getting benched, causing John to attack Mark. Mark leaves the party after Warren refuses to intervene. He comes home to find Richard with a naked photo Mark took of Warren during one of their trysts in Richard's condo, revealing one of Mark's teammates told him everything. Richard breaks up with Mark and kicks him out. The club decides to drop the B team after Mark quits, but Warren convinces Mark to rejoin. With Mark and Henry, B team wins the final game. Richard comes to see Mark play for the first time. Mark tries to make amends for the affair, but they decide to stay separated. After the game, Warren reveals that he and John are leaving the club, but is willing to leave John for Mark and start over, but Mark declines. At the club's celebration, Henry receives honours for the match. Mark feels at ease with the camaraderie of his teammates, and sees a player from the opposing team staring at him – similar to how he and Warren met, signaling his potential to be open to new relationships. == Cast ==