Another draw for Maidenhead

Saturday 7th November 2009

This was a desultory game. Maidenhead were fifth in the league and Buckingham were next to bottom coming into this fixture but the fact that it was a draw owed more to Maidenhead's disjointed second half when some of last season's familiar faults emerged. However the difference was that when Maidenhead lost their shape and started to play like a bunch of individuals last season that was mainly because they were 30 or 40 points up and were getting bored.

Throughout the second half too many individuals thought that they could score miracle tries by running through five or six of the opposition players and only succeeded in losing the ball. Too many of the backs tried to go through non-existent gaps and only succeeded in losing the ball. Too many players tried to beat their opposite number when a simple draw and pass move would have succeeded.

All this was all the more depressing when Maidenhead had comfortably been the better side in the first half and although only leading by 6- 0 at half time looked to run out winners.

The set scrums were working well, the line-outs were working well, they were competing well at the breakdown and the backs were looking dangerous. Nearly all the play was in the Buckingham half of the pitch and Rob Wilkins had slotted over two penalties whilst Paul Savage had the shirt taken off his back in trying to drive over. Thank God it wasn't his shorts.

And so to the second half! Well in truth not much happened. Most of the play was in the Maidenhead half, Buckingham put over a penalty after about 10 minutes, there was the odd breakout by both sides that came to nothing and Buckingham put over another penalty towards the end of the half to make the final score 6 all.

No doubt Buckingham will have gone home more satisfied with the result than Maidenhead.

Man of the Match : Wouter de Jager