Sat 1 Feb 2020
Both teams’ preparations were unfortunately disrupted in advance of Saturdays clash, with Wallingford missing 10 regulars and Maidenhead’s 2nd team game being cancelled the night before.
True to form, the two issues had very different impacts on the look of the respective starting XVs. Wallingford approached the game with some trepidation, travelling to top of the table Maidenhead 3s on their cheese grater of an AstroTurf pitch with a bare 15 players. However, as captain Lenane and sergeant Hewitt reminded us in a rousing pre-game battle cry, this squad has often shone in adversity and so it was to be today.
Against the backdrop of a buoyant home crowd expecting to see a try-fest, it was Kiwi Joe who silenced the noisy support from the first minute with a sublime piece of sniping scrum half play that saw him catch his own grubber kick through and go over the whitewash. Given confidence by this piece of individual excellence, the rest of the squad visibly stood a foot taller, with Gavin Harmer in particular taking it upon himself to bulldoze his way through the opposition flanks.
As the oldest front row known to rugby of Haggart, Ridley and Hewitt prevented Maidenhead from ever getting a solid platform in the scrum, the opposition were limited to individual breaks from a few strong runners and benefitted from some tired tackling. What Wallingford lacked in numbers, helpful linesman decisions and protein shakes compared to the opposition, they more than made up for in heart and attitude, with Gareth, Jodi and Josh in particular putting in a full 80 minutes of relentless bosh.
Boosted by a talented half back pairing of Joe and Adam, the backs were able to play with some quality ball and James Colton and Greg put Maidenhead on the back foot, resulting in a fantastic intercept try by Adam and a third that went missing from some over-excitable handling after excellent interplay between Dom and James in the backs.
It was great to see constant support lines run by James Timms and Neil Sutherland (!) on the wings, the back row and centres; something that we have often lacked. Having lost Jon to concussion, Wallingford played a half with 14 men, but you genuinely wouldn’t have known. Dropping to 13 men after Adam too went off with a blow to the head, Maidenhead inevitably found gaps and managed to make the final score 24-12 to the home team; their celebrations at the final whistle demonstrating that they knew they had been in a dogfight and were lucky to come out on top. With Wallingford dominant at every phase of play, it was a pleasure for all to play for the Cullis.
