Spoils even in stuttering display

This was a welcome opportunity to play away from the pressure cooker environment that league or cup fixtures bring, a chance for the shackles to be loosened and to play with some freedom - the reality was a non-event, a stuttering scrappy display where the biggest lesson learnt was the power of the mind.

Mindset defines attitude, an inclination to perform in a certain way, it helps fix a state of mind - in rugby terms this makes the difference between performing the basics well or badly.

Whilst this wasn't a competitive fixture for Bracknell's Colts, however it was an important stepping stone in the journey and the development of these emerging players, it was essential preparation for sterner league and cup fixtures to come - clearly not all the wider squad saw it this way - some saw this week as an opportunity to miss training on Thursday and burn the candle at both ends this weekend - the results were plain to see.

A frantic unstructured affair ensued, littered with mistakes - the basics were simply performed badly - Head's in the majority were not entirely in this game, and there were few positives to report.

Wallingford broke the deadlock in the 21st minute busting through the midfield, a move that was halted short of the Bracknell line, but the ball was recycled quickly for a converted score under the posted. The home team led 7-0.

The highlights beyond this were few and far between, it was immensely frustrating to watch, yes there were some reasonable performance within but the collective was disappointing - calm was required to find the rhythm, but it didn't come.

The second half was very much the same, save for a 10 minute spell when the mist cleared and Bracknell attacked the Wallingford lines with real intent and purpose - for this brief period the basics were performed well with pace, power and precision - a flowing move released Luke Fisher down the left, and he powered through defenders and sprinted clear to score a converted try beneath the posts. The scores were level at 7-7.

From here on there were fleeting moments for both teams, but from a Bracknell perspective the mist descended again, in crept the mistakes - isolated runs, sterile breakdowns, a lack of depth, width and accuracy throughout - the mindset was clouded, frustration apparent, the stimulus for forcing play, trying too hard - nothing flowed - changing a mindset mid game is difficult - the game drifted to closure

The referee today appeared risk averse, stopping play consistently before a contest could take place at the breakdown, which of course is his right, but in the same way as a team must adapt to the prevailing weather condition, the pitch, a slope, a strong wind, or the style of the opposition so to must a team adapt to the style of the referee - another lesson learnt and a fully focused team would have today.

For those who chose not to train on Thursday, for those late withdrawals due to a big Saturday night, this was the result - your vacation is over, back to work this week please otherwise the potential of this squad will be wasted and believe me you will regret it - for those in the squad today, your dedication, commitment and effort was not in question, but use this as a learning experience - effective preparation is key to ensure your mind is focused and in the right zone as it is so often the defining factor.

Huge credit to both teams who played this game in the best of spirit, and to Liam Collins, Robbie Robson, Luke Fisher, Matt Murphy and Joe Baker who all put in a shift for Wallingford who had struggled for numbers this weekend.

A final thanks to Wallingford for their hospitality and a hugely entertaining post match celebration of the good, the bad and the ugly. It was also highly illustrative of the day, that Bracknell's Man of the Match - Joe Parker - had played the entire game for Wallingford, well done Joe...