U13s win against Stowmarket and Reading

Sunday 15th March 2009

Maidenhead RFC's U13s played 2 visitor teams on Sunday at their Braywick home base. The first, a friendly was with a visiting touring side from Stowmarket in Suffolk. Maids in their B team colours, opened with a try from second row Michael Mc Pherson who drove over the Stowmarket line from a 22 metre line penalty, conversion by Harry Arnold.

Stowmarket responded, raising their game to push Maids into their own half, stealing the ball from Maids and placing the home team under pressure for five minutes before successfully passing the ball along the back line to the wing who found enough space on the Maidenhead right wing to score. This was followed by another winger try, this time Maids' Aaron Whetton, converted by Tom Hawkridge. Stowmarket's left winger struck again after Stowmarket forwards won their scrum under Maidenhead's posts, evening the score by half time (14-14). In the second half Maids contained Stowmarket and sealed the day with two more tries.

In the second game of the day, Maids played a league game against Reading. The first try was set up by inside centre Chris Hudson and scored by outside centre Sam Bishop. The tries then flowed with the next resulting from a scrum under the Reading posts scored by flanker Owen Langstone, converted by full back Matt Price. Reading then paid the price for ineffective tackling when scrum half Peter Watt scored after running three quarters of the length of the pitch, riding tackles and his luck. Winger Tom Stileman out accelerated the Reading backs to score the next try and repeated the feat again a few minutes later. Owen Langstone then gave a repeat performance of his first try, blasting through the Reading line after Maids won a scrum under the Reading posts. Matt Price then danced around and through the Reading defence to complete the first half. The half time score to Maids was 45-0.

Maids then started the second half with all their subs and Reading raised their game and began to contain the Maidenhead pack and back line, playing in the Maidenhead half for almost ten minutes. Owne Langstone broke the second half deadlock taking the ball over the line and the final try was a classic backs try with ball swinging wide to Ben Rakkar Thomas who weaved and exploited a dogleg in the Reading defensive line. Full time score 55-0.