Sat 15 Jan 2022
Wallingford 18 Reading Abbey 19
Mark Hoskins
Debutant Ollie Evans was Abbey’s matchwinner under the Wallingford floodlights in a rare Friday eveningfixture in Tribute Southern Counties North. The winger kicked five goals from five attempts for a personal haul of 14 points on an evening in which Abbey displayed tremendous determination and team spirit. The visitors were outscored by three tries to one, but they defended superbly in a game in which both sides had periods of dominance. The victory was Abbey’s first at Wallingford in twelve years.
Wallingford’s decision to stage the match under lights was more than justified by the attendance, and a large crowd (far more than would have been present on a Saturday afternoon) thronged the touchline, despite the cold and frosty conditions. The home side started strongly, and Abbey were soon defending inside their own 22. The forwards were pushed back and conceded a penalty, but when Wallingford drove from the subsequent lineout, Abbey stopped the maul short of the line. Full back Max Boucher made a good tackle when the ball was moved wide to the right, but another penalty was conceded. This time there was no stopping the home pack, and hooker Nelly Kinninburgh crossed for a try to give his side a deserved early lead. Outside half Charles Campbell failed with his conversion attempt.
Abbey hit back almost at once. Winger Ross Jaffray, another debutant, broke from the restart, and scrum half Will Bevan kicked into the Wallingford half. Soon after this, skipper ‘Treacle’ Knights won a lineout and took played into the home 22. Wallingford were penalised, but Abbey could not take advantage at the lineout because of a crooked throw. However, at the subsequent scrum Wallingford conceded a free kick and Abbey elected to scrum again. Bevan made a quick dash to the right, and after good support play from flanker Gereie Sutherland, second row Chris Shaw crashed over the line. Evans showed no sign of nerves as he lined up the conversion and his successful kick gave Abbey the lead after 13 minutes.
Soon after this, a long kick from Bevan and a strong driving run from Knights took Abbey into the home 22 again. Wallingford conceded a penalty, and Evans landed an excellent goal from 30 metres to increase Abbey’s lead. Superb tactical kicking from Bevan, whose high up-and-unders were a feature of the match, kept his team in the Wallingford half for much of the next ten minutes. Evans, together with flanker Max Nugent and hooker Lewis Jones, launched an attack up the left of the field, and when Bevan changed the direction of the move Abbey came desperately close to scoring a second try. Outside half Sol Wallis-Robinson sent a well-placed kick over the line in the right corner, but Boucher was unable to control the ball as he attempted to touch down.
Abbey continued to attack after this missed opportunity, with Wallis-Robinson and centre Callum House combining well in the Wallingford half. Then prop Ollie Charlton supported a run from Bevan which took play into the Wallingford 22 again. Boucher nearly found an opening, and centre Jack Peachey made the first of several powerful bursts. Jaffray made good ground after a kick from Wallis-Robinson gave him an opening, and Boucher again looked dangerous. Mark Toland replaced Jones at hooker, and soon after this Abbey increased their lead to 13-5 when Evans landed a penalty from 28 metres.
The momentum of the game now swung in Wallingford’s favour, and they began to dominate territory and possession. No.8 Scott Holland did well to stop a move inside his own 22, but a penalty was conceded. Campbell went for goal, but his kick dropped wide to the right. However, Abbey were soon penalised again, and from a five-metre lineout drive replacement prop Tyler Harvey, an impressive player who was returning from injury, barged his way over for a try wide on the right. Campbell again had no luck with his conversion attempt.
Ed Wisener came on for Nugent at this point, and Wallingford really should have scored a third try soon afterwards. Centre Tom Cerullo made a superb 40-metre break towards the left, but his midfield partner Sam Botting dropped Cerullo’s pass with the line at his mercy. A good run from Peachey took Abbey away from immediate danger inside their own 22, but another great run from Cerullo soon put Wallingford back on the attack, A home try wide on the right looked inevitable, but Boucher robbed full back Ralph Smith. However, advantage was being played, and with the half almost over Campbell levelled the scores at 13-all with what was to prove his only successful kick of the evening.
Nugent returned in place of the injured Holland at the start of the second half, and it was Abbey’s turn to enjoy a spell of attacking dominance. Sutherland, House and Shaw all drove strongly inside the home 22, and after 43 minutes Abbey won another penalty. Evans once again stepped up and landed the goal to restore his side’s lead. Matt Woodrow replaced Charlton in the front row, and soon after this Knights and prop Adam Postlethwaite made ground in the home half. Further Abbey attacks took play close to the Wallingford line, and Knights, Toland and Wisener all came close to crossing. Peachey too looked a real threat with ball in hand, and Boucher made a great run up the left wing before possession was lost. At this point, Jones returned in place of Toland.
Jones was immediately involved in the action as Abbey continued to attack. Peachey and Shaw both came close to finding openings, and after 65 minutes Wallingford conceded a penalty under their posts. Momentary thought was given to a quick tap, but sanity prevailed and Evans landed a simple kick to make the score 19-13. Sutherland ran well from the restart, but the momentum was about to swing once again, and for the rest of the match it was Wallingford who attacked. A tense period of play followed, with the home pack laying siege to the Abbey line and Abbey defending superbly. Charlton returned in place of Postlethwaite, and Wallingford ran two penalties close to the line. From the second of these home skipper Ian Jeffreys plunged over, but Woodrow performed a rescue act, getting his body under the ball and preventing a grounding.
From the next scrum, Wisener made a good break, and Abbey found another hero in Shaw, whose surprise kick for touch relieved the pressure. But Abbey were soon penalised again, and with the match now three minutes into injury time, Wallingford tapped and ran again. This time they got through, and Botting crossed on the right. The outcome of the game now rested with Campbell as he lined up what was by no means an easy conversion attempt from ten metres in from the right touchline. To Abbey’s relief the ball dropped wide, but there were still three minutes of the game to go. Fortunately, Abbey were able to keep play in the Wallingford half for the rest of the match, with Sutherland running particularly well. Abbey were awarded the final scrum of the night, and when the ball came back to Wallis-Robinson he hoofed it into the crowd to end the action.
This was a most enjoyable match between two well-matched teams, with both sides having prolonged attacking spells. There was little to choose between the two packs at the set piece, but Wallingford will be regretting their missed kicks at goal. They certainly bettered Abbey in the try-scoring department, but Abbey really should have scored more than one try themselves during their dominant spells. Their defence near the end was magnificent. Boucher, Bevan, Peachey and Sutherland stood out in a great team effort, and Evans was coolness personified with his goalkicking. Above all, Abbey’s teamwork and determination to play for each other shone out in a performance which must have brought huge satisfaction to Luke Harding and his fellow coaches. The team will hope to build on this excellent result when they visit Gosford All Blacks next Saturday.
This was Abbey’s first win at Wallingford since a 10-7 victory on April 10th 2010, since when they have lost seven times there. For the record, nine Abbey players were the squad which defeated Wallingford at Rosehill earlier in the season, while twelve of the Wallingford side played in that game.
Abbey: M Boucher, R Jaffray, C House, J Peachey, O Evans, S Wallis-Robinson, W Bevan, A Postlethwaite (O Charlton 76), L Jones (M Toland 24-60), O Charlton (M Woodrow 49), J Knights (captain), C Shaw, G Sutherland, M Nugent (E Wisener 37), S Holland (M Nugent 40)
Wallingford: R Smith, A Brown, S Botting, T Cerullo, C Whitty, C Campbell, J Nisbet, L Dallimore (T Harvey 78), N Kinninburgh, J Thurston (T Harvey 24-60, C Murphy 76), C Tappin, E Searle (J Morris 60), C Murphy (W Fox 58), N Chapman, I Jeffreys (captain)
Abbey:
Try: Shaw
Con: Evans
Pen: Evans (4)
Wallingford:
Tries: Kinninburgh, Harvey, Botting
Pen: Campbell
Referee: M Trumper (Oxfordshire)
