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Bad habits come back to haunt Maids
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Oxford Harlequins
3rds 27 v Maidenhead 3rds 12 |
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dictionary definition of a Harlequin is - "noun
- name of a mute character in a pantomime" and it's a pity
that they didn't play like that. But then if you look at the definition
of Maidenhead in the dictionary it is - "noun
- virgin" ......maybe I should just get on with the match
report.
Not able to put out a full side and with no subs available it was always going to be an uphill task for Maidenhead playing against the team immediately above them in the league. And it was even more difficult when after only 20 minutes they were 12 - 0 down after conceding two tries, one of them a charge down. When they did manage to work their way up-field some spectacularly poor work at the base of their own set scrums saw them lose possession repeatedly. This was followed by unforced errors such as kicks straight into touch, so that a general air of panic began to infect their play. Then a great individual drive by Tony Rawlings got Maidenhead into their opponents 22 only for a forward pass to scupper a scoring opportunity. The half-time whistle brought some relief. The second half started well with most of the play in or around the Oxford 22 and when the play moved into the Maidenhead half the pressure was comfortably relieved. But the forwards seemed to be getting on top and the reward came with a good backs move that put Lester Martin round the end of the defence and in under the posts for a try that should have been converted. But still, with the score now at 12 - 5 Maidenhead were back in the game, or should have been especially now that they had the wind behind them. Then the old bad habits started to appear. Going into the tackle with heads down instead of drawing a man and passing, too many forwards standing around at the rucks and mauls waiting for something to happen instead of driving in and clearing out, silly panicky passes making the situation worse. Almost inevitably an Oxford score came with them winning a lineout on the Maidenhead 22 and one of their backs running through 4 or 5 missed tackles to score in the corner. With the score now 17 - 5 against Maidenhead and with most of the play in their half it had become a really uphill task. Then as the match began to peter out Oxford put another nail in the coffin when Maidenhead had a scrum 10 metres out from their own line from which they got the heel and instead of kicking to touch managed to lose the ball over their own try line to concede another 5 points making the final score 22 - 5 to Oxford Harlequins which wasn't an unfair result. Man of the Match : Your reporter's man of the match: Tony Rawlings. Alex Mayers of Penn Motor Co Man of the match: Tim Robinson Written by David "The Pencil" Anthony |