Sat 9 Nov 2019
The Mighty 2s squad that faced a depleted Phoenix team on a wet November afternoon was unusually well stocked with youngsters and backs. Ralph Smith finally found his playing level with an assured performance at flyhalf and will make it very difficult for (playing colleagues and best mates) Tony Fixter and Ryan Macdonald when they return form holiday and try to break back into the 2s.
Greg Fairchild sportingly played for Phoenix with a fine display on the flank, winning man of the match for the visitors - despite some harsh words to a Wallingford Veteran about their running lines in front of the receiving players at re-starts. Ross Murray also had a spin for the visitors and did extremely well.
The weather precluded too much open play, but the tempo of the match was generally that the Wally pack would win easy ball before the backs let rip (or, dropped the ball). Poulding, Arnold, and Greg’s Kiwi mate Jo (he is shit BTW if any 1st XV selectors are reading this - slow, fat and lazy) all touched down. Some others scored as well but since Ralph has been too lazy to write this up - we will never know*. Arnold made some remarkable touch line conversions through the wind and rain, and stuffed up the easy ones.
The pack had a good day with Gillies and Lenane all over the park, Stu and Murray having a few canters with the ball, and Timms and Denton strong in the second row. Carrol has a good run at tight head and did very well, eliciting the can’t-breath noise from his oppo at scrum time.
Pleasingly the Wallingford try line was not crossed and a good defensive effort meant that neither 1st nor 2nd XV gave away any points on a rain sodden day.
Very well played to Phoenix for putting a team out, it was well worth a run and rugby was the winner. Well, the Mighty 2s were, but rugby also. We look forward for the return fixture and hope their scrum-half is let out for that one also.
A rest week ahead will allow the heated competition for 2s places to continue, with Fox, Hill, Smith Fixter, and Macdonald all in the running - if they keep training hard.
MoTM: Jo (even though he’s really shit)
DoTD: Doug - for a “previous commitment”. Well reffed though!
Tries
Poulding run in from 40 yards afters good hands in the backs
Rhys snipe from a ruck 25 yards out
Leo touched down in the corner after hands in the backs
Kiwi Joe scorched home from half-way after a delightful move in the backs
Poulding ran in from 50 yards
Ralph beat a few defenders to run in from 40 yards
Marffy put through a gap by Poulding before running in from 40 yards
