SALISBURY RFC’s apparent reluctance to play at Braywick worked to Maidenhead’s advantage this week.
Missing several key players in vital positions, Maids had reservations about this clash, especially following Salisbury’s unexpected win over title-chasing Swanage & Wareham last week.
Consequently, they will count themselves fortunate that the Wiltshire side made the decision to cry-off again, after an early morning inspection revealed a partially frozen pitch.
In the event, the ground was perfectly playable by the 2pm kick-off time – as it was five weeks ago when Salisbury last declined to play.
In fact, if anything, it was a little too soft.
Maids coach Tony Brooks refused to speculate on whether he was pleased, annoyed or indifferent about the match being cancelled again.
However, he was clearly delighted that players such as Ray Malesala, Robin Bryant, Cormac O’Byrne, Simon Cripps and James Edwards would now have almost three weeks to recover from an assortment of injuries, ahead of their vital league showdown at Swanage.