Reality check for A&C at Redingensians

But, despite putting up a tremendous fight, went down by 22 points to 10. Once again, however, as has been far too common this season, poor place kicking by the visitors let them down, with two different kickers missing three fairly standard penalties and two conversions during the game, a total of 13 points which would have been enough to win the game. They also gave away far too many penalties when in promising attacking positions.

On a wide flat pitch, a lovely sunny day with only a moderate breeze, conditions were ideal for open rugby and so it proved. Played at a blistering pace and with ferocious tackling by both sides, it was a fairly even contest throughout, but the home side just about proved worthy winners by the end. Their powerful three quarters drove into their smaller counterparts whenever they had the ball and some sublime passing out of the tackle and intuitive support play gave them three excellent tries, to two by the visitors. They were, however, denied the fourth bonus-point try which could have a bearing on the promotion play-offs at the end of the season.

It was the visitors that started the strongest, however, and within three minutes a break by David Skelton put winger Sam Portland in space and in trade mark fashion, he outpaced the opposition to score a good try, sadly unconverted, but giving the visitors a 0-5 lead. The visitors could have gone further ahead twenty minutes later with the first missed penalty in front of the posts and it was then that the home side began their counter. A scrum on the visitor’s 22 on the left was comfortably won and the ball moved right. A break by the home side’s tight-head prop following up through the centre was driven on and the ball released to the right wing for a score in the corner, unconverted, but levelling the score at 5-5. On the stroke of half time, a penalty to the home side was taken quickly and the ball moved at pace. A missed tackle and tremendous support play then gave them a try under the posts, converted, for a half-time score of 12-5 to the home side.

Five minutes from the restart, the visitors came under a huge amount of pressure and gave away a penalty in front of the posts, easily converted to increase the home side’s lead to 15-5. The visitors then missed two fairly straightforward penalty kicks at goal which should have narrowed the gap and it was then the home side’s turn to exert pressure. With ten minutes to go and with Chiltern flanker, Danny Samuels, in the sin-bin, a long period of driving runs, good ball retention and support play up to the visitor’s 22 finally culminated in a slip pass inside to the home side’s flanker who scored by the posts, converted and extending the lead to 22-5.

To their credit, the visitors never gave up and, with five minutes to go an excellent passage of play took them deep into the home side’s half. A quickly taken tap penalty by No.8 Tom “Truffles” Blackburn, saw them almost to the try line and then quick recycling and a move left saw man-of-the-match full-back Chris Jack come into the line and go over for a good try. Again, sadly, the conversion was missed and the final whistle blew soon after, with the home side winners at 22-10.

Match report by Andy Gillanders