Sun 6 Mar 2022, 13:00
Wallingford welcomed Reading to the Hithercroft for their semi-final match on a mild and blustery day.
In selection, Wallingford were still without Matt Purnell, but were able to welcome back a number of regulars, as well as Tyler Harvey and Billy McDermott, who were finally free from injury and academy duties.
The opening exchanges showed that Reading had also been able to call upon some reinforcements since the teams’ friendly earlier in the season, as they stretched Wallingford with some well-structured attacking play.
Their backline were clearly their strength, in particular their powerful left wing as they looked to move the ball to him at every opportunity, as Wallingford scrambled to keep the visitors at bay.
After dominating the opening ten minutes, Reading deservedly took the lead, as their left wing beat several tacklers to race in for a well-taken try that went unconverted.
That seemed to spark Wallingford, and in particular their pack, in to action, as strong carries from McDermott and Rob Moroney took play up to the Reading line, before captain Silas Allum burrowed over from short range for his long-awaited first try of the season. Conversion missed.
Wallingford’s superior play in the tight soon paid dividends again, as Moroney drove over for his sixth try of the season. Conversion missed.
Reading came back and made life hard for the hosts, especially at the breakdown as they counter-rucked well to disrupt Wallingford ball. And the next try went to the impressive visitors, as they worked their way in to the Wallingford twenty-two, before a missed tackle in midfield saw the Reading centre go under the posts for a converted try.
The seesaw nature of the half continued as Wallingford retook the lead with a brilliant team try. Strong running by Felix Cotton found Toby Bucknell in space on the left, and after taking play up to the Reading line, Jack Earl finished. Earl also converted well from the left to take the score to 17-12, which is how the half ended.
The early stages of the second half saw Wallingford dominate possession, as the forwards, now with the destructive Tyler Harvey and Johnson Rabuka on the field, beginning to punch holes regularly.
The first points of the half went to the hosts, as Earl converted a penalty at the second attempt.
Reading were still very much in the game, and always looked dangerous when they put the ball through the hands. Slightly against the run of play, Wallingford scored the crucial next try. From a Reading scrum in the Wallingford half, JJ Brown intercepted their move and somehow eluded numerous defenders to slalom in from 60 yards.
Going into the last quarter, Reading entered a purple patch as Wallingford started to get on the end of some contentious decisions. Reading soon cut the gap with a well finished converted try down the left, before they repeated to trick to score in the corner. The difficult conversion was missed, meaning Wallingford held a one point lead as the game entered its denouement (that one’s for you, Cotton!).
With the game on a knife edge, Wallingford kept their composure and worked their way into the Reading twenty two before patiently working their way up to the Reading line, before Isaac Hall put Theau Seabrook over for the pivotal score.
With only a few minutes left, Reading threw everything at Wallingford, but to no avail, as the game was closed out with Wallingford 32-24 winners.
This was an excellent advert for Colts rugby. There was plenty of structured, well-executed play from both sides, and numerous moments of individual brilliance, as well as some brutal contact.
This was easily Wallingford’s biggest test so far this season, as Reading played some excellent rugby, especially in the backs, but it was Wallingford’s superior physicality that edged the game.
There were fine performances across the field and off the bench, but Tyler Harvey just pipped Felix Cotton to MoM for an absolutely brutal display that was a joy to watch (his chip kick in the Reading twenty-two was less of a joy to watch).
This means that Wallingford will play either Chinnor B or Newbury B in the final on Sunday 26th March, venue TBC, so please save the date.
