| COLTS 22 - DRIFTERS 5 |
| Reading travelled to Drifters at Farnham Common for the opening game of their league campaign, a campaign postponed due to Bracknell’s withdrawal from the league a few weeks ago. |
| Conditions were good with a light breeze and a firm but damp pitch. Reading prepared with a somewhat desultory warm up but as Coach Kev Rackley acknowledged ‘ It doesn’t seem to be an indication of what they will play like’ to which I added my own view that ‘it is just an indication of how good the party was the night before’!! |
| Drifters kicked off and the omens were not good as the pack stood still and allowed the ball to land unimpeded in space. Drifters immediately sought to exploit this inaction and rucked and mauled Reading off the ball for a full five minutes. Working their way inside our 22 they looked to spread the ball wider but allowed an unforced error to spill the ball loose. Peter C2Z (Centre) reacted quickly, collecting the ball to burst through the somewhat surprised Drifters defence. It was nearly as big surprise for me, particularly when I discovered later that Peter’s pre-match party had been particularly good! This try somehow seemed to rally the rest of the team who appeared to suddenly comprehend where they were, on a rugby field - not in bed. |
| In particular the pack started to function in loose play although problems remained with the set piece. Drifters began to lose their domination and simultaneously their organisation and threat. Good play by Dave Watson (Lock), Richard Prince (No 8) and Liam Fairhurst (Flanker and everywhere else) cemented this new confidence. However the next try came not from the pack but from an excellent display of individual skill from Ben W-S, (Scrum Half). Peeling off the back of the pack, ducking under tackles and finally kicking into space saw him cross the line and score. |
| Both these tries remained unconverted and the lead still looked fragile, but Reading played with a lot of heart to shore it up. In particular hard tackling began to edge Drifters away from a potential victory. Those that have seen my reports over the years will know that I employ my version of the Richter Scale to determine the impact of certain tackles. It has been some time since one has occurred that has registered towards the upper end of this scale. However today is different as Ray Asamadu (Wing) delivered one to a Drifters centre that measured 7.3 The concussion wave reached me 20 metres away. Fortunately the centre was uninjured if not somewhat disorientated. |
| The first half finished with a further try from Peter C2Z following a well worked combined forwards and backs move to place him on a line to the posts, (including an outrageous side step) to score. |
| The second half began much as the first had finished, Reading remained dominant but with a hint of fragility. Most noticeably they stopped committing so many minor errors to give away penalties. |
| Reading’s fourth and final try came from a well worked move from Ben W-S and Lee Hempton (Fly Half) to again release Peter C2Z to score his third try. Lee then converted this. |
| The final period of play was punctuated with a number of injuries that held up play and disrupt both side’s organisation. I think on balance Reading looked more dominant and certainly more assured than Drifters. However Drifters never gave up and certainly kept Reading honest. This spirit was ultimately rewarded with a unconverted consolation try near to the end of the game. |
| This is a tough match to determine to whom the relative of the match should be awarded. Other than those already mentioned there were some fine performances from the relatives of Will Cocks ( Fly- Half), Jamie Amos, (Flanker), James Belam, (Full Back), Ben Mitchell and the front row union of Phil Pryor, Tim Hannah and Josh Nicol. I should also not forget that both Josh Nicol and Gareth Redding (Wing) had returned from college to provide support. However for the second time this season I have chosen to award the ‘Mum of the Match’ to Toni-Anne Fairhurst for son Liam’s gutsy, rallying performance as he harried the Drifters to distraction. Well done Toni-Anne! |
| SQUAD: 1. Tim Hannah 2. Phil Pryor 3.Josh Nicol 4.Kennedy Nettey 5. Dave Watson 6. Jamie Amos 7. Liam Fairhurst 8. Richard Prince 9. Ben Wontner-Smith 10. Will Cocks 11. Ray Asamudu 12. Peter C2Z 13. Rob Maddison 14. Gareth Redding 15. James Belan | Subs Ben Mitchell Ben Needham Tom Kitteridge Joe Prince James Barclay-Clark Scores Peter C2Z - 3 Tries Ben W-S - 1 Try Lee Hempton - 1 Conversion |
| Matt Healey |