Reading Abbey RFC

Reading Abbey 0 Milton Keynes 32

Mark Hoskins

Abbey’s disappointing run of results continued, as they lost again in Counties 1 Tribute Southern North. Their defeat to Milton Keynes at Rosehill was their fifth in five this season, and it was a disappointing way for stalwart forwards Adam Postlethwaite and Ed House to mark their 100th appearances for the club.

The visitors took lead right at the start of the game, when winger Meach Power sprinted clear up the left touchline to score a try. Outside half Juan Santirso completed his side’s dream start by adding a conversion. Abbey settled down after this, with centre Mike Beckly and full back Will Bevan both making ground, but the home side suffered a further blow within the first five minutes when No.8 Gereie Sutherland left the field with an injury. He took no further part in the match, though his replacement, Dan Smith, played well in his place. Six minutes into the match Milton Keynes increased their lead when Santirso kicked a brilliant penalty from the ten-metre line.

Abbey had a decent spell of possession over the next few minutes, with flanker Max Courtnage and stand-in skipper Chris Shaw both winning clean lineout ball. Scrum half Darren Hunter looked busy, and House, Beckly and second row Matt Eldridge all produced good drives. Winger Ryan Williams almost intercepted when Milton Keynes attacked from the halfway line, and on the other wing Jack Brown ran well from defence. Outside half Tom Bird found a good touch with his kick when the visitors were penalised, but the ball was lost soon after the lineout. Shaw stole the ball at the next Milton Keynes lineout, but Abbey conceded a penalty. Santirso went for the posts again from a position similar to his previous penalty, but this time he kicked well wide.

Bevan’s kick ahead sent Abbey into the visitors’ half, and a brilliant counter-ruck saw Shaw make ten metres. Brown and prop Ollie Charlton supported him well, and Milton Keynes were penalised. Bird kicked to the visitors’ 10-metre line, and after Courtnage had won the lineout there was a superb 20-metre driving maul. Hunter, Smith and Postlethwaite moved the ball to the left, and Milton Keynes winger Joe Fitzgerald was shown a yellow card for knocking the ball out of Bevan’s hand. Bird kicked for the corner, and Abbey were now in a strong position. Courtnage again won the lineout, but unfortunately Hunter’s pass found an opposition player. Again the visitors were penalised, and great runs from House, Charlton, Smith and Courtnage took play right up to the line. Shaw was held up on the line, but Abbey could not take further advantage of the position.

Further Abbey attacks followed, with hooker Mark Toland taking play back into the opposition 22, but Abbey looked reluctant to release their backs, despite having a numerical advantage. They did have one chance of points when they were awarded a penalty in a very kickable position, but Hunter took a quick tap and Courtnage was tackled into touch near the line. Just as Fitzgerald’s binning period was coming to an end, Milton Keynes lost another player when second row Gareth Thomas was shown a yellow card, but still Abbey were unable to take advantage of their numerical superiority. Centre Georg Goodenough had one good run, but Milton Keynes were the only side to score during the binning period when Santirso kicked a penalty from the right hand side of the field. There was no further scoring in the first half.

Milton Keynes began the second half as they had the first by almost immediately scoring a try. Abbey conceded a penalty in their 22, and after a series of drives prop Calum McNally powered over the line, with Santirso again adding the extras. Abbey responded well to this setback, and over the next ten minutes they played their best rugby of the game. Bird, whose kicks to touch from penalties got longer as the game went on, found a good touch in the Milton Keynes 22, and Courtnage came close to scoring before Postlethwaite was held up over the line. Soon afterwards a run from Williams took Abbey back into the 22 again, and Charlton and Beckly ran towards the right corner. Abbey were given another penalty, but after Hunter’s quick tap and Brown’s run,Courtnage lost control of the ball on the line.

Milton Keynes used all three of their replacements at this stage, while James Gadd came on for Eldridge in the home pack. Up until this stage it had been a game of comparatively few scrums, with Abbey holding their own in this department. But as the game wore on, the visitors took control up front, and Abbey were driven off their own put in on three occasions. Toland came off with an injury after 56 minutes, with Michael Cowdery replacing him, and soon afterwards Santirso missed the target with another long-range penalty attempt. Shaw stole another opposition throw soon afterwards and made a great burst of 25 metres before he was stopped. Courtnage continued to dominate at the lineouts, but Abbey were unable to string a decent run of phases together before losing the ball. Eldridge returned to the action, replacing Beckly, and soon afterwards Abbey paid a heavy price for being driven off their own scrum put-in. Milton Keynes moved the ball rapidly to the left and replacement winger Rian Kellar-Colgan sprinted away to score. Santirso’s conversion made the game more than safe at 27-0.

With around ten minutes remaining, the only matters of interest in the game were whether Abbey could score some points and whether Milton Keynes could get a bonus point try. Sadly, the first of these never looked likely, and neither did the second when Santirso bizarrely opted to kick for goal from a penalty rather than go for the corner. He missed the kick, and shortly afterwards there was a fracas in the visitors’ half which saw Cowdery yellow-carded. Beckly returned to the action for the final few minutes, with Shaw going off, and with their front row resources now stretched, Abbey twice elected for lineouts when Milton Keynes were penalised for crooked throws. It looked as if the visitors would fail in their quest for a fourth try, but in the final play Abbey lost possession, and Kellar-Colgan scored a brilliant try after a 50-metre run up the left touchline. Santirso’s missed conversion was the final act of the afternoon.

This was a disappointing afternoon for Abbey against a well-organised visiting side. Milton Keynes had two big but mobile props in McNally and Erik Grimley, and skipper Jake Saddington was an impressive No.8. In contrast, Abbey looked short of attacking ideas and appeared reluctant to move the ball wide. Courtnage and Shaw were the stand-out players, while Williams looked promising on the odd occasions when the ball came his way. Finally, a word of praise for the two centurions, Ed House and Adam Postlethwaite, both of whom have been immense for Abbey over a number of years.

Abbey: W Bevan, R Williams, G Goodenough, M Beckly (M Eldridge 70), J Brown, T Bird, D Hunter, A Postlethwaite, M Toland (M Cowdery 56), O Charlton, C Shaw (captain, M Beckly 78), M Eldridge (J Gadd 51), M Courtnage, E House, G Sutherland (D Smith 6).  

Milton Keynes: L Tribe, M Power (A Howe 48-66), N Merridan (R Kellar-Colgan 48), J Murphy, J Fitzgerald, J Santirso, J Marchbank, C McNally, D Foord, E Grimley, G Thomas, J Anderson (D Till 48), J Sylvester, O Calverly, J Saddington (captain, N Merridan 66).  

Milton Keynes:

Tries: Kellar-Colgan (2), Power, McNally

Con: Santirso (3)

Pen: Santirso (2)

Yellow cards:

Abbey: Cowdery

Milton Keynes: Fitzgerald, Thomas

Referee: J Kendrick-Eriksen (Norfolk)