Bs finish Top of the League

It was not the best performance of the season, but ultimately it mattered little, as the boys managed the winning bonus point and 24 point margin that was required to leapfrog Hungerford and end the league season on top of the Berkshire U13 B league. Champions!

After beating the Reading/Tadley Baabaas by 48-0 just three weeks prior, the boys were understandably confident, and the coaches worked hard to focus the minds on the performance rather than the (metaphorical) scoreboard. It would be wrong to report that the team took their opponents lightly, more accurate to note that the Reading/Tadley team, in the fourth consecutive week of playing league matches together, had progressed well and were very able opponents.

Certainly, the hosts started the game with confidence, and if the Bracknell boys needed any reminders, then it came when Max R was required to make a last line tackle to prevent Reading/Tadley breaking away and taking an early lead.

As has so often been the case this year, the spark came from the forwards who, after amending the warm-up routine before the game started the day very effectively at the breakdown, winning turnover ball, and exacting a series of penalties at the breakdowns due to the pressure exerted. The opening try came from one such penalty, with Ryan crashing over from short range 5m in from the corner flag. On a difficult day for conversions, this was about as close to the posts as Oscar would get all through the game. No matter, the first points were on the board.

Reading/Tadley came back. They were combative at the breakdown, and disruptive at the set pieces, even stealing a couple of scrums against the head. They were also very quick in their backline defence which nullified the potent backline threat that Bracknell possessed with the back three of Tim, Tom and Theo having 33 tries between them so far. Strangely on such a fine day on a pitch suited to wide play, both teams really struggled with their handling, as the Bracknell midfield and back-row exerted their own offensive defence and closing down the home teams backs equally quickly, and forcing errors.

With a tight stop/start game unfolding, it became a very cagey affair, and it wasn’t until the second quarter that the next points came. Joe made a good break down the right, and after Lewis and Ed had taken the ball on, the boys set up camp in the same corner that Ryan had previously scored. Another great scrum on the Reading/Tadley feed pressurised the ball to pop out on the defensive side and Josh swooped onto the loose ball and stretched over the line to score the teams second.

Shortly afterwards, good lineout ball around halfway, found the backs running on to the ball at pace for what appeared to be the first time, and with the defensive line coming up in a staggered pattern, Oscar was able to cleverly step through and set the ball out wide to Tom, who scooted around the cover defence from some distance to score the third. Hope was that this would be the trigger that the boys needed to start using the ball better. Reading/Tadley however fought on, continually disrupting the Bracknell organisation, but when Bracknell did get it together they were very effective. Strong running from Chris and Kyle set up a good attacking platform, and after Ryan had been held short of the line, the ball came back to Lewis who managed to find his way through the stretched defence and secure the bonus-point try.

That bought half time and an opportunity to recharge the batteries and reconsider the approach to the second period. The second half though bought a re-energised home team, who managed to not only make some serious in-roads into Bracknell territory but also cause some problems at the scrum. Indeed, there was a 5 minute period where Reading/Tadley were camped on the Bracknell line, and indeed appeared to have the upper hand in the scrums at this point. Ultimately the defence, particularly of the forwards, was to hold firm and secure the points difference at the end.

As the half continued scoreless, the Bracknell boys became more and more frustrated, which brought with it more small errors, which in turn generated more frustration. In contrast, the home sides confidence grew, whilst their defence became better and better. The final try when it came, was a result of going back to basics. With Alex and Adam both working hard at the breakdown, the ball was turned over, and Ryan crashed his way up the middle of the park. When he was finally brought down, the ball was picked up by Kyle who continued the rampage deep into the opposition 22m area. From here, the boys worked the ball to the right and Chris charged at the line only to be held up in attempting to touch the ball down. From the resulting 5m scrum, Josh went blind and slipped the ball to Lewis who was covering for the injured Theo on the right wing, and he managed to squeeze into the corner for the fifth and final try. Cue some excitable players, and what appeared to the home team and followers to be congratulations and celebrations that were a little out of context for simply scoring a fifth try!

Despite the exuberant celebrations of the try, there was still 5 minutes to play - obviously time for the nerves to be further frayed, as the restart went over the heads of the un-prepared Bracknell players, for a lineout deep in the 22m territory. However, good lineout ball won, a relieving kick, a fine chase, and some good tackling, took the play safely back toward the Reading/Tadley line where the boys held on to the ball, even constructing a series of moves saw Seth (twice) and Joe come up just short of scoring one more try before the final whistle blew.

Despite the conditions, it was not much of a running game, and the match was really won with a strong display from the forwards, with Callum, Charlie, Daniel, Harry and Seth in the front row working very well not just in the tight but also in defence where they continued to repel the big opposition runners. Man of the Match was Ryan, who along with his second row colleagues Kyle and Chris, put in a lot of the heavy work; ball carrying, tackling, mauling and rucking all to very good effect.

So, B League winners at the first time of asking, using a total of 28 players across the league games, and in addition to the boys who did battle at Reading today, congratulations also to those variously absent; the other Max, the other Tom, the two other Joshes, Jonty, Peter, Olly, Matt and Sam, all of whom contributed to the league success.