Match report courtesy of the

Saturday 26th January 2008

BRILLIANT one week, frustratingly inept the next. Maidenhead once again demonstrated why they have been a difficult team to watch this season as they produced an error-strewn performance in Oxford on Saturday.

Just one week ago almost the same team had belied atrocious conditions to produce a sparkling display of handling and beat an admittedly poor St Ives side by more than 70 points.

On Saturday, when faced with a more competitive opposition, all that went out the window, although the forwards, are to a certain extent, blameless in all this. From the first scrum they were immense, and the lineout provided a constant stream of quality possession throughout the 80 minutes.

Maids' problems started when the ball found its way into the hands of the backs or not as it proved. Forward passes and dropped balls littered this performance and broke up any rhythm the pack had created. But for those elementary mistakes Maids could have won the game by half-time not least because they were playing with a significant wind at their backs for the first 40 minutes.

They took the lead in the 10th minute, when Warren Abrahams broke two tackles to crash over. He added the conversion and Maids led 7-0. Quins fly-half Frank Jones slotted a penalty to reduce the deficit 13 minutes later before they snatched a lead they scarcely deserved after 32 minutes.

A series of missed tackles allowed the elusive Beau Wilson to break the line and run 50 yards down the left touchline. He was eventually hauled down but Quins recycled the ball, switched the play quickly from one side of the field to the other to catch Maids napping, Dave Payne crashing over in the corner to give Quins an 8-7 lead. Mark Ruddick almost scored moments later when he charged down Anthony Cope's kick only to be tackled short of the line.

Maids earned a penalty from the resulting ruck and Abrahams swept the ball between the posts to give Maids a 10-8 half-time lead.

That was as close as Maids got. If Maids had been frustrating before the interval they were positively awful after it. For no apparent reason Maids switched off, suddenly they were missing tackles, and dropping passes and less then four minutes into the half they had thrown away their lead. Wilson found the rangy full-back Huw Jones who took advantage of Deego Arends' slip to ghost across the line. Frank Jones added the conversion and Quins led 15-10.

Quins No.8 Paddy Sopper stretched Quins' lead on the hour after a well-worked catch and drive from a line-out. Wilson got a deserved try towards the end of the game, breaking seemingly dozens of half-hearted tackles to dance underneath the posts unopposed. Jones added the extras as Quins ran out 27-10 victors.

It must have been a frustrating afternoon for Maids¹ pack. The front row led stoutly and without fuss by Richie Craig established almost total dominance in the scrum. Mark Mueller and Roko Babich were magnificent in the lineout and Greg Riley was the best of the bunch. It is a much more difficult task to name a back who emerged with as much credit in this disappointing defeat.

Maidenhead:
Swadling, Arends, Abrahams, Hammond, Mackay, Ruddick, Edwards, O'Byrne (Blackwell, 70), Craig (Barber, 70), Hadfield, Babich, Mueller, Cheney, Parkhouse, Riley.