Sat 16 Nov 2024
Walingford travelled to county rivals Bicester on a mild November afternoon looking to continue their winning run.
In selection, there were significant changes in the backline with Murray Bellis, Sam Botting, Jack Payne and Chris Greig-Jenkins absent, whilst in the pack, the influential James Porter was also missing. But we were able to welcome back the likes of Ollie Corbett, Charles Campbell, Matt Purnell and Max Suttner to the side as Wallingford still fielded a strong side.
Wallingford started the game strongly, and spent the opening 10 minutes in and around the Bicester twenty-two, but not only did they fail to convert the pressure into points, they then conceded a long-range score from a scrum in the Bicester twenty-two.
Behind but still dominating play, Wallingford bounced back and five minutes later levelled the scores through a converted try when Nathan Chapman continued his fine try scoring form with a snipe around the breakdown on the Bicester twenty-two which Campbell converted.
Campbell then converted a simple penalty to give Wallingford the lead.
After resisting a brief spell of Bicester pressure, a Chapman break from his own twenty-two helped take play into the Bicester half, and from an attacking scrum, the returning Ollie Corbett showed his class by sniping from the base before exchanging passes with his winger before finishing in the right corner for a fine try. Conversion missed.
The remainder of the half saw handling errors curtail any further scoring, as the half ended 15-7 37-28 to Wallingford.
Wallingford started the second half brightly, and didn’t take long to extend their lead. After some good phase play took play up to the Bicester 5m line, a signature Chapman pick and go saw him canter over the line for a converted score.
Bicester then came back into the game, and reduced the deficit with a try in the left corner, as Wallingford began to look tired and lose their shape in defence.
A Campbell penalty calmed Wallingford’s nerves before Wallingford secured the crucial bonus point try.
From an attacking line-out just outside the Bicester twenty-two, a good line by Tom Cerullo saw him burst through the Bicester defence to race in from 25m. Conversion missed.
As the game entered the last quarter, Bicester took advantage of a loose pass in midfield and fly hack through for a try against the run of play.
But Wallingford then put the game to bed. With the ball put through the hands to Cerullo, the pacy centre was brilliantly dragged down just shot of the line, but good support work from Samuel McMillan saw the ball popped off the deck for the winger to go over under the posts.
Bicester did manage a consolation try before the end, but the game was over soon after as Wallingford ended victors 37-28.
This was a solid win on the road for Wallingford. Bicester are always a physical side and they moved the ball wide well at times in this game which tested Wallingford.
Considering the players that were missing and the fact that the line-out was far from perfect, Wallingford did well – matching their opponents for physicality and at scrum-time, whilst the backs on the whole took the chances they created.
There were some fine performances from Chapman, Cerullo and Corbett, but Man of the Match went to the returning Suttner who put in a big shift in defence and at the breakdown.
