Didcot 5 v Maidenhead 3rds 64
Saturday 8th March 2008

With almost the first move of the game Maidenhead set up a well controlled ruck, moved the ball along the back line and Chris 'Razza' Richardson cut back inside for a try under the posts. 7 - 0 to Maidenhead. Good start, but was it the shape of things to come? Could this be the team that lost to Didcot 9 - 5 at the end of last season? Well it was virtually the same team in terms of personnel but not in the way they played.

Didcot then applied some pressure and worked their way into the Maidenhead 22, but a cute interception by full back Chris 'Razza' Richardson, who ran the length of the field to dot down under the posts, put Maidenhead 14 - 0 up after 10 minutes.

But then? Oops! The back row and outside half went walk-about leaving a gap the size of an aircraft hanger door for the Didcot scrum-half to run through and chip ahead for an unconverted try.

Maidenhead's response was immediate. A good ruck, quick ball along the line, a cut back by Ed 'No Neck' Poulding and another 5 points. Good simple rugby.

Then Dave 'Teach' Williams collected the ball out wide, kicked ahead for John 'Mitchel Brother' Sudbury, showing a surprising turn of speed, to beat the cover for a try.

Two more scores followed. The first covering almost the full length of the pitch involved nearly all the team and ended with Dan 'Desprate' Robinson diving over. The second another simple miss move by the backs enabling Ed 'No Neck' Poulding to score his second try of the half.

38 - 5 up at half-time, the scores coming so thick and fast that your reporter had to check with the referee that he had got the score right,

Rob Wilkins knocking over convertions from the touch-line. Even the rain couldn't dampen the small crowd's enthusiasm.

The game was effectively over by now and it only remained to see what the final score would be.

The next try was by Dan 'Desprate' Robinson, who deservedly got the Penn Motor Company man of the match award, followed not long after by a thundering charge by Tony 'Scud' Rawlings which led to a try for Mark 'Batesey' Bates. For the next 20 minutes or so everybody seemed to get a bit bored and the game got stuck between the 22 metre lines. Then in the last 10 minutes a 'wonder' try which went almost the full length of the pitch, and a solo try by 'the secret weapon' Lester 'the man' Martin.

Final score 64 - 5 to Maidenhead.

Good stuff all round and a very good work out for the big one on the horizon - Wallingford. Before then the line-out needs some work, but if Maidenhead play like this then a win is very much on the cards.

Penn Motor Company Man of the Match : Dan Robinson

Scorers:
Dan Robinson x 2 Tries
John Sudbury x 2 Tries
Ed Poulding x 2 Tries
Chris Richardson x 2 Tries
Mark Bates x 1 Try
Lester Martin x 1 Try
Rob Wilkins x 7 Cons

Written by David 'the pencil' Anthony