Sat 12 Apr 2025
Basingstoke 61 Reading Abbey 21
Mark Hoskins
An Abbey side containing four debutants and various other players who would not be considered first team regulars played with great pride and spirit in their Papa John’s Men’s Community Cup Counties 1 South Plate round one fixture at Basingstoke. Despite conceding four tries in the opening 15 minutes the visitors’ heads never dropped and they came close to outscoring their hosts in the second half. Abbey actually fielded two generations of one family in this fixture, with brothers Sol and Ruben Wallis-Robinson being joined in the starting line-up by their father Dave Robinson.
Ruben Wallis-Robinson was one of Abbey’s debutants, along with flanker Harry Waldrom and replacements Josh Wise and Dave Carr. Basingstoke possessed an outstanding pair of centres in Oscar Worsfold and skipper Adam Richards, while second rows Paddy Gilbert and George Rowley, along with No.8 Luke Wareham, stood out in a massive pack. They opened the scoring inside the first minute when Worsfold broke through to touch down under the posts with full back Brad Titcombe adding the conversion. Four minutes later they scored again when winger Jak Arthur crossed on the right, with Brad Titcombe again adding the extras, and during this time Abbey had barely touched the ball.
They finally got into the game when prop Ryan Williams stole the ball and set up a move involving centre Reuben Norville, winger Leo Clifford and prop Alfie Seymour. Norville handled again and a good run from full back Tom Martin took play to the home 22, but then possession was lost. Basingstoke went back down the other end of the field, but Abbey managed to win their own scrum ball and No.8 Blake Callaghan and Sol Wallis-Robinson made ground before a good break from Ruben Wallis-Robinson again took play into the home 22. Sadly, possession was lost again, and Worsfold set off on a brilliant run down the middle of the field which resulted in him crossing the line under the posts. Brad Titcombe converted, and soon afterwards, after monopolising possession, Basingstoke scored again. This time Brad Titcombe was the scorer, benefiting from yet another Worsfold break, and he converted to make the score 28-0 after a quarter of an hour’s play.
Abbey came far more into the game after this, even managing to win a scrum against the head. Winger Alex Ashford broke, and a clever dodging run from outside half Callum Willingale took play into the Basingstoke half. Dave Robinson secured the ball from a lineout, and another break from Ruben Wallis-Robinson made further ground. He was supported by hooker Matt Eldridge, centre Steve Warwick and second row Max Crighton before the ball was lost. After a brief drinks break, Willingale, Eldridge, Norville and Williams made ground before Abbey were awarded a penalty. Sol Wallis-Robinson was unable to find touch, but he made up for this with a superb tackle on Wareham. Soon afterwards Sol Wallis-Robinson made excellent ground from a tapped penalty, Norville took play to the halfway line and Willingale and Martin again made impressive breaks. The game had now been going for just over half an hour and Abbey were competing well, but they conceded a fifth try when Arthur ran 40 metres to cross under the posts, with Brad Titcombe again converting.
Basingstoke flanker Riley Darragh put in a good run from the restart, but Eldridge downed him with a good tackle. Waldrom won clean lineout ball, and once again it was Ruben Wallis-Robinson who broke, this time making 30 metres. Abbey were awarded a penalty on the home 10-metre line and they elected to take a scrum. Norville moved to scrum half with a planned move clearly in mind, and Sol Wallis-Robinson broke to the right before he was forced into touch. Abbey kept up the pressure inside the home 22, with Sol Wallis-Robinson’s chip ahead nearly setting up a try for Martin. Another Ruben Wallis-Robinson break kept the attack going, and Callaghan, Willingale and Eldridge all got close to the line in the final minutes of the half. However, there was no further score and Abbey ended the half trailing by 35-0.
Dave Robinson came off for a richly merited rest at the start of the second half with Carr replacing him. Callaghan stole possession from a Basingstoke ball carrier, and Clifford, Williams and Waldrom took part in a promising attack. At this point Martin was the victim of a high tackle and Worsfold was shown a yellow card. Abbey had a series of lineouts in the Basingstoke half after this, but they were unable to secure clean possession at any of them. Ashford was unlucky to see a good downfield kick cross the dead ball line, and shortly after this Zeb Khan came on in his place. Basingstoke had been fairly quiet since half time, but they came to life again at this point, and outside half Martin Jones ran in for a try under the posts, with Brad Titcombe again converting.
Abbey were soon back on the attack, and Khan looked to have scored, only to be called back for a foot in touch. Norville was replaced by Wise at this point, and although Basingstoke were back to a full complement of players Abbey finally got a well-deserved try. Crighton won a lineout, Sol Wallis-Robinson and Eldridge moved the ball to the left, and Martin fed Wise on the touchline. He sprinted over in the corner to score with his first touch of the ball in first team rugby, and Sol Wallis-Robinson added a brilliant touchline conversion. Wise put in another good run soon after this, and after Abbey were awarded a free kick, Eldridge, Waldrom and Clifford took play into the home 22. Abbey were awarded a penalty, and after Sol Wallis-Robinson’s quick tap was obstructed, home prop Shaun Larkman was yellow carded. Abbey kicked for the corner, and after Waldrom had won the ball, a brilliant forward drive resulted in a well-deserved debut try for Ruben Wallis-Robinson. His brother proved he could kick goals from the right of the pitch as well by adding an excellent conversion.
At this stage Abbey were actually leading the second half 14-7, but Worsfold ran in under the posts soon afterwards for his hat trick, and Brad Titcombe’s conversion took the score to 49-14. Abbey’s heads still refused to drop, and Khan sent Martin clear, but he was tackled into touch just short of the line. However, a third try was not long in coming. Carr and Warwick moved the ball to the right, and Khan crossed the line. Once again Sol Wallis-Robinson converted. With less than ten minutes remaining, Ashford returned to the action in place of Willingale, and Abbey did their best to prevent any further home tries. But replacement Byron Evans crossed in the left corner, with Brad Titcombe missing his only conversion of the game, and in final play Wareham’s try under the posts and Brad Titcombe’s conversion spoiled Abbey’s chance of actually winning the second half.
This really was a most encouraging performance from a largely inexperienced Abbey team. At 28-0 an embarrassingly one-sided contest looked to be on the cards, but a tremendous team effort after this meant that every member of the squad could leave the field with his head held high. Ruben Wallis-Robinson had an outstanding debut, taking on the throwing in duties as well as impressing with several excellent breaks. Eldridge tackled superbly, Willingale and Martin looked good in attack, and Waldrom grew in confidence as the afternoon progressed. Full credit too goes to props Williams and Seymour for playing the entire game. All in all, the scoreline did not really do justice to Abbey’s efforts against a formidably large and athletic home side, and this was a performance to be proud of.
As a point of interest, Abbey defeated Basingstoke 43-40 in the same competition a year ago. Only six members of the Abbey squad from that game and just five from Basingstoke appeared in this year’s fixture.
Abbey: T Martin, L Clifford, S Warwick, R Norville (J Wise 53), A Ashford (Z Khan 48), C Willingale (A Ashford 73), S Wallis-Robinson (captain), R Williams, M Eldridge, A Seymour, D Robinson (D Carr 40), M Crighton, R Wallis-Robinson, H Waldrom, B Callaghan
Basingstoke: B Titcombe, J Arthur (T Foster 40), O Worsfold, A Richards (captain), T Titcombe (B Evans 62), M Jones, T O’Driscoll (J Taylor 49), S Ansell (G Pope 49), T Tala (M Ansell 40), S Larkman (L King 72), P Gilbert (J Rushworth 40), G Rowley, N Siddall, R Darragh, L Wareham
Abbey:
Tries: Wise, R Wallis-Robinson, Khan
Con: S Wallis-Robinson (3)
Basingstoke:
Tries: Worsfold (3), Arthur (2), B Titcombe, Jones, Evans, Wareham
Con: B Titcombe (8)
Yellow cards: Worsfold, Larkman
Referee: R Melhuish (Hampshire)
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