BRACKNELL IV 33 READING RHINOS 35

The Rhinos are Champions of the Thames Valley Invitation League Division B for the third successive year, but only after giving themselves, and their supporters, a might big scare.

With only five minutes on the clock, they found themselves 12-0 down, as the Bracknell midfield threatened to run rings around the Rhino defence, scoring two quick fire tries. The first, after a misunderstanding between the Reading centres, gifted the ball to the home side, and then straight from the kick off the Bracknell outside centre, who scored the first try, turned provider for his fly half. Fortunately, these Rhinos are made of stern stuff, and within three minutes they had clawed their way back thanks to a clever kick from Gareth Belshaw, which took them to within five metres of their opponent’s line. The subsequent lineout failed to hit the target, and Danny Pratt had only to fall down over the line to score. This gave Reading new belief, but all their hard work was undone, as the Bracknell midfield again broke through the visitor’s defence for a third time midway through the half.

As Reading pressed, the home side’s discipline crumbled and resulted in one of their locks receiving a yellow card for persistent offending. During his absence, Pratt and Belshaw combined from a scrum, and eventually Captain Sharp drove over from a couple of yards for a converted try to make it 19-12. Instead of pressing home their one man advantage, the Rhinos then fell asleep after conceding a penalty, and the quick witted scrum half burst through a non-existent defence to set up his fly half for his second try of the half.

Once again Reading came back, and from a quickly taken tap penalty of their own, the ball was shipped down the line and winger Wayne Quintyn dived over for his first Rhino try. Unfortunately, full back Nick Robins-Cherry was injured whilst making the extra man, and was forced to leave the field, joining legendary prop Andy Clark (ribs) on the sidelines.

Going in nine points down, the captain and Dictator of Rugby Driver drove home to the players what was at stake, and their expectations for the second half. Within forty eight seconds they were rewarded with a try by flanker Tim Hill. Fly half Mark Lilley launched a speculative kick down field, and had the presence of mind to chase his own kick, forcing a turnover from the Bracknell full back, Hill kicked on and won the foot race to the line. Within minutes Wheeler added a penalty from forty five metres to take the lead, which was then extended when Quintyn, chasing another Lilley kick, out jumped the hapless full back and sped forty plus metres to the line to put Reading 32-26 up.

Bracknell refused to give up, and the lead switched hands again with nine minutes to play. After a successions of penalties, the visitor’s defence was stretched to breaking point, and the standoff found a gap to run in his hat-trick score, and by converting it himself, he gave his side a slender one point advantage.

But still the match had one last twist. With time running out the Rhinos launched their final push, and forced the opponents into conceding a penalty. Wheeler, with nerves of steel, drove the ball between the sticks from towards the right hand touchline to win, not only the match, but also the league title.

Team

Andy Clark
Glyn Blakemore
Rob Lynch
Colin Sharp
Diego Barrow
Tim Hill
Dave Osborne
Danny Pratt
Gareth Belshaw Man of the Match
John Green
Justin Wheeler
Wayne Palmer
Wayne Quintyn
Nick Robins-Cherry

Substitutes

Scott Stevens (Clark 31 minutes)
Nigel Goodwin (Robins-Cherry 39 minutes)
Jerry Downes (Green 54 minutes)
Dave Parish (Not Used)

The Rhinos only arrived with eighteen players, but were indebted to Jerry Downes who rolled out of the pub in time to join the fray in the second half.

Captain’s Views

I would like to congratulate you all for the massive effort put in this season. We have now officially won the league and remain undefeated in that league for 2 & 1/2 seasons.

The match yesterday was full of drama with Justin sealing victory in the last play of the game with a superb kick from out wide, fantastic. He was by no means the only hero of the day, Danny got us back into the game with a try on his return, Nick took his try well (?)  to cap a very fine season, Wayne Q scored 2 very good tries, Tim’s dogged determination delivered another, and Belsh was directing every play which enabled us to claw our way back after a typically poor start.

The most impressive thing of all  was our collective will to win, even in the death when they took the lead again I knew we would have another opportunity to score, in fact we had several which the ref put a stop to with a couple of odd calls. We played with heart, determination and above all with our heads. I am proud of you all.

Thames Valley Invitation League – Division B

Next Week

With the league campaign now over, the Rhinos can relax, and this week they host Cainscross RFC at Holme Park. Based on the outskirts of Stroud, they have become a regular haunt of the Rhinos, and the boys are keen to repay their hospitality. And of course the Rhinos have a former Cainscross player in their ranks, former player and now Dictator of Rugby, Ali Driver started his illustrious career in Stroud somewhere back in the middle of the last century!

Following the match, all attention will focus on the 2010 tour to Bilbao, which starts on Wednesday 7^th April, with Captain Sharp leading a party of over thirty vets and virgin tourists.