Sat 15 Feb 2020
On a storm Dennis impacted Saturday in February the Mighty Twos ™ welcomed a bullient Marlow team to the Croft.
Marlow, currently second in BBO 3 South were looking to continue to put the loss against Pheonix behind them, and build on last weeks win over Reading Abbey. The Mighty Twos were looking to build on their last home win over Hungerford, and consign close loss away to Maidenhead to history.
Wallingford welcomed back a number of players who were not available for the away trip to Maidenhead, and fielded one of the strongest sides they have put on the pitch this year.
Lenane showing the tactical knowse of his 45 plus years of senior rugby, and elected to play with the wind in the first half.
With the first play of the game Wallingford set out their game plan. Following the successful receipt of the kick off, Ryan and Hill set the platform for Macdonald to send the clearance kick down to Marlows 5m line. This game control was to be telling and the main factor in Wallingford’s eventual victory.
Marlow were under pressure at the resulting line out and were not able to clear their lines further than the 22m. Feeling that this was again going to be a day for the forwards, Wallingford elected for a catch and drive. As Hill soared in the air he checked out the backline and could see they were set for a strike move. Changing the call in mid air, he fired one off the top to Dawes, who instinctively caught off his boot laces and accurately drew Macdonald onto the pass. This enabled Macdonald to pull the strings and run a perfect Horseshoe, no I have no idea what it is either. In any case McCabe ended up on the end of the move and his elastic band hamstrings held together long enough for him to run in from 15m out. Classy try and really settled the boys down. Coversion missed by Arnold from in front of the post, but it wasn’t his tee, so that’s understandable right?
There then followed a period where the backs got cold and the front rows exchanged looks. Loads of scrums, Wallingford were dominant. Mikey Ryan knocked on at the base of one while Wallingford were in the ascendant. Wallingfords pack pressurised the Marlow scrum and Dawes was able to force the Marlow 9 to ground the ball in his own in goal area. This time Ryan would not make the same mistake and with the Wallingford pack driving forward once more, he gathered and scored the second try of the match. This converted by Arnold, the only successful kick of the day.
More forward dominance for the third try .Wallingford were awarded the lineout just outside the Marlow 22m. This time Hill identified that the backs were tired, and held on to the catch and drive. From 30m out Wallingford worked the Maul, Hill was Itoje like in his control at the front. With Mount latched on in the van, the Wallingford pack drove a full 50m to score the 3rd try.
More scrums happened, Mikey got sat down, Ryan laughed. Colton and Walker did some stuff in the backs, and Rhys, Leo and Dom got cold.
Following one of the scrums, the ball flew out the back of the Marlow scrum, Dawes flyhacked it ahead gathered and scored for a great solo try. After the kick Marlow made their only venture into the home 22, Macdonald screamed at some old men and then the ref blew the whistle for halftime.
Halftime subs: Hewitt for Mount, Poulding for Goss.
More of the same in the second half, Marlow were not able to use the wind as well as Wallingford had in the first half. The home side used the ball well into the wind with some excellent hand from Arnold, Colton and Walker. Macdonald made a number of barrelling runs from 10, one of which saw the home side up the Marlow 22. Having berated most of the team for kicking in the first half Ryan on receiving the ball produced one the most amazing kicks that will ever be seen on a rugby field. Apparently he is writing a book based on the slice, cross kick pass phenomenon. This amazingly executed kick allowed Poulding to gather and score the first try of the second half. It was a truly bizarre moment, that was glorious in its execution.
The final try of the match was a real thing of beauty and involved pretty much every player on the Wallingford team.
Arnold caught a clearance kick and turned out of the follow up tackle to race away and link with Walker. Walker offloaded out of the Tackle to Ridley who charged up field. Ryan and Macdonald exchanged passes and set Colton on his way. Colton cut a great line and charged into the Marlow 22, offloading to Hill, who linked with Walker. Walker drew the last defender and put Poulding in the clear to dot down untouched. Genuinely it was so beautiful a try, the crowd could not tell if it was the rain or the beauty of it that brought tears to the eyes.
Mikey got sat down again! Ryan did some fly half things the backs all tried to keep the hair products from running into their eyes. Hewitt dropped every ball he touched, Ridley gave away the 5th of his 5 penalties and Fixter kicked the ball. Afer that the ref blew the whistle and every one said lets get in. But apparently today was the day for the team photo.
It really was a remarkable performance, 6 tries mostly from the backs, in the weather was very impressive.
DOTD performance from Mikey for many transgressions, but mostly knocking on at the base when going over the line.
MOTM was Macdonald who controlled the game superbly in the conditions and had a hand in 4 of the tries.
It’s a week off next week and then Pheonix away, and if you lot think we are going away to Pheonix with a reduced side, think again. I don’t care what the excuses are, get them gone, we have 5 games left and we should win all of them so make it happen boys.
