Sat 28 Sep 2019, 15:00
Wallingford travelled to High Wycombe looking for their first win at High Wycombe in twenty years. In selection, Wallingford were without a raft of regulars, notably the unliftable trio of Tappin, Fox and Searle (Fat Club AGM), Sadler (holiday), alongwith Jeffreys (johnny squitters), to add to the ongoing absences of Sage, Chapman and Ryan. In came reinforcements from the 2nd XV, with Andy Gillies and James Willcox-Jones coming into the pack, with Rhys Arnold, Callum Timms and Joe Mason making up a youthful bench.
The game itself was a frustrating affair for the visitors. They had plenty of possession in both halves, but against a well organised and physical defence, they ran out of options all too quickly, whilst in defence, a lack of intensity gave the hosts too many opportunities to break the line, after which they rarely wasted their chances as they flooded through in support to score four first half tries. A single Jackson Sayce penalty was all the visitors had to show for their efforts.
The second half started terribly for Wallingford as High Wycombe scored three quick tries as they attacked at pace down the right to put the game well and truly to bed.
Again Wallingford enjoyed several sustained spells on possession, in part thanks to the home sides ongoing indiscipline, and they finally crossed the whitewash. After camping on the HW line, the ball was moved blind and Sayce showed a nice slight of hand to put Max Suttner in in the corner for an unconverted try.
But the home sime came back to finish off the scoring as the game ended 50-8 to HIgh Wycombe.
This was a hard day at the office for Wallingford. When High Wycombe are at full strength like they were today, they are a well-balanced, well-drilled side with plenty of pace and power at their disposal, and are arguably the best side in the league, as shown by them doing to the double over league champions Windsor last season. A full strength Wallingford would have struggled against this side, but given the absence of so many key players, notably Tappin and Sadler, and the psychological affect of losing the talismanic Jeffreys just hours before kick off, meant that HW were always strong favorites.
The disappointing thing for Wallingford was their sporadic lack of effort and intensity which gifted the home side half of their tries, but there were positives too. The set-piece worked well against a traditionally strong set-piece team, and the players that stepped up all had strong showings, especially Gillies and Willcox-Jones, whilst Joe Mason made a promising debut off the bench.
Another tough game next week at home to Marlow.
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