Sat 21 Sep 2019, 15:00
Wallingford welcomed local rivals Didcot to the Hithercroft for the first time in 15 years for their second outing of the season. In selection, Wallingford were still without the injured Nathan Chapman and Graham Sage, and were also without Craig Irwin and Ryan Wenbar, but were able to welcome back Charles Campbell for his first start in three years.
Wallingford started the brighter of the two sides, with the forwards carrying good yards, as Didcot struggled with the home side's big runners, especially Ed Searle. Wallingford soon broke the deadlock, as Sam Botting cut a fine line in the centres to streak in from 30 meters. This was followed up with a Jackson Sayce penalty as Wallingford opened up an early ten point lead.
Didcot fought back, and made some inroads of their own, with their dynamic no.7 proving a threat all game. Wallingford then lost Angus Black to a knee injury, which saw the introduction of Will Fox to the pack, and the heavy-set second row soon made a big impression, as he bulldozered the Didcot defence time after time.
Despite that, Didcot worked their way back into the game, and got themselves on the board with a try of their own. A grubber kick into the corner took an awkward bounce, and despite some probable knock-ons, the Didcot winger eventually touched the ball down under pressure for an unconverted try.
And the visitors then got a crucial second score just before half time. With the influential Carl Tappin off the pitch for a blood injury, the visitors moved the ball to the left and touched down in the corner, to end the half 13-10 to the hosts.
Despite playing some good rugby and breaking the line on a regular basis, Wallingford were guilty of not converting their opportunities, all too often knocking on or getting turned over after several penetrating phases.
The second half saw Wallingford's forwards continue to dominate in the loose, with Norris, Jeffreys, and in particular Fox and Searle, carrying yard after yard as Didcot went too high in contact.
The important next try went to the hosts, and it was a good one. After a break inside the Didcot half, some excellent interplay between forwards and backs, which culminated in the returning Tappin timing his scoring pass well to put the omnipresent Max Suttner in in the corner. Conversion missed.
Wallingford then struggled for a period, as several contentious or unnecessary calls handed Didcot some momentum. From a line-out, their impressive seven made yards into the Wallingford twenty-two before off-loading to their dimiuitive scrum half who scored to the right of the posts.
With the game on a knife-edge, Wallingford didn't help themselves as the tee-carrier (no names, Phil Dawes) went AWOL as Sayce missed a straight forward penalty kicking off the ground. But they showed their class going into the last ten minutes, as a well executed line-out move saw captain James Norris touch down for his first try in over a season.
Walingford dominated the closing phases as the game ended 25-17.
This was a game that Wallingford could and probably should have won by more, but full credit goes to Didcot who hung in their and took their opportunities well.
DotD obviously went to Phil Dawes jus because, and MotM went to Max Suttner, whose defence was epic throughout the game.
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