Sat 17 Oct 2026, 14:00
Mark Hoskins
Abbey put up a brave show against Reading in the Counties 1 Tribute Ale Southern North derby at a windy Rosehill. Few would have expected such a close game from looking at the clubs’ respective league positions, but after trailing 13-0 at half time in what was generally a scrappy encounter, Abbey fought back well in the second half, and it took a late Reading try and conversion to clinch victory and to rather cruelly deprive the home side of a losing bonus point. Following this match, Reading remain in second place in the table, with Abbey one place from the bottom. In addition, Reading now hold the Tracey Rolfe Memorial Cup.
A gusting wind did nobody any real favours throughout the match, though it tended to assist Reading in the first 40 minutes. Abbey hooker Matt Eldridge, celebrating his 100th appearance, caught the Reading kick off, and soon afterwards he brought off an excellent tackle on scrum half Hayden Wheeler. The visitors applied pressure at the first scrum of the game and won a penalty. Abbey were penalised again soon afterwards in their own 22, and outside half Cam George kicked a straightforward goal to open the scoring.
Half backs Toby Allday and Iwan John got the Abbey backline moving for the first time, and then John kicked long into the Reading half. The visitors kicked to touch and second row James Gadd won the lineout. After this Reading were penalised and full back Max Boucher took a quick tap. Unfortunately, the ball was knocked on and Abbey gave away a penalty. The kick was awarded on the ten-metre line, and George struck the ball brilliantly to double his side’s lead after ten minutes.
Abbey enjoyed a promising spell of possession after this, with flanker Ollie Langton looking particularly impressive with ball in hand, and a dodging run from Allday gave winger Leo Clifford his first run of the afternoon. But Abbey conceded another penalty, and their problems increased when Allday went off with an injury. In his absence, winger Ethan Shuttleworth moved to scrum half, where he proved to be a more than able stand-in, while Tom Bisoffi came off the bench to fill in on the wing. Soon afterwards, Reading mounted a sustained attack inside the home 22, and Wheeler broke through to touch down under the posts, leaving George with a simple conversion to make the score 13-0.
At this stage Abbey had yet to make it to the Reading 22, and they were destined not to do so for the rest of the half, A good break from centre Alex Langton and a clever chip ahead from Boucher led to an Abbey penalty, but the ensuing lineout throw was not straight. Prop Dan John pulled off a good tackle on Reading centre Alex Enright, and Bisoffi set up a good handling bout involving Iwan John, Ollie Langton and Boucher. No.8 Max Courtnage stole the ball at Reading’s next lineout and a long kick from Iwan John set up a good position. Boucher did well to stop a Reading counterattack by tackling his opposite number Charlie Attard, and Ollie Langton and skipper Callum House attacked well before the ball was lost forward. Abbey’s scrum now looked more settled, with Courtnage controlling the ball at the back. Clifford did well to catch a high kick from Iwan John and Abbey won a penalty. Second row ‘Treacle’ Knights secured subsequent the lineout ball, and Boucher, Gadd and prop Adam Postlethwaite handled before flanker James Becalick took play to the Reading 10-metre line. However, it was the visitors who finished the half in a stronger position following a good break from a lineout by skipper Will Procter-Searle. A generally forgettable first half ended with no further addition to the score.
Abbey instantly looked livelier after the break, with Shuttleworth, Postlethwaite, House and Boucher all making ground. Three minutes into the half Postlethwaite was replaced by Ollie Charlton, and at the same time Alex Lewis came on for Harry Staples in the Reading pack. At long last Abbey made it to the Reading 22, and they were instantly rewarded with a penalty when centre Joel Davies was shown a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on. Iwan John kicked for the corner, Gadd won the lineout, and Courtnage powered his way over the line to score in the left corner. Iwan John hit his conversion attempt really well, and it was frustrating to see the ball bounce wide off the crossbar. But Abbey were now firmly back in the game after six minutes of the second period.
Abbey continued to play with growing confidence, and Ollie Langton and Boucher both made good breaks. Eight minutes into the half Tom Wilkinson replaced Gadd, and a run from Boucher took Abbey into the visitors’ 22 again. A bout of passing featuring Knights, Dan John, Bisoffi, Eldridge and Shuttleworth culminated in the award of a penalty, and Iwan John made the score 13-8 with a good kick from the edge of the 22. This brought the Reading sin-bin period to an end, and soon afterwards the visitors replaced prop Dave Southworth with Alfie Fryer. Another
promising spell of Abbey possession failed to crack the Reading defence, and the visitors went back on the attack thanks to a good break from Wheeler. They were awarded a penalty on the Abbey 22, and George had no trouble kicking his third penalty of the afternoon. At this point Tom Knapman replaced Attard in the Reading side.
Allday returned for Abbey in place of Shuttleworth, and again the home side looked impressive in attack. Allday, Eldridge, Becalick and Dan John made good drives inside the Reading 22, but a knock-on halted the move. Boucher, Clifford and Knights were involved in the next attack, but a penalty was conceded. From this, Procter-Searle took Abbey completely by surprise and ran 30 metres from a tap penalty. He handed on to Wheeler, but he knocked on the return pass when a try was there for the taking. Postlethwaite returned to the action, replacing Dan John, and again Abbey attacked. Boucher made 20 metres, and after Becalick, Alex Langton and Courtnage got close to the line, Wilkinson plunged over for a try. Iwan John struck a superb conversion from close to the left touchline, and it was now a one-point game.
Becalick was winded in the lead-up to the try, and Gadd returned in his place. There were ten minutes remaining, but hard though Abbey tried they were unable to conjure any more scoring chances. The final stages belonged firmly to Reading, and they sealed the win with a try from Lewis two minutes from the end which George converted. Becalick returned briefly in place of Courtnage, and the final whistle sounded soon afterwards. For all their second half improvement Abbey had nothing to show for an encouraging performance.
Abbey won the second half 15-10 and matched Reading in the try count. Their second half performance was full of spirit, and they will be disappointed not to have taken anything from the game. There is no question that Reading were the stronger side, but they had to work hard in the end to win. The game itself was by no means a classic, but Abbey can look ahead with confidence and their first win of the season should not be far away. The back row of Becalick, Ollie Langton and Courtnage looked good as a unit, Boucher ran well throughout the game, and Eldridge battled brilliantly on his 100th appearance. Bisoffi and Shuttleworth too looked more than promising, and the whole squad can hold their heads up with pride after this showing.
Abbey: M Boucher, L Clifford, C House (captain), A Langton, E Shuttleworth ( T Allday 65), I John, T Allday (T Bisoffi 14), D John (A Postlethwaite 66), M Eldridge, A Postlethwaite (O Charlton 41), J Knights, J Gadd (T Wilkinson 48), J Becalick (J Gadd 70), O Langton, M Courtnage (J Becalick 79)
Reading: C Attard (T Knapman 64), J Palmer-Owen, A Enright, J Davies, D Grobbelaar, C George, H Wheeler, D Southworth (A Fryer 60), A Skein, R Smith, H Rice, A Pitfield, H Staples (A Lewis 41), W Procter-Searle (captain), J Price
Abbey:
Tries: Courtnage, Wilkinson
Con: I John
Pen: I John
Reading:
Tries: Wheeler, Lewis
Con: George (2)
Pen: George (3)
Yellow card: Davies
Referee: D White (Berkshire)
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