READING 1st XV V OXFORD HARLEQUINS
18-27
For the second week running Reading led at half time but went down to defeat in the second half. Last week’s lead against Maidenhead was just a few points but against Oxford Quins the Holme Park men had a ten point cushion which they blew in the second half.
It all came down to possession of the ball. In the first half the scrummaging was good and the pack was going forward in both tight and loose play. Scrum half Dyson made a couple of incisive runs and Reading were on a roll. And this was despite referee Bob McCrudden awarding the visitors an eighth minute try following a knock on by them. Peter Davies and Ben Sturge had earlier exchanged penalties before McCrudden missed the offence, Ferdi Gerber was accredited with the try and Quins led 8-3.
It took just six minutes for Reading to come back as 17-year-old winger David Choules set up a ruck on the left hand side, fly half Billy Bragg kicked for the corner and winger Duncan Mollison jinked his way over. Sturge’s conversion gave his side the lead for the first time. Reading’s next try, on the half hour, followed a Simon Dyson burst down the touch line, leading to an attacking lineout from which hooker Paul Fisher went over. Just before half time Dyson was caught by an off-side player in front of the posts and Sturge kicked the easy penalty.
So far so good but the second half started badly. Skipper Alex Wallace, playing his first game since November 2006, had to go off with a recurrence of his hamstring injury. This was a real blow as Wallace had made some dangerous runs from full back. Prop Richard Pryor was taken off and within minutes hooker Paul Fisher was yellow carded.
The changes in the scrum gave the initiative to the visitors. Instead of receiving a steady stream of ball Reading now found themselves having to defend for long periods. As coach Jason Dance said after the game, “we lost our shape in the second half. We didn’t stick to our pattern.” Alex Wallace summed things up. “We should have been home and dry in the first half but we gave away far too many needless penalties. We weren’t under pressure but we still got off-side, handled in the ruck and spoilt our own momentum.”
In the 48th minute Gerber benefited from a lineout catch and drive to touch down his second try. With prop Andy Grierson taken off on the hour Reading found themselves under fierce pressure on their own line until eventually elusive scrum half Anthony Cope dummied his way over for fly half Noyce to convert.
Quins were now in the lead and, with ten minutes remaining, sealed the game with another try. This followed the Reading scrum being turned and centre Beau Wilson was able to glide over under the posts. Noyce’s conversion was a formality.
After this the visitors closed shop and held on to what they had, the forwards giving an object lesson on how to hold onto the ball in the drive.
SCORING SEQUENCE:
1 Peter Davies pen 0-3
4 Ben Sturge pen 3-3
8 Ferdi Herber try 3-8
14 Duncan Mollison try 8-8 Sturge con 10-8
33 Paul Fisher try 15-8
37 Sturge pen 18-8
48 Herber try 18-13
62 Anthony Cope try Andy Noyce con 18-20
70 Beau Wilson try Noyce con 18-27
READING: Alex Wallace (Tom Goodhew h-t); David Choules, Nick Brooks, Ben Sturge, Duncan Mollison; Billy Bragg, Simon Dyson; Richard Pryor (Axel Rees h-t), Paul Fisher, Andy Grierson (Dan Featherstone, 57 mins), Gary McLaughlin, Sean Kenneally, Matt Dwyer, Dave Carey, Scott Heirene
HOW THE SCORING WENT: 1 min Peter Davies pen (0-3), 4 mins Ben Sturge pen (3-3), 8 mins Ferdi Gerber try (3-8), 14 Duncan Mollison try, Sturge con (10-8), 33 Paul Fisher try (15-8), 37 mins Ben Sturge pen (18-8) 48 mins Gerber try (18-13), 62 mins Anthony Cope try, Andy Noyce con (18-20), 70 mins Beau Wilson try, Noyce con (18-27)
Reading scorers: Tries: Mollison, Fisher Con: Sturge Pens: Sturge (2)
Ted Goodhew