Redingensians Rams (U18) 8 - Bracknell (U18) 24

Winning is a great habit to develop, but continual success can perhaps breed complacency and there's no better way to test this assumption than a local derby, where the form book has no bearing on the outcome. A ruthless display was asked for, but a stuttering performance delivered.

Bracknell kicked off with a stiff and chilling breeze at their backs and immediately showed why there are favourites for the league title. The scrum was dominate, the phased play expansive and contact area brutal. This combination created the first score for Bracknell when Josh Knight crashed over after 4 minutes. Josh playing his 1st game against his former club, was impressive throughout and his physicality was, at times, too much for his opponents on the day. The conversion was missed.

Bracknell's early purple patch was the perfect springboard to the desired ruthless performance but was short lived, the Rams responded well, and pressured Bracknell in to mistakes. This became the order of the day, Bracknell's performance became polarised.

The Rams turned pressure in to points, with a well struck penalty in to the breeze. This was followed up by a well taken try by the Rams. Camped on the Bracknell line, the Rams storm force attack battered away at an ordinarily watertight defence, it was breached with some ease by the Rams 10 with a 'show and go' that confused a fragmented defence to score under the posts. The conversion was surprisingly missed. The Rams led 8-5 on 14 minutes, and deservedly so.

The vocal Bracknell supporters had hoped for a stella performance, but the lads continued to fluff their lines, to the extent that a member of the Rams coaching team (tongue in cheek) suggested the Bracknell performance shambolic.

But there was nothing shambolic about the next few minutes. Bracknell hit there straps returning to the structured all round game we have become accustomed too this season. Keeping the ball alive with variety, changing the point attack and stretching defences in to the wider channels. This provides the perfect platform for electric players such as Ally Walton to pierce defensive lines with his rapier like thrusts. On 16 minutes Ally rounded the Rams, following a flowing attack up field to reclaim the lead. The conversion was missed.

This was developing in to an exciting encounter, with neither side able to claim dominance, although on the occasions Bracknell retained the ball through multiple phase they did look the better side, but the high error count and poor decision making meant these moments were limited.

On 28 minutes a Rams clearance was caught by the breeze and stayed in field, the ball, dropping quickly was expertly plucked off his toes by Luke Fisher running forward at pace. The Rams kick chasers were no where to be seen, so the superb finisher that he is, Luke took the direct route to the try line almost unchallenged. The conversion was struck true from the touchline by Jake Findley.

At half time Bracknell led 8-17.

Coach Dan Ap Dafydd expressed his disappointment at the faltering performance. He felt the three tries scored, whilst well finished, were perhaps the result of individual rather the collective performance normally expected.

The Rams started the strongest in the 2nd half, perhaps benefitting from some powder puff Bracknell tackling, which had also littered the 1st half. Back to basics for some in this area, 'shoulder to shorts', 'cheek to cheek', 'ring of steel', 'leg drive low to high' and all the stuff taught in the juniors!!

Both teams made incisions in to each others halves, it was end to end and to the neutral an entertaining affair. From a Bracknell perspective, it was an error strewn performance punctuated with too many penalties. In these circumstances, continuity and pressure are hard to build.

The final score on 50 minutes gave Bracknell the bonus point they craved. Again, it wasn't created by the collective, but a well taken opportunist try. Matan Sayegh reacted quickest to a loose ball in the midfield, and seeing the Rams defenders melt away, accelerated through the gap and won the sprint to the line. Patrick Fitzgerald converted for Bracknell to lead 8-24.

The final 20 minutes, as before, was cut & thrust with intervals of the good, the bad and the ugly.

The objectives set before the game of less than 3 turnovers and zero missed tackles evaporated alarming quickly. However, the hard yards were done and endeavour was never in question, so as they says, it's a good side that can win ugly.

Was it complacency, the anti-climax of last weeks National Cup performance, the nature of a local derby or the excellent Rams performance? Whatever the cause of this stuttering performance, it's always good to be reminded that whilst winning is a good habit, it is the result of hard work and maintaining standards, it must never be taken for granted. Whilst I don't believe this excellent group of young men will take it for granted, lessons should be learnt from this performance.

Many thanks for the hospitality shown by our friends at Redingensians, it's always a pleasure to attend such a friendly and welcoming club. Apologies for the curtains, by the way!!!!

GO BRFC!