Sat 4 Feb 2023
On a mild February afternoon, Wallingford made the long journey north to Bletchley as they looked to continue their winning run. With this date originally a gap week, and with the 6 Nations on, the visitors were missing a raft of regulars, meaning that a number of players from the 2nd XV and SDS stepped up, with 1st XV debuts for young Alister Marsden and Isaac Hall.
The opening exchanges were relatively even, as Bletchley looked to use their heavy ball carriers to punch holes in the visitor’s defence, whilst Wallingford looked to stretch the hosts with their pacey backline.
The first real chance of the game went to the visitors, when a break from his own half by veteran Ralph Smith took play deep into the Bletchley half before Marsden was hauled down just short of the line, before Bletchley turned the ball over cleared their lines.
With so much pace in the backline, Wallingford created several other chances as Ollie Corbett exploited the blindside well on several occasions, but good cover defence and wayward passes prevented any scores.
Bletchley had spells of pressure themselves, and after being denied a score in the left corner by some excellent Wallingford defence, they eventually opened the scoring with a simple penalty in front of the posts.
Not fazed, Wallingford came straight back into the game, and were soon in front following two well struck Corbett penalties as Wallingford went into the break with a narrow 6-3 lead.
With the heavy Bletchley pack starting to tire, the second half was largely a one-sided affair, as Wallingford stepped up a gear and dominated proceedings, with the likes of replacement prop Josh Campbell nearly unstoppable at times, whilst the young backline, now with Marsden pulling the strings at fly half, creating chances almost at will.
And it was from an electric break by centre Felix Cotton that the first try of the game came. From a scrum on halfway, Marsden put Cotton through a hole in midfield, before Cotton weaved his way deep into the Bletchley twenty two. After several forward carries, the ball was then moved right to exploit a massive overlap and Felix Harris was on hand to score his second try in two games. Conversion missed.
Wallingford’s ascendancy continued, and a second try soon followed. From a breakdown on the Bletchley twenty two, a half break by James Norris allowed him to offload to the supporting Rob Moroney who sprinted in from twenty yards for his maiden 1st XV try. Corbett converting.
With the Wallingford pack now dominating at the set piece and in the loose, the third try soon came, and again it was Moroney who stretched over after some patient build up play by the pack. Corbett converting.
Wallingford pushed for the bonus point try, but Bletchley finished strongly and had some late pressure deep in the Wallingford half, but excellent defence from the visitors denied them a score, as the game ended 25-3 to the visitors.
This was a fine victory for Wallingford. Missing so many experienced regulars and off the back of a long drive up to Bletchley, it would have been easy to allow a heavy Bletchley side, spearheaded by their powerful and dynamic number 8, to bully the visitors into submission. But led by the more experienced pack, Wallingford fronted up from the off, with the likes of Lawson Dallimore, Ed Searle and Max Suttner putting in powerful displays in defence and attack. And this allowed an inexperienced but exciting backline to play some excellent attacking rugby, with Marsden, Cotton and Corbett heavily involved throughout.
But man of the match went to JJ Brown, whose physical and mature display in the centres was arguably his best performance yet for Wallingford, with his defence (and sometimes his chat) in particular being brutal at times.
Quick mention also for Conner Murphy, who earned his 150th 1st XV cap in this game. Only 27, Conner joins an elite club of only 13 players in the modern history of the club to reach this milestone, and is more infuential than ever in the Wallingford side. Here's to another 150, Conner!
