Blues kick off 2015 with a narrow 9-8 victory

After a very wet night and morning the soggy pitch is deemed playable, the rain luckily stopped for the kick off of the local Berkshire derby. Newbury kick off and are unlucky not to regain possession when the ball bounces off a Reading player straight at Jamie Futcher and into touch, Newbury manage to get possession back and put the Reading defence under a sustained period of pressure, the Blues forwards picking and driving with Graham Stewart, Rob Drysdale and Ben Hicks taking control, Blues are rewarded after five minutes when a Blues penalty is kicked through the posts by Richard West 3-0, 5 min’s
The Reading restart is taken by Joe Binfield who kicks back into the Reading half, they gather and kick into touch in the Blues half, lineout won the Blues pick and drive before sending another kick well into Reading territory, the next few minutes are spent with both teams putting up kicks hoping for a mistake in the wet and cold conditions.
On 8 min’s Will Clarke comes on for Tom Catchpole who had taken a knock to his leg.
Newbury have the better of the next few minutes and some good runs by Josh Bartlett and Eddie Farebrother keep Newbury in Readings half. Again this pressure tells and Newbury win another kickable penalty, which is slotted over by Richard West 6-0, 15 min’s
Tom Catchpole comes back on Will Clarke off
The wet pitch is taking its toll and the game is littered with mistakes meaning neither side can put enough phases together to break the defences. Edward David makes a break from full back but again the wet pitch makes running rugby very difficult and both teams resort to the kicking game to gain territory.
Reading manage to break this mould and keep the ball in their forwards putting the Newbury defence under a period of pressure but are unable to break through, some good tackling from Iain Herriott and the rest of the squad means the Newbury defence manage to hold out and clear their lines when a loose ball at a ruck is kicked forwards by Newbury into Readings 22. Both teams make mistakes over the next few minutes meaning play stays around the midfield area, this is broken when from a Newbury scrum Eddie Farebrother breaks through the Reading defence and takes play from halfway into Reading’s 22, a slightly forward pass means the scoring chance is missed. The remainder of the half remains scoreless, with some good runs from Josh Winfield, Josh Love and the Walsh brothers keeping the Reading defence on their toes, the half ends with a long Reading penalty kick falling just short
Blues 6 – 0 Reading the half time score

George Robinson-Slater comes on for Ben Hicks

Reading restart the second half and the kick is taken by Newbury and fed back to Richard West who kicks back into Readings half where they knock on, Newbury win the scrum and attack the Reading defence getting into the Reading 22 before a loose ball hands possession back to Reading and they kick to touch. Reading win the lineout and their forwards pick and drive before the ball is fed out to their backs but a knock on gives the Blues a defensive scrum. The Reading pack now has the better at the scrum and force Newbury to scramble the ball to the backs and kick up field, both teams struggle in the wet conditions and mistakes mean play is stop and start and mostly confined to the centre of the pitch.
Reading are the first to break through when after winning a series of penalties their substitute breaks through some weak Newbury tackles to splash over and score a try wide out on the left, the conversion just wide 6-5, 57 min’s
Will Clarke on for Iain Herriott, and Jack Steffen on for Eddie Farebrother
Reading are now playing the conditions better than the Blues and few minutes later they have taken the lead when they are awarded a penalty which they kick to touch well in Newbury’s half, lineout won they win another penalty which they kick through the posts making the score 6-8, 61 min’s
The Blues respond and now put the Reading defence under pressure forcing them to concede a penalty, the long kick just wide. Reading restart and kick long, Newbury take and a long kick from Will Clarke rolls into touch in Readings 22, Reading win the lineout and under pressure from the on rushing Newbury players the clearing kick doesn’t make touch allowing Edward David to make a searching run back into Readings half before a high tackle stops his progress and earns the Reading player a yellow card, Richard West successfully kicks the long penalty 9-8, 68 min’s
The last 12 minutes of the game becomes stop start and neither team can beat the conditions or the opposition defence, Newbury get closest but an attacking 5 meter lineout out is deemed not straight and Reading kick to safety in midfield from the scrum. The final whistle brings an end to the game giving the Blues the narrowest victory and four league points, Reading taking the losing bonus point.

A good well contested and refereed local derby match played in the very wet conditions

Man of the Match awarded to George Robinson-Slater

Thanks go to the young H20 officers

Thanks again to the great home support another big crowd for this Berkshire Derby

Next weeks game Sat 11th is away at Swindon who are one place above the Blues in the league, 2pm KO

Squad
Ben Hicks, Rob Drysdale, Graham Stewart, Josh Winfield, Jack Walsh,
Finn Walsh, Josh Love, Eddie Farebrother, Joe Binfield, Richard West,
Tom Catchpole, Iain Herriott, Josh Bartlett, Jamie Futcher, Edward David
George Robinson-Slater, Jack Steffen, Will Clarke