Blues make the play off

NEWBURY BLUES 60 v 19 READING ABBEY
Blues make the play off
Saturday 22nd April, South West 1 East League, 3pm KO
After a shaky start Newbury Blues beat Reading Abbey to make the play off at Monks lane against Clevedon RFC on 29th April

Blues coaches have to make some hard decisions for this match day squad and some players are disappointed, an impossible task for the coaches to keep all happy, talking with the coaches the decisions this week were the hardest calls they have had to make this season

Blues after a slow start keep up the recent form of scoring 50 plus points with a good display of running rugby starting after 20 mins of the first half scoring 3 first half try’s then letting loose in the second half

Reading Abbey kick off this final league match on a sunny afternoon in front of a big Blues crowd and manage to regain possession, after several phases they knock on giving Blues a scrum but Blues return the favour when they knock on. From the scrum Reading Abbey again run at the Blues making good ground before they spill the ball, Blues gather and a good couple of runs by Cameron Golby Barr results in a pen for a high tackle, Reading Abbey get a yellow, which is slotted into touch, lineout won Blues attack winning another penalty which Dan Thorne slots over 3-0 6 mins

Again Reading Abbey manage to get hold of the ball after their restart and are further rewarded when they get a penalty which is kicked just wide on 8 mins, Blues take the 22 drop out and kick deep Reading Abbey gather and run the ball getting up to half way before a knock on gives Blues a scrum. Blues win a pen at the scrum but play is brought back when the long kick bounces dead in the try area, Reading Abbey win their scrum and attack the Blues before the ball is hacked up field, a great chase by Reading Abbey results in them touching down to score the first try the conversion is just wide, 3-5 11 mins

Blues chase the restart kick and force Reading Abbey to concede a penalty which is just wide of the posts 12 mins, Reading Abbey take and a good chase by Josh Love forces a knock on in the tackle Blues have a 5m scrum, from the scrum Blues spread the ball wide for Jamie Futcher to dive over in the corner but a foot on the line gives Reading Abbey a lineout, Blues infringe preventing the quick lineout allowing Reading Abbey to clear to touch. From the lineout Reading Abbey run at Blues but concede a penalty at the tackle allowing Blues to set up an attacking lineout, Blues throw is not straight giving Reading Abbey a scrum, Abbey’s forwards pick and drive from the scrum taking play up to half way and win a penalty which is kicked to touch well in Blues half. Abbey win a free kick at the lineout and run at Blues getting up to the 22 before they spill the ball allowing Blues to run the ball Josh Love makes good ground onto Toby Thorne then Cameron Golby Barr, Blues support is there quickly and the ball is kept live Alex Millar hitting several tackles before off loading to Rory Jones to break through and score close to the posts, Dan Thorne converts 10-5 23 mins

Abbey’s restart is not 10 so back for a Blues scrum on half way, Blues run at Abbey but infringe at the tackle allowing Abbey to clear to touch in Blues half, lineout won Abbey attack but are penalised for crossing, Blues tap and go and get up to Abbey’s 22 before they are penalised for holding on in the tackle, Abbey clear to touch. Lineout won Abbey again attack Blues but lose the ball in the tackle allowing Blues to attack, the backs make good ground before a knock on halts progress and gives Abbey a scrum. Abbey lose possession at the tackle and Blues are off Joe Pigott makes a good run and Blues get a penalty which they quickly tap and go, the ball is spread wide Nick Wackwitz out to Jamie Futcher he feeds the ball inside to Rory Jones who takes the tackle and offloads back to Jamie Futcher who is over to score wide out on the left a good team try, the conversion is just wide, 15 –5 31 min’s

Straight from the restart Blues are off running again and have soon added to their points, Ollie Spanswick makes good ground before the ball is spread through many hands, Joe Pigott to Dan Thorne to Rory Jones who scores his second try under the posts, another good team try, Dan Thorne converts 22-5 33 mins

Reading Abbey are stung into action and for the remainder of the half are camped in Blues territory, Blues earn a team yellow card and their defence is put under serious pressure but they manage to hold out and the half time whistle is blown

*******

Blues kick off the second half and carry on as they finished the first half putting Reading Abbey under pressure when a good Toby Thorne kick rolls into touch in Abbeys 22, Abbey win the lineout and put up a clearing kick, Blues take and run the ball but lose it in the tackle, Abbey make progress out of defence getting up to half way before conceding a penalty on half way. Blues kick to touch in Blues corner, lineout won the forwards drive then Graham Stewart makes good ground with a forceful drive, Joe Pigott gets his hands on the ball and darts over to score the bonus point try under the posts, Dan Thorne converts 29-5 45 mins

Abbey restart and manage to get their hands on the ball, Abbey cannot break the Blues defence and get ushered into touch, Newbury yellow back on

Ryan Davis on Dylan Stewart off 47 mins

Blues infringe at the lineout throw not straight, Abbey win scrum and attack but cough up possession allowing Blues to counter attack, Josh Love making a great run his pass is touched on by an Abbey hand so he re-gathers and slips the pass out to Cameron Golby Barr who breaks the Abbey tackle to score out on the right, conversion just wide 34-5 49 mins

Abbey restart Blues take and return the kick, Abbey gather and they run at the Blues defenders making good progress, Blues seem to have gone to sleep and drop off the tackles allowing Abbey to get into Blues 22, Abbey’s forwards keep up the pressure and are rewarded when they drive over to score and convert 34-12 52 mins

Nick Wackwitz off Josh Bartlett on

Abbey knock on Blues restart kick, Blues win the scrum and the ball is quickly out to Toby Thorne who weaves his way forwards before releasing Josh Love to run round the last defender to score close to the posts, Dan Thorne converts 41-12 54 mins

Nick Wackwitz on Josh Bartlett off

Abbey restart Blue gather and run but don’t get far before they spill the ball, Abbey gather and put Blues defence under pressure making some progress and win a scrum,

Paul Sayers on Graham Stewart off 57 mins

Abbey win the scrum and put Blues under pressure, the ball is spread wide then back, eventually their 12 cuts a great line and takes the short pass to score a good try, the conversion is good 41-19 60 mins

Abbey gather Blues restart kick and try running but a great Dan Thorne tackle forces the mistake and Blues have stolen the ball and immediately put Abbey under pressure, from the ruck Alex Millar picks up the ball and drags the defender over the line with him to score a great try, Dan Thorne converts, 48-19 62 mins

Reading Abbey have slightly the better of the next few minutes but cannot break through the Blues defence, which holds firm and forces the mistake, Blues have a scrum in their own 22 which they win and kick clear to touch. Abbey win the lineout and their forwards maul but an arm around a Blues neck gives Blues a penalty and a chance to kick to touch, Blues give away a scrum at the lineout and Abbey are further rewarded with a penalty at the scrum which they kick to touch. Abbey win the lineout and get into Blues 22 before a forward pass gives Blues a defensive scrum, which they win and clear to touch.

Dylan Stewart on Ollie Spanswick off 76 mins

Abbey win the lineout but lose the ball, Blues chip forwards but the ball evades the tacklers and bounces into touch, Abbey win the lineout and try running out of defence, they make some ground before Blues manage to steal the ball and put pressure on the Abbey defence, Alex Millar again gets his hands on the ball and is gone making the final 20 yards to score in the corner the conversion just wide, 53-19 78 mins

Abbey are now under the cosh and straight from the restart kick Blues run making good ground before putting in a good little chip kick, a great chase is rewarded when the Abbey defence fumble the ball and it lands in Nick Wackwitz’s hands for him to dive over under the posts to score his first try Dan Thorne converts 60-19 Full Time

Another great squad performance in getting the win that guarantees the Blues a home fixture in the play off against Clevedon RFC

Forwards MOM Ollie Spanswick
Backs MOM Dan Thorne

Credit to Reading Abbey who didn’t give up and kept going to the final whistle, good luck next season

Squad
Ben Hicks, James Macauley, Graham Stewart, Jon Bastable, Rory Jones,
Ollie Spanswick, Dylan Stewart, Alex Millar, Joe Pigott, Nick Wackwitz,
Jamie Futcher, Josh Love, Dan Thorne, Cameron Golby Barr, Toby Thorne,
Paul Sayers, Ryan Davis, Josh Bartlett

Thanks again to the Newbury faithful who turn out home or away to cheer on this squad, see you all next Sat 29th for the play off game, today was probably Blues biggest crowd of the season

Blues now have the Play off game at Monks Lane on 29th April against Clevedon RFC, one more win and the Blues are back in the national leagues Div 3 South West