Sat 13 Dec 2025
Wallingford 17 Reading Abbey 24
Mark Hoskins
Abbey gained a deserved bonus point victory at Wallingford, though they had to withstand a late rally by the home side to ensure the win. The visitors dominated possession and territory for long periods and led 24-7 after 50 minutes, but they failed to convert their superiority into points after this. The result takes Abbey up to fifth place in Counties 1 Tribute Ale Southern North with a playing record of five wins and five defeats.
The game was played in ideal conditions, with the sun shining and the pitch in excellent shape. Abbey made a confident start, with outside half Reuben Norville kicking well for position and No.8 Matt Eldridge and flanker Scott Rennie both making ground. In the sixth minute winger Leo Clifford made good progress up the right touchline, but when the ball was moved inside a pass was intercepted by Wallingford flanker Ben McDermott. He sprinted clear to touch down under the posts with outside half Peter Clayton-Chance adding the simple conversion.
Fortunately, Abbey bounced back quickly from this setback. Second row ‘Treacle’ Knights stole a Wallingford lineout throw, and Norville, co-captain Callum House and full back Max Boucher combined in a move which took play to the left inside the home 22. Hooker Zac Mayo made further ground, and his pass set Knights off on a storming run to the line. Norville converted well from a tricky angle and Abbey were level after nine minutes.
Knights claimed the restart kick, and when Abbey were awarded a penalty Norville sent the ball back to the home 22. Second row David Carr won the lineout, but a penalty was conceded. After this, Wallingford attacked, with centre Jack Aspinall making the first of several dangerous breaks which revealed him to be his side’s most impressive back on the day. Winger Alex Ashford did well to stop Aspinall in his tracks, and soon after this Mayo stole possession at a lineout near the Abbey line. Knights, Mayo, Ashford and flanker Matt Campbell took play back up the field, and soon Abbey were threatening the home line again. Campbell was a bundle of energy throughout the match and was forever troubling the Wallingford defence. With the visitors just ten metres from the home line, Wallingford were penalised for a deliberate knock on. The penalty was quickly taken, and Mayo powered over in characteristic fashion for his side’s second try. Norville struck his conversion attempt well from the left hand side of the pitch, but the ball drifted just wide of the posts.
As the second quarter began Abbey continued to dominate. Both sides looked secure on their own scrum put in, and when scrum half Jack Howland broke from an Abbey scrum, Boucher and Ashford ran well to take play once again into the home 22. A patient series of drives involving Mayo, Rennie and co-captain Dan John resulted in Campbell being stopped on the line, but when the ball was recycled prop Tom Wilkinson had no difficulty in breaking clear to touch down under the posts. Norville’s simple conversion gave Abbey a well-merited 19-7 lead.
Wilkinson caught the restart kick and Eldridge drove well, but the ball was lost. Wallingford broke away, and centre George Goodenough did well to stop Clayton-Chance. A frustrating passage of play followed after this. Four times Abbey were awarded penalties, and four times Norville kicked his side into strong positions. Unfortunately, each time Abbey failed to win the subsequent lineout and chances to increase their lead went begging. Mayo pulled off a great tackle on Wallingford No.8 Tom Windibank, and Clifford, Boucher and Campbell all made good runs, but there was no further score in the first half.
The opening ten minutes of the second half belonged entirely to Abbey. Carr sent Campbell away on another good run, and Howland just failed to score under the posts when he chased his own kick. Rennie, Wilkinson and House all ran well inside the home 22, and Norville continued to employ clever tactical kicking to keep Wallingford under pressure. Furio Dawkins came on after Clifford was injured, and soon afterwards a great forward drive nearly brought a try for Carr. A score seemed certain to come, and it finally did when, after breaks from John and Mayo, a superb long pass to the left from Norville gave Ashford the space to sprint over. Norville could not convert from close to the touchline, but Abbey now had their bonus point and more scores seemed certain to follow. Incredibly though, they were not to score again.
Annoyingly, a soft try was conceded almost at once. Abbey dropped the restart kick and conceded a penalty, and after Wallingford had sent the ball to the corner prop Lawson Dallimore was driven over the line for a try wide on the right. Clayton-Chance could not convert, and Abbey soon resumed their monopoly of territory and possession. Goodenough featured twice in a lovely passage of play inside the home half, with Dawkins, Wilkinson and, inevitably, Campbell also involved. Just before the hour mark Goodenough limped off, with Iwan John replacing him, and soon after this Clayton-Chance was shown a yellow card for obstructing a quickly taken penalty. James Gadd replaced Mayo in the Abbey pack and the visitors proceeded to play some more attractive rugby inside the home 22 without adding to the score. Dawkins, House, Ashford and Howland all made ground, but the sin-bin period ended with the score still at 24-12.
With around five minutes of play remaining a 50-22 kick sent Wallingford into the Abbey 22 for the first time since their second try. They won the subsequent lineout and after several phases of forward driving Windibank plunged over the line in the left corner. Clayton-Chance’s conversion, if successful, would have narrowed Abbey’s lead to just five points, but a well-struck kick just missed the target. However, Wallingford suddenly looked a different side, and as the game moved into injury time they pressed for a fourth try and a possible draw. Abbey conceded a penalty, and the final play of the game saw Wallingford with a lineout on the visitors’ 22. Ironically in view of Abbey’s earlier disasters on their own throws, they won this crucial lineout when Gadd stole the ball. Play travelled across the Abbey 22, and after a final ruck Iwan John kicked for touch to conclude the match.
Abbey really should have had put the result beyond doubt well before the end, without putting themselves in a position where they might have had to settle for a draw. They had the lion’s share of possession and territory for the bulk of the game, but they failed to create enough clear-cut chances. Campbell had an outstanding game, while Knights, Wilkinson and Mayo always looked dangerous with ball in hand. Norville was, as ever, the tactical general behind the scrum, impressing with both his passing and his kicking. Wallingford battled gamely and could have caused a surprise at the end. They certainly looked better than a side in second from bottom place in the league, though it seems clear that there is little to choose between many of the teams in Southern North. Abbey now look forward to entertaining Bicester in the final match of 2025.
Abbey: M Boucher, L Clifford (F Dawkins 49), C House (co-captain), G Goodenough (I John 59), A Ashford, R Norville, J Howland, D John (co-captain), Z Mayo (J Gadd 63), T Wilkinson, J Knights, D Carr, S Rennie, M Campbell, M Eldridge
Wallingford: J Dance, R Pickard (A Harriott 61), J Aspinall, M Tuinaceva, W Newing, P Clayton-Chance, S Broadhurst, L Dallimore, L Campbell (S Cooper 42), S Cooper (M Purnell 40), C Murphy (captain), E Searle, G Thomasson, B McDermott (L Rudd 53), T Windibank
Abbey:
Tries: Knights, Mayo, Wilkinson, Ashford
Con: Norville (2)
Wallingford:
Tries: McDermott, Dallimore, Windibank
Con: Clayton-Chance
Yellow card: Clayton-Chance
Referee: C Clark (Oxfordshire)
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