Sat 16 Nov 2019, 14:15
Wallingford made their inaugural trip to Shipston-on-Stour in Warwickshire for their second long road trip on the bounce. In selection, Wallingford were having a nightmare of a week, with flu and unavailability adding to the long list of injuries, made even worse by two drop outs in the morning. As a result, 45 year old Tony Fixter came into the front row, Mikey Ryan came onto the flank, and in the backs, the increasingly versatile Dan Sadler moved to scrum half, Ryan MacDonald made his first start at fly half, Damion Colledge made his first team debut in the centres, and Rhys Arnold stepped up from the 2s to play on the wing.
The game kicked off in eerily still and dry conditions, especially given the recent mud baths that games have been played in, with Wallingford playing up a significant slope.
The opening exchanges were relatively even, as both sides probed around the fringes with limited success. It was clear that the home side held an advantage in the set-peice, as the Wallingford scrum just about held firm and the line-out struggled.
After the hosts opened the scoring with a well struck penalty, they soon got the first try. Off a scrum on the right, their backs quickly and efficiently moved the ball across park, catching the visiting backs on their heels, to go over in the corner for a well taken try. The conversion was converted well.
Wallingford were having success around the fringes, but all too often they got isolated and turned over, and Shipston continued to pose a threat in the backs. They soon got their second try in similar fashion, as Wallingford's new look backline were slow to adapt to the home side's wide play, and they went over for a second converted try in the same corner.
The visitors started to get more into the game, partly due to numerous high tackles by Shipston which the referee was hot on all game. After a determined break by the impressive Sadler took Wallingford into Shipston's twenty-two, from a scrum, Ian Jeffreys picked and went from ten meters out and finished well under pressure.
Before the half was out, Wallingford lost Fixter to injury, so he was replaced by 105 year Stuart Mount, for only his second game of rugby this season.
17-5 down going into the second half, and playing down the slope, Wallingford were very much still in the game. But unfortunately, an error and penalty ridden opening ten minutes saw Shipston pull away out of sight.
Mostly feeding off Wallingford mistakes, they took their chances well, a sign of a team on a good run of form.
Wallingford did finish the game well, scoring two tries and briefly entertaining the possibility of a four try bonus point, as there was a lesser-spotted try double by the tireless Will Fox. The first was from a pick and go from fives meters out, and the second was from a rare moment of class in the game.
With the ball moved to the left to makeshift winger Max Suttner, he went of a powerful run into the Shipston twenty two, seeing off several would be tacklers, before offloading. The ball found its way to the supporting Jeffreys, who flung a 'wanger' to his left where Fox somehow held on before crashing over on the left.
That was pretty much the end of it, as Shipston ended deserved 41-15 winners.
This was always going to be a hard day at the office for Wallingford, with a very strong XV unvailable, and last minute drop-outs never helping. Shipston took their tries well and deserved the win, but Wallingford definitely felt that they didn't do themselves justice on the day, with their away form/midset still causing problems.
That said, there were still positives to take from the game. Jack Payne had a fine game in the loose, and won several scrums against the head, Ryan MacDonald looked assured at fly half with limited resources, and the other 2s players who stepped up all did themselves proud.
Man of the Match was Dan Sadler, who put in a huge shift in both attack and defence playing out of position, with Beefy commenting afterwards that he probably broke the world record for the number of pick and goes by a scrum-half in a match.
The small matter of league leaders Witney at home next week, be great to get a big crowd down to the Hithercroft to greet our old county rivals.
