Blues win final league game of the season away at Reading

That's it then, another league season finished and to finish with a win is always satisfying even though the players will know they made hard work of beating a Reading side in the process of rebuilding. A shout out to all forty four players who represented Blues during the season and in particular Toby Thorne and Harry Waye Branch, both of whom played in all twenty two games. Shout out also to Head Coach James McAvoy for guiding, motivating and encouraging all his charges in what was a season riddled with injuries. James has huge respect from the players, an intimate knowledge of the game and a manner which makes the players want to play for him. He has an acute awareness of the importance of the Stags to the club and I am sure everyone would like to say thank you to James and all his coaching staff including Graham Stewart, Paul Archer, Adam Henderson and Nigel Beale and not to forget Kris Ford who has been on the sidelines assisting for much of the season. We wish Kris all the best for as speedy a return as possible to being able to play Blues again. The thanks keep coming. Martin Paice head medic has had his work cut out treating numerous injuries during the season and he has been ably supported by Jaz Latter who has been at the majority of Stags matches for this and many previous seasons. At every first whistle at the start of every game the hope is always that Martin and Jaz will have very little to do and if this is the case that's a good outcome in itself. The Stags game against Crowthorne on Saturday was potentially Jaz's final Stags game. She has got a full time job in ambulance call handling and won't be about next season, save for a few emergency game covers if needed. All the best Jaz. You will always have a warm welcome at Monks Lane, whether you are on duty or not. Dangerous Dave Shields, our very own triple jumper of some ability has run the line for goodness knows how long and Mick Futcher has put in a sterling effort again this season. In naming people the danger is leaving someone out. I think I've got everyone but if not I am prepared to grovel for a significant period of time until full retribution is served.

It was almost shirtsleeves weather at Holme Park on Saturday, windy but the wind bringing in some warm air. A past players lunch was in full swing, a spot of "corporate guzzling" was going on and they've got this really swish coffee dispensing machine that requires a token to get the drink. Its all relative I know and machine coffee would not be up there as the best in the world, but the coffee from this machine was the best I've tasted from a machine, anywhere, anytime. Right. Irrelevant, pointless chat over. To the game.

Referees all have slightly different interpretations of laws and on Saturday the referee was very hot on blowing quickly at the breakdown. Both sides struggled to come to terms with this and there were a large number of breakdown penalties conceded by both teams, which led to a bit of a stop start match. There was also an instance when the referee penalised Reading for delaying a throw into the lineout. Never seen this previously at a game at our level. It did appear that the world had stood still for what seemed an eternity waiting for the Reading hooker to deliver the ball and there is some talk of a time limit being placed on delivery into the lineout to speed up the game.

Playing with the wind in our favour, Reading disrupted Blues kick off receipt and won a scrum in the first play of the game and immediately put Blues scrum under pressure. All very encouraging for the home side. Pinned back into a defensive position, Toby Thorne made a fantastic clearing kick, judging the wind to perfection to put Blues into an attacking position. Another scrum, another penalty and the message onto the field,"we need to get lower." When the scrum is under a bit of pressure the importance of a strong number eight cannot be stressed enough and from one retreating scrum, Josh Winfield picked up the ball, made good ground, as he has done countless times, worked the ball to Jamie Futcher who stressed the Reading defence with his speed and footwork. The ball was then passed from the coast to coast (who doesn't like a good cliche) and from one of these phases Oli Rhodes' arcing outside run created space for him to find Jamie Futcher with the final pass and the first try of the game after eight minutes. Dan Thorne kicked the conversion and Blues were very pleased to be seven points ahead within the first ten minutes. Five minutes later Blues scored their second try, this time a classic forwards driving maul with Duncan Craigen touching down under the posts. This was after Reading had given away a number of penalties and Blues had opted to go for the attacking lineouts. Another successful conversion by Dan Thorne and Blues were fourteen points ahead and seemingly in control of the match, defence doing a great job with player of the match Ali McGee leading the way with some great tackles and good effective surges going forward. However good Blues defence was though, it only takes a brief lapse of concentration and lack of communication and opposition teams can score and this is what happened going into the final ten minutes of the half. There seemed to be nothing on for Reading but a few missed tackles in the middle of the field and all of a sudden Reading were on the board to take the score to 5-14. For the remainder of the half Blues were well on top. Duncan Craigen and Dan Thorne went close to scoring, Duncan being held up over the line and Dan just losing the ball under pressure as he was about to score. The pressure finally paid of when Oli Rhodes powered over from close range for Blues third try to take the score to 5-19. Considering the pressure Blues scrum had been under for much of the half it says a great deal about the forward effort that it was not until the closing moments of the half they gave away their first scrum penalty and then immediately won a scrum penalty of their own. As the half was coming to a close, Alex Du Sautoy secured a great line out steal and Jonny Lees made a powerful burst through the heart of the Reading defence, only for the ball to be knocked on and the referee signalling the end of the first period. Half time score 5-19 to Blues.

Supporters would have been hoping for Blues to kick on in the second half but all the endeavour came to nothing for quite some time. Instead Reading had their best period of the game and put Blues under pressure in their twenty two, something that had not been prevalent in the first half. The home side couldn't break through and Blues made their way into the opposition twenty two. From there a long clearance kick went over Blues dead ball line, such was the strength of the wind. An attacking scrum, a penalty and a lineout put Blues is a strong position but crossing at the lineout meant Reading could release the pressure and found some good position for an attacking lineout of their own. One penalty later, a quick tap and go and Reading were in for their second try of the afternoon to take the score to 10-19. Reading continued to have the better of the second half although neither side were managing to take a firm grip on the game. A number of penalties were given away by both teams, a number of mistakes were being made and all this led to a certain frustration amongst the players and those watching. Amongst all this there were some standout moments, Harry Waye Branch making a great run out of defence, Ali McGee doing likewise, Duncan Craigen making a powerful run up the middle and Tom Cole solid at full back, playing his first full eighty minutes since returning from injury. From an attacking position Blues won a penalty, quickly tapped and Euan Lindsay sprinted through for Blues bonus point try. The successful conversion by Dan Thorne put Blues ahead 10-26. With the Reading defence now tiring, Blues scored a fifth try not long after when Dan Thorne put a neat grubber kick through, gathered and touched down under the posts before adding the extra two points. The full time whistle went and Blues had won 10-33.

Many thanks to all who travelled to Reading on Saturday to support the boys and the victory felt all the sweeter when news came through that Stags had beaten Crowthorne 50-5 in the final game of their season. Well done to all the players playing today and in fact to everyone who has played for Blues or Stags this season. Pappa John Cup match to come on 20th April against either Salisbury or Reading but before that if anyone fancies a run out or rather a walk out on Tuesday evening, get along to Monks Lane at 7.00pm for the inaugural session of walking rugby. Thanks to Simon Best for getting this up and running and it would be great to have a big turnout. Who knows, next season we may even get a couple of invitations to a few walking rugby tournaments and for those who have or have never donned a Blues shirt, what an opportunity to get back
out there or to get out there for the first time.

Brian Lee