Sat 23 Oct 2021
Reading Abbey 59 Gosford All Blacks 11
Mark Hoskins
Abbey made it three wins out of four in Tribute Southern Counties North, preserving their unblemished home record with a comfortable victory over Gosford All Blacks. The win was based on a dominant performance by the home pack, with the scrums going very much Abbey’s way. The team scored nine tries in all, including a touchdown for debutant hooker Zac Mayo, while outside half Ben Radford accounted for 19 of his side’s points to go with the 20 he accumulated against Wallingford a fortnight ago.
Gosford were penalised soon after the kick-off, but after Radford had kicked into the visitors’ 22 Abbey knocked on at the lineout. However, the ensuing scrum showed that Abbey were set to dominate the set piece, and the visitors struggled to win possession. Soon afterwards, Abbey had a scrum of their own, and after a great shove Radford broke to the right. Centre Will Bevan carried the move on, and winger Arron Ross crossed in the corner for the opening try inside the first five minutes. Radford struck the conversion attempt well, but the ball bounced wide off a post.
Skipper ‘Treacle’ Knights counter-rucked superbly to win possession after the game restarted, but Abbey conceded a penalty. However, Abbey pinched the ball after the visitors had attacked from the ensuinglineout, and at the next scrum the home pack again applied pressure. Winger Christian Floyd made excellent ground from a crash-ball move, and Gosford conceded a penalty. Radford went for the posts from 43 metres, but the ball drifted just wide to the right. But Abbey kept up the pressure in the visitors’22, with flanker Max Nugent winning the ball on the ground and Floyd and centre Lewis Haigh making ground. Prop Ollie Charlton and No.8 Ed House took play up to the Gosford line, and prop Adam Postlethwaite plunged over for the second try of the afternoon. Radford missed the relatively simple conversion attempt, but it was to prove his final miss of the afternoon.
Ed House ran well from the restart, but the visitors went on the attack. Abbey conceded a penalty in the 17th minute, and centre Jack McComb opened his side’s account with an excellent kick from long range. But Abbey’ third try followed two minutes later, after a good run to the right by scrum half Sol Wallis-Robinson. His pass to Ross took play up to the Gosford 22, and after Bevan had broken to the blindside, Wallis-Robinson was up in support to finish the move he had started by running round to score close to the posts. Radford’s conversion made the score 17-3.
McComb kicked another penalty straight away, after Abbey offended at the restart, but the home side’s bonus point try was not long in coming. Wallis-Robinson sent play downfield with a long kick, and a wild pass in the visitors’ 22 was intercepted by Radford. The outside half sprinted clear to score under the sticks, and he added the simple conversion. After this, Gosford enjoyed a good spell inside the Abbey 22, with winger James Groves being stopped just short of the line. Eventually, a knock-on let the home side off the hook, and second row Chris Shaw set up a brilliant 50 metre burst from Floyd. Unfortunately, Abbey conceded a scrum, but they won it against the head, and another run from Floyd kept the pressure on the visitors. Full back Callum House made good ground, but Abbey were penalised and the visitors worked their way into the home 22. Gosford No.8 Dan Hughes, who was his side’s outstanding player despite playing out of position, led a series of drives, and after several penalties were conceded, Charlton was shown a yellow card. Right on the stroke of half time, the visitors drove for the line from a lineout, and Hughes touched down for a deserved score wide on the right. McComb’s missed conversion was the final act of the half, and Abbey led 24-11 at the break.
Replacement prop Gereie Sutherland came on for the next scrum, with flanker Scott Holland going off during the remainder of the sin-bin period, though at the end of this spell Sutherland stayed on in place of Charlton. McComb missed an early second half penalty attempt, after which Postlethwaite and Mayo made good ground up the left side of the pitch. Callum House and Ross carried on the move, and after Bevan was high-tackled, Radford kicked for the left corner. Knights won the subsequent lineout, and Mayo joined the back of the drive to score Abbey’s fifth try. A brilliant touchline conversion from Radford made the score 31-11.
Abbey made two further changes shortly afterwards, with Max Courtnage coming on for Shaw and Max Boucher replacing Floyd. Knights made another good steal on the ground, and Radford kicked downfield. Mayo put in a great tackle on his opposite number, and the visitors were penalised. Bevan, who had now moved to scrum half as Abbey rejigged their forces behind the scrum, took a quick tap and set off on the fantastic 50-metre run. He received support from Wallis-Robinson, and Knights broke clear to finish off an excellent move to the left of the posts. Radford converted.
Knights, Nugent and Courtnage drove well at the restart, and Ross and Boucher combined well down the right touchline. Play was then halted due to an injury to Groves, and as he was helped off the visitors emptied their replacements’ bench. Soon afterwards Floyd returned in place of Haigh, and Abbey went on the attack through Holland, Ed House and Knights. Abbey’s skipper was held just short of the line, and at this point Charlton returned to the fray in place of Postlethwaite. Bevan disrupted Hughes at a scrum inside the visitors’ 22, and Wallis-Robinson moved the ball to the right. Floyd created space for Boucher, and the replacement winger dodged inside, narrowly avoiding referee Julian Rainford as he skipped over the line for Abbey’s seventh try. Radford’s conversion made the score 45-11.
Nugent caught the restart, and a high kick from Bevan put the pressure on Gosford again. Courtnage, Wallis-Robinson and Boucher took play to the halfway line, but a penalty was conceded. Hughes tapped quickly and set off on a good run, but Abbey forced him into touch. With less than five minutes remaining, Shaw returned in place of Holland, and after Abbey won a penalty Radford kicked into the Gosford 22. Knights won the lineout, and after Nugent led the drive, Charlton broke clear to score under the posts. Radford again converted as the game entered injury time. There was still time for a final Abbey attack, and it was led by Floyd and Sutherland, with the latter making 30 metres. Callum House carried on the move, and Courtnage released Ross, who finished the game as he had started it with a try out wide. Radford’s well-struck conversion from the left touchline concluded the afternoon’s entertainment.
Abbey always looked the likely winners of this thoroughly enjoyable match, and they will be pleased not to have conceded any points in the second half. Gosford All Blacks were short of some key players, including their captain, but they made Abbey work hard, with Hughes constantly impressing. However, the home pack was never going to be beaten, with Knights leading by example from the second row. Mayo’s confidence visibly grew as the game progressed, and there was much to admire in the play of Bevan and Floyd. Meanwhile, in Ben Radford, Abbey have acquired an outside half with a good tactical boot and an ability to land the majority of his goal kicks. This was a most satisfying victory. Abbey are in fourth place in the league, and they need to build on this win when they visit Shipston-on-Stour next Saturday.
Abbey: C House, A Ross, W Bevan, L Haigh(C Floyd 67), C Floyd (M Boucher 49), B Radford, S Wallis-Robinson, O Charlton (G Sutherland 46), Z Mayo, A Postlethwaite (O Charlton 71), J Knights (captain), C Shaw (M Courtnage 49), S Holland (G Sutherland 41-45, C Shaw 76), M Nugent, E House
Gosford All Blacks: G Watts, J Groves (T Bates 60), J McComb, J Townsend (captain), S Malton, H Sutton, G Pamenter, M Selvey (T Chitsenga 60), L Donnelly, S Fouracre (W Cook 60), L Burbidge, R Taylor, S Durley, M Johnson, D Hughes
Abbey:
Tries: Ross (2), Postlethwaite, Wallis-Robinson, Radford, Mayo, Knights, Boucher, Charlton
Con: Radford (7)
Yellow card: Charlton
Gosford All Blacks:
Try: Hughes
Pen: McComb (2)
Referee: J. Rainford (Berkshire)
