Worcester Wanderers 27 – Bracknell 22

On Wednesday evening under floodlights on Maidenhead’s 3G pitch, Bracknell beat the home hosts convincingly with a 41-17 Berkshire Cup Final victory with a mixture of 1st and 2nd XV players. Congratulations to all involved in what may make Bracknell perennial holders of the Berkshire Cup given that there are currently no plans to run the competition again next year in the same format.

The down side to this however was that Tuesday and Thursday’s training was cancelled either side of Wednesday’s Cup Final and may well have had an effect on the team’s preparation for their last league fixture of the season at Worcester Wanderers which was rearranged from February when most of the country was underwater.

If any Bracknell supporter at Sixways had been at Bracknell’s game at Newton Abbot in December they would have had a distinct feeling of déjà vu. Right from the kick off Worcester Wanderers looked sharper, hungrier and more committed in both defence and attack. Worcester, fighting to avoid the last relegation spot scored within the first few minutes and just like Newton Abbot had done 4 months ago scored 4 tries in the first half. Bracknell’s only points were awarded to Jonny Baugh for getting “very close” to the opposition try line and Bracknell went in at the break with their heads down waiting for the hair dryer treatment. Half time score 22 – 5.

To be fair to Rory and the players the treatment worked to a degree and two second half tries from Joe Price and one from Ben Yates resulted in a second half score of 17 – 5 to Bracknell but it wasn’t enough. At 22 – 15 when his side were under the cosh and looking vulnerable the pacey Wanderers number 13 struck the killer blow with a run from his own half and a final pop pass to put his winger in at the corner. This was just enough to halt Bracknell’s comeback and create what would turn out to be an unassailable lead. The introduction of the entire sub’s bench at half time had helped spark the recovery but as Michael Clarke was carried from the park with an ankle injury soon after the home side’s only try of the half, Bracknell’s sprit of recovery seemed to wane.

Worcester Wanderers deserved their hard fought win and were rewarded with 5 crucial points while Bracknell scored 4 tries and lost narrowly so had to settle for their one and only 2 bonus point match of the season.

Bracknell – Jonny Mirza, Stuart Silvester, Jack Petelo, Leo Bailey, Kenny Barry, Matt Brambley, Jonny Baugh, Nico Maybury (C), Daniel Ap Dafydd, Daniel Antonelli, Chris Brember, Joe Price, Ben Nowak, Ben Yates, Stuart Mackay. Subs – Ollie Taylor, Michael Clarke, Ian Burch, Peter Mably

Pete’s end of season thought
So as the curtain closes on Bracknell’s 2013-14 league season it is difficult not to feel a little disappointed with how it all ended. After losing at Old Reds last week and with it any hopes of the play-offs, a loss made more frustrating as Redingensians lost at Newton Abbot; and then losing our final league match yesterday the season feels like it has fizzled out somewhat but Bracknell supporters should be very proud of their sides first season back in National 3 South West. Not every season can finish with the last game of the season euphoria that promotion or saving yourselves from relegation can bring. If we had been offered third place (by a country mile) at the beginning of the season we would have snatched the proverbial hand off.

The final relegation spot is still undecided with both Worcester and Old Cents winning with 5 pointers this week and gaining ground on Old Pats who picked up just a single point at Weston. All three sides have at least one game left and Worcester have two, with one of them against Old Cents. Old Pat’s last game is at home but it is against in form Amersham and Chiltern who have had some good results in recent games.

Which two of these sides will be in this league next year is too close to call and whether Bracknell will be there to play them is also open to question. With four sides still in the mix to join Exmouth and Bournemouth in relegation from National 2 South and three of these sides also being from the South West region it is possible that Bracknell will be shunted sideways – level transferred – to National 3 London & SE next season.

Keep checking out the BRFC website for up to date news on the final outcome of the league season and don’t forget to attend our closed season events at Lily Hill Park in support of the club’s many clubhouse, pitch drainage, floodlighting and ground improvement schemes.

GO BRFC!