Last year the RFU invited clubs to submit an entry relating to their involvement with local the community and charities. Although our entry didn't win the cash prize we remain very proud of our association with Newbury Cancer Care and are looking forward to next week's Pink Weekend. Here is a copy of our entry to the RFU to remind us why we organise our Pink weekend and for all of us to badger as many people as possible to come along next Saturday and Sunday to support this wonderful charity. Whilst the Tottonians match report is important it will take second place this week.

Cancer wards. Places of personal sorrow, grief, anguish and helplessness. Cancer wards. Places of hope, laughter, resilience and promise. In reality individual families will feel a mixture of some or all these emotions at different times but what is constant is the support Newbury Cancer Care gives to the local community hospital and local families who are faced with this dreadful disease. Newbury Rugby Club is proud of its association with Newbury Cancer Care. The charity does amazing things in our community such as providing funding for the Rainbow Room at our local hospital which specialises in end of life care. The charity also provides funding for alternative therapies for cancer patients, transport for patients to attend appointments and funding for chemotherapy chairs. In the ten years we have been working together Newbury Rugby Club has raised approximately £75,000 for the charity.

Our annual club organised Pink Weekend is the main money raiser during the year. This is a huge community effort within the club involving all sections, ages and genders. The emphasis during the weekend is on fun. Everyone is encouraged to dress in pink, the first team plays in pink with a mascot dressed in pink, there are highly visible “bearded pink ladies” painting fingernails pink with the message, “giving the finger to cancer.” There is a post lunch auction, bucket collection and raffle, and all this against the background of the club being dressed in pink including hundreds of pink balloons which the minis love playing with at the end of their session on the Sunday morning. Memorable moments all round and crucially an underlying feeling of knowing how important the weekend is to the charity.

Memorable though these days have been, the real memorable moments we don’t see. These happen away from Newbury Rugby Club, in the privacy of the consulting room when cancer patients hear the news, “You’re in remission.” For others the news is not so good and that is why our association with Newbury Cancer Care will endure for many years to come. We are rightly proud of our efforts to support this fantastic charity. It is very much a reciprocal association and the charity is grateful for our efforts in supporting them. In a recent letter they write, “We are very proud to be associated with Newbury Rugby Club and are so grateful for your support. Such support is very important to a local charity like ourselves as it enables us to deliver a range of vital services to cancer sufferers and their families throughout West Berkshire.”

Ten year’s worth of memorable moments at the club and who knows how many of those other private, far more important, far more significant memorable moments.

Here's to next weekend and here's to better days for Blues. It was never going to be easy playing against Tottonians, flying high as they are in the league and from the off Blues found themselves under pressure, giving away a penalty and the visitors mauling their way over for their first score within two minutes of the start of the game. The conversion hit the post. From the restart Blues managed to gain a foothold in the opposition half and a strong scrum was encouraging. However Tottonians managed to get the ball away form the scrum and almost scored what would have been a length of the field try, had it not been for a try saving tackle by Jamie Futcher at full back. The message from the sideline was about keeping depth and footwork going and there were times when Blues showed good shape both in attack and defence, although on the 15 minute mark a couple of missed tackles let Tottonians in for their second unconverted try. The restart was perfectly executed. A deep kick, the opposition kick to touch and Blues with a lineout on the visitor's 10 metre line. One penalty later kicked by Dan Thorne reduced the deficit to seven points. And more was to follow. A high kick by Dan Thorne and a great chase by Ali McGee resulted in Tottonians giving away a scrum and from this position the ball was worked to the left. Jamie Futcher made a half break before Tottonians were penalised for a high tackle. The successful kick by Dan made the score 6-10 and Blues were very much back in the game. Continued pressure on Tottonians showed that Blues are capable of causing difficulties for teams towards the top of the league but like Scotland last weekend against England, Blues could not quite convert their goal line pressure into points and Tottonians cleared their line with a high kick which was knocked on. The ball was then hacked though and the resulting foot race was won by Tottonians which led to their third try, this one successfully converted to take the score to 6-17. Blues then had what was probably their best period of the game. Forcing a penalty the kick to the corner was first class and with Callum Varrall progressing well in his lineout throwing, he touched down after a well executed line out maul and drive by the forwards. The successful conversion made the half time score 11-17 to Tottonians.
The first half had seen some effective running from the outside backs and Sikeli Lewavakula on debut showed excellent physicality and how dangerous he is with ball in hand. A shout out also to Will Osborne having to play centre and jump in the lineout, which showed excellent adaptation from him and also to the forwards where their scrum dominance was noticeable The front row looked good and GRS was named player of the match. In addition Ashley and Kyle Doel continued to show the form they have shown all season both in the tight and also around the field, their physicality a feature of the game.

Blues made a strong start to the second half and pressured the visitors into making a number of mistakes but like the first half Blues couldn't quite get over the line and Tottonians cleared, forced an attacking lineout and the peel round the back led to them scoring their fourth try to take the score to 11-22. Klicky disrupted their ball at the restart to give Blues an attacking opportunity but Tottonians were beginning to look a lot more fluent as the game wore on and with ten minutes left their forwards rumbled over for their fifth try from a lineout close to Blues line. With the game going into the final ten minutes, Tottonians scored another three tries, two from driving mauls and one as a result of a missed tackle to take the final score to 11-46.

With a heavy defeat reflection can be painful but players respect honesty and the task moving forward as James McAvoy said after the match is to ensure all eighteen players perform with the same level of self efficacy, that they harness the same characteristic to bounce back after a mistake and not to compound errors but to make sure an error is followed by a positive action. Work to be done but there is no doubting this group's willingness to work for each other and let's not forget the outcome of this season is still in our control. Three games to go before the end of the league season, home to North Dorset, away to Petersfield and home to Chichester.

We wish Tottonians all the best for the remainder of the season as they battle with Farnham, Bournemouth and Winchester at the top end of the table. Their next match against Farnham could well be quite influential on the final league placings. A win for Totts and a win for Bournemouth, home to Wimborne could well set up a final day clash between Bournemouth and Farnham as a winner takes all game for the title. As for Blues two home games are well within the boys' capabilities of winning as is the away game at Petersfield. And what do we want..... a bit of luck, a favourable bounce of the ball and a shed load of favourable refereeing decisions.

As always thanks to our sponsors, to those who bought tickets for lunch, to our loyal supporters and to referee Matt Smith.

There is sure to be a large turnout next weekend with all lunch tables sold and with the Six Nations back and on television at the club, it is going to be a great day at Monks Lane. See you there.