Sat 14 Sep 2024
Oxford Harlequins 2nds 71 Reading Abbey 12
Mark Hoskins
Abbey’s collective heads never dropped as they attempted to play a running game in the Oxfordshire sunshine, but they were overwhelmed by Oxford Harlequins 2nds in the second Counties 1 Tribute Southern North encounter of the season. The home side scored eleven tries in an exhibition of slick and speedy back play, and by the end of the afternoon they were scoring almost at will.
Abbey made a positional change to the starting lineup, with Callum House, the selected full back, changing places with Sam Andrews who proceeded to have an impressive afternoon in the number 15 jersey. There were early signs of danger for Abbey when Quins full back Ben Vernede was held just short of the line after a good run. Abbey cleared the danger on this occasion, but they failed to retain possession after winning the opening scrum of the game, and home scrum half Joe Pigott took instant advantage, sprinting clear to touch down under the posts for the opening try, which he also converted. Things rapidly got worse for Abbey when home No.8 Ollie Cassidy caught a long kick from outside half Reuben Norville. Cassidy charged downfield, and the ball eventually reached winger James Boardman, who weaved his way through a weak defence to score. Pigott again converted and it was 14-0 to Quins after just eight minutes.
Abbey enjoyed a bit of possession after these setbacks, with No.8 Jack Peachey producing the first of the numerous bursts which marked him out as the visitors’ most impressive player on the day. But in the 14th minute Quins scored their third try when Cassidy broke through to score after receiving the ball from outside half Jack Allinson. Pigott’s successful conversion added to Abbey’s early woes, but the visitors enjoyed a prolonged spell of possession after Quins had knocked on the restart kick. House, Norville and Peachey all handled, and co-captain Sol Wallis-Robinson linked well up the right of the pitch with centre George Goodenough and winger Alex Ashford. Abbey got themselves into a good position in the home half, but when they were awarded a lineout the ball was overthrown.
Second row Chris Shaw intercepted a loose pass and set up Peachey for a storming 30-metre run into the Quins 22. Norville and Andrews moved play to the left and Ashford was halted five metres
from the line. Hooker Tom Wilkinson and second row ‘Treacle’ Knights prolonged the attack with good drives, but when possession was lost Quins began a move from their own 22. The ball was eventually worked to winger JJ Brown, and he sprinted clear to score his side’s bonus point try on to the right of the posts. Pigott’s conversion made the score 28-0 after 22 minutes.
Cassidy threatened to score again with a 40-metre charge from the restart, but Ashford did well to stop him. Abbey now began to play with more confidence, and for the rest of the first half they looked the better side and enjoyed easily their best period of the game. Knights won a lineout, and Shaw, Norville, Goodenough and Peachey were all involved in taking play into the home 22. Abbey were awarded a penalty and they opted for a scrum from which Norville, Wilkinson and Peachey attacked up the blindside. Quins conceded a free kick, and after a quick tap from Wallis-Robinson, House ran to the left and gave Ashford the space to score wide out. Wallis-Robinson was just short of the target with his conversion attempt.
Clearly boosted by their first points of the afternoon, Abbey attacked again from the restart, with Peachey and Ashford making 50 metres between them. Knights, Andrews and prop Dan John made inroads inside the 22 and Wilkinson was stooped five metres from the line. Abbey won a penalty, and after Norville had kicked to the corner Shaw tapped the ball to flanker James Becalick. Peachey again burst through and prop Adam Postlethwaite was stopped two metres from the line. Eventually Abbey were held up over the line, but they attacked again from the Quins dropout, with Goodenough, Ashford and flanker Max Crighton taking play back into the home 22. Abbey won a scrum, and a superbly judged kick to the right from Norville gave winger Tom Martin a run to the line. He took the ball round to touch down under the posts and Wallis-Robinson added the extras. The half time whistle sounded soon afterwards with Abbey trailing 28-12 but apparently clawing their way back into the game.
Unfortunately, any hopes of a recovery were soon dashed in the second half, and Abbey rarely had a look in after the break. Zac Mayo replaced John at the start of the half, and Wilkinson put in a promising run. Crighton did well to stop Vernede with a good tackle, but replacement Tom Quainton’s pass put centre Will Davis away for a try in the right corner. Pigott could not convert this time, and soon afterwards Matt Eldridge came on for Abbey when
Postlethwaite went off with a cut head. Quins scored straight after this, with Boardman sending Brown over for his second try wide on the left. Pigott again missed the conversion, but Abbey now trailed 38-12.
Remi Norville came on in place of Martin, and he was soon involved in the action as Abbey survived the next ten minutes without conceding any more points. Mayo, Eldridge and Wilkinson took play into the home 22, but after possession was lost a brilliant break from Allinson sent Vernede in under the posts for try number seven. Soon after this, Remi Norville lost his footing trying to take a pass and had to be helped from the field with a leg injury. John returned to the action, with Peachey moving out into the threequarter line. With the game now well inside the final quarter, Pigott ran through the defence to score another try. He failed with the conversion, but Quins now had 50 points.
The final few minutes all belonged to Quins as they found bigger gaps in a tired defence. Davis created space for Vernede to score his second try, Boardman sprinted over for his brace, and within minutes he crossed again for his hat trick. With Pigott limping, Allinson took over the kicking duties and landed three conversions out of three to seal an emphatic 71-12 victory which leaves Quins top of the table.
Abbey were well beaten by a side which is clearly going to take some stopping in this league. The Quins’ back play was most impressive, while Cassidy was a destructive No.8. Peachey stood out for Abbey, with Andrews, Ashford and Norville all attacking well when the ball came their way. At half time a try-scoring bonus point looked a possibility, but Abbey were outplayed after the break. It would be good to think that, having got this difficult fixture out of the way, Abbey can break their league duck when they welcome High Wycombe to Rosehill next Saturday.
Abbey: S Andrews, A Ashford, C House, G Goodenough, T Martin (Remi Norville 49-66, D John 67), R Norville, S Wallis-Robinson (co-captain), D John (Z Mayo 40), T Wilkinson, A Postlethwaite (M Eldridge 46), J Knights (co-captain), C Shaw, J Becalick, M Crighton, J Peachey
Oxford Harlequins 2nds: B Vernede, JJ Brown, W Davis, T Butler (H Burn 35), J Boardman, J Allinson, J Pigott, J Smith (B Braybrook
56), R Painton (captain), H Askew, A Broadbent, A Rasousou, J Voegtli (T Quainton 6), B Jenkins, O Cassidy
Abbey:
Tries: Ashford, Martin
Con: Wallis-Robinson
Oxford Harlequins 2nds:
Tries: Boardman (3), Pigott (2), Brown (2), Vernede (2), Cassidy, Davis
Con: Pigott (5), Allinson (3)
Referee: P Costello (Oxfordshire)
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