Berkshire
Plate Final
24th
April 2010
Thatcham
72
Berkshire
Shire Hall 5
Despite
spirited resistance from
BSH
, this game went to according to the form book and reflected the current
strengths of the respective clubs. With little in the way of possession, Shire
Hall found themselves under the cosh throughout, and it is much to their credit
that they continued to defend doggedly right to the last.
Shire
Hall’s best spell came after 25 minutes, when they capitalised on Thatcham’s
Jamie Evans’ binning to put sustained pressure on the home try line, but
without reward. It wasn’t until mid way through the second period that they
broke the line with a great run from Sam Fothergill at 15 to put prop Neil Evans
over to score. Thatcham found Fothergill elusive when in possession, but for the
most part he was forced to attack from too deep to make a serious impression on
the home defence.
So it was
that the Thatcham pack were able to deliver a steady flow of good ball and the
backs revelled in the freedom to run. With confidence running high, Thatcham’s
handling was impressive with slick hands and quick offloads aplenty. Fittingly,
it was club skipper, Matt Billinghurst who began the scoring with only three
minutes gone, after a neat delivery from Autodata man of the match Toby Littlechild, running into the line
from full back. Thatcham kept the scoreboard ticking over at regular intervals
and led 34 – 0 at the break after a further five tries from Dan Tingle, Andrew
Mitchell, Simon Niven, Vic Reeve and Mike Grogan, plus two conversions from
Littlechild’s boot.
The second
period continued in similar vein with tries from Jamie Evans, Ash Taylor, a
second from Tingle, Nick Rance, Toby littlechild and Luke Evans, and conversions
from Billinghurst (2) and Littlechild (2). With
twelve tries scored by eleven Thatcham players,
the referee, Phil Challen brought the game and the season to a close.
Focus of
attention at Thatcham is now the re-launch of the minis, beginning with a tag
rugby taster for kids at the Thatcham Family Fun Day on June 27th at
Henwick Lane
. Parents, players and coaches are asked to sign up and show their support for
the re-launch by emailing thatchamminirugby@googlemail.com
Thatcham
Team: 1. S.
Oakham (55, J Thorogood) 2. M Reeve (60,
N Vass
); 3. P Goater; 4. M Langdon; 5. B Broughton (60, L Asquith); 6. A Butt; 7. J
Evans; 8 M Grogan; 9. L Evans; 10. D Tingle; 11.
S Niven
;12. M Billinghurst (50,
N Rance
); 13. A. Mitchell (50, D
Hudson
); 14. A
Taylor
(55, M Broughton); 15. T Littlechild
Tries:
Billinghurst; Tingle (2);Mitchell; Niven; Reeve; Grogan ;J Evans; Taylor; Rance;
Littlechild; L Evans
Conversions:
Litttlechild (4) Billinghurst (2)
Berks,
Bucks & Oxon Premier
10th
April 2010
Thatcham
41
Stow
on the Wold 22
Thatcham finished
their league campaign on a high with a convincing victory over
Stow
, in an entertaining game of open rugby. Although leading throughout the game,
it wasn’t really until the last quarter that Thatcham just stepped up a gear
and cruised out of sight.
The
first half was nip and tuck, with Thatcham kicking away too much possession and
playing more of the game in their own half than they would have wished. But the
home pack made sure there was plenty of ball and two convincing scrums set up
Andrew Mitchell, playing inside centre in skipper Billinghurst’s absence, for
a break early on. Brought down ten metres short, Stow were penalised and Toby
Littlechild sent over the first of eight kicks (out of nine) to take the lead. Littlechild
got the Autodata man of the match for his classy running and surefooted goal
kicking, and set up the first try for Andrew Mitchell to break the line on the
22. With plenty still to do, he appeared to slow down, but still got home
comfortably.
The
Stow
scrum half soon reduced the deficit with an impressive break from the back of a
scrum on halfway.
Stow
had a good spell and kept Thatcham pinned back, but the home forwards upped the
pace and good ground was made by Grogan and Reeve. Jamie Evans and Arron Butt
worked like Trojans sniping round the flanks as Thatcham worked their way up to
the
Stow
22. Dan Tingle made a great call with an angled run, but was just pulled down
short. Once again Stow were penalised for killing the ball and Littlechild
slotted home the penalty, to put Thatcham 13 - 5 up at the break, but only after
a great try saving tackle on the wing from Ash Taylor.
Thatcham
conceded early in the second period as Stow narrowed the gap to 13 – 10, but
the three point margin was short-lived as Luke Evans followed the example of his
opposite number with a brilliant solo effort from 30 metres. The conversion
restored a comfortable lead, but
Stow
pulled back again scoring out wide after some desperate home defending on the
line. This proved the signal for Thatcham to up the gear as Evans and
Littlechild at 9 and 10 showed great individual skill. This time Littlechild,
with nowhere to go, took a step and missed his man to open a gap from 25 metres
to score under the posts. In minutes, Littlechild was over again as he charged
down an ill judged kick for another seven pointer. The kick off was taken
cleanly by Ben Broughton, inside to Mitchell and Niven for Ron Horne to extend
his legs and cruise past the defenders from the touchline at halfway to drill
the final nail and at 41 – 15 the game was up for Stow.
Stow
weren’t finished and from
a short line out and maul added seven points to their tally. Another great step
from Littlechild set up Mitchell to put Niven away, but he was just bundled out
a yard short of the line. Time to take a breath at the final whistle and savour
a satisfying first season back in the premier division for Thatcham.
Thatcham
Team:
1.
S Oakham
(50, D Cameron); 2. M Reeve; 3. P Goater; 4. M Langdon (50, B Broughton); 5. D
Thomas; 6. A Butt; 7. J Evans; 8. M Grogan; 9. L Evans; 10. D Tingle (55, M
Broughton); 11 R Horne; 12. A Mitchell; 13.
S Niven
; 14. A Taylor; 15. T Littlechild
Tries:
Mitchell;
L Evans; Littlechild (2); Horne
Conversions:
Littlechild (5)
Penalties:
Littlechild (3)
20th
March 2010
Phoenix
36 Thatcham
19
With several forced changes and travelling light on replacements this looked a
tough fixture for Thatcham, and so it proved as
Phoenix
took the game to their visitors right from kick off. Thatcham were living
dangerously in the first quarter and it was remarkable that they kept a clean
sheet during this time, thanks in part to a series of
Phoenix
errors. The home side completely dominated the scrums and Thatcham barely
managed to get out of their own half, save a couple of enterprising runs from
Luke Evans and Andrew Mitchell. But the first twenty minutes were all about
Phoenix and the inevitable happened on 23 minutes, followed 3 minutes later by
another converted try when they worked a comfortable overlap to put them 14
points up.
Thatcham
were still having to live on scraps of possession, but when replacement prop,
and Autodata man of the match, James
Thorogood, came on mid way through the half to replace the injured Pete
Goater, the pack began to settle and hooker Martin Reeve made excellent ground.
Thatcham were rewarded in this period by with two penalties, but in the absence
of regular kicker Littlechild, the kicking duties passed to Matt Billinghurst,
playing out of position at flanker. The skipper was on top form, kicking five
from five, and two strikes, one from near halfway, kept Thatcham in the game at
halftime: 14 – 6.
Still
short of possession Thatcham showed more resilience in the opening period of the
second half and solid defending helped secure more ball, bringing its reward as
Billinghurst kicked two further penalties to close the gap to 14 – 12.
Arron Butt at no 8 and Jamie Evans, flanker, worked away tirelessly, but
the pressure was all on Thatcham and Phoenix added a penalty and three further
tries, each run in from deep as the gaps appeared in a tired defence. Thatcham,
had seen so little of the ball that neither winger had got a touch, until late
in the day when they managed a sustained attack, finally out to Simon Niven who
neatly stepped the defender to touch down under the posts
for a deserved consolation, converted by Billinghurst.
Thatcham
Team:
1.
S Oakham; 2. M Reeve; 3. P Goater (25, J Thorogood); 4. M Langdon; 5. M
Grogan; 6. M Billinghurst; 7. J Evans; 8. A Butt; 9. L Evans; 10. D Tingle; 11.
S Niven
; 12. A Mitchell; 13. A Taylor; 14. M Broughton; 15.
N Rance
Try:
Niven
Conversion:
Billinghurst
Penalties:
Billinghurst (4)
13th
March 2010
Thatcham
24 Alchester
25
Having
kept their noses in front from early in the game, it came as bitter
disappointment for Thatcham to see the points stolen at the death. Just to rub
salt in the wound, Thatcham had worked two final opportunities to snatch the
game back in the final moments with penalties that sailed tantalisingly wide.
But in fairness, the home side had been holding on desperately and should be
credited for some stalwart defending, particularly after stand off Tingle was
yellow carded with eight minutes remaining.
Thatcham started enterprisingly enough to force themselves into position for a
dropped goal attempt from Dan Tingle that showed their confidence. Alchester
took first blood with a penalty, but Thatcham quickly responded as
Taylor
and Mitchell combined well to penetrate deep and from second phase, skipper
Matt Billinghurst forced his way through to score, Toby Littlechild converting.
Thatcham looked the sharper of the sides, but Alchester won turnover ball on the
halfway and kicked forward for territory. Thatcham won the ensuing lineout but
were turned over again when lacking support in the ruck, and the visitors scored
under the posts for a seven pointer.
Thatcham
took the lead decisively mid way through the half as Toby Littlechild ran into
the line from full back, scything through the opposition defence. The pack took
up the offence and hooker Vic Reeve finished the move strongly, Littlechild
converting to put Thatcham in front 14 – 10. Littlechild put them further
ahead with a penalty and with Alchester down to 14 after a late tackle, Thatcham
continued to push forward and came close with another dropped goal attempt from
Littlechild. But as the half came to a close the Alchester pressure built and
Thatcham again conceded out wide.
Thatcham
started the second half with a slim 17 - 15 lead, but with only 14 men, as
flanker Arron Butt was sent to the bin for killing the ball. Alchester impressed
as masters of the offload, but it was Thatcham who went further ahead. Autodata
man of the match, scrum half, Luke Evans had been critical in keeping up a
steady supply of quick ball for his backs and this time, centre Andrew Mitchell
and full back Toby Littlechild combined to give winger Simon Niven the sniff he
needed to evade his marker and score, converted by Toby Littelchild. With three
quarters of the match gone, Thatcham held a 24 – 15 lead, but in truth the
pressure the visitors were forcing made it look a little too close. So it
proved, as after the referee deemed the visitors held up over the line twice,
Thatcham finally succumbed to a converted try, 24 – 22. Alchester dominated
the final passages of play, and although Thatcham used their diminishing
possession well to get into good positions, with ten minutes remaining the
visitors took the lead with a penalty. Two difficult penalty attempts from
Thatcham went wide, but furious defence kept the visitors to the slimmest of
margins. On balance a fair result, but what a shame they don’t give points for
effort!
Thatcham
Team:
1.
S Oakham; 2. M Reeve; 3 P Goater; 4.
M Langdon; 5. D Thomas; 6. A Butt; 7. J Evans (60, L Asquith); 8. M Grogan;9. L
Evans; 10. D Tingle; 11. A Taylor; 12. M Billinghurst; 13. A Mitchell; 14.
S Niven
; 15. T Littlechild
Replacements not used:
N Rance
, M Broughton
Tries:
Billinghurst;
Reeve; Niven
Conversion:
Littlechild (3)
Penalties:
Littlechild
6th
March 2010
Thatcham
23
Oxford
27
Promotion chasing high flyers,
Oxford
, proved a different proposition for Thatcham, who came into this game on the
back of four successive victories.
Oxford
certainly started the game in a fashion that emphasised their second place in
the league as their centre backs scythed through the home defence. Forcing a
line out on the home five metre line,
Oxford
took it cleanly off the top and drove over to score.
But
Thatcham made a robust response, forcing
Oxford
to concede a very kickable penalty and Toby Littlechild obliged with the three
points. Returning again in good measure, Thatcham put together one of the best
moves of the game as both Tingle and
Mitchell made good breaks before putting away skipper Matt Billinghurst to wrong
foot two defenders to touch down. Both kickers found the stiff breeze
challenging and Thatcham led 8 – 5.
Thatcham
resumed their assault but an unforced error gave
Oxford
a penalty chance to kick into touch. From the resulting lineout, the visitors
effected a reprise of their first try with a clean catch and drive, this time
with the conversion to give a 8 – 12 lead. Thatcham were unfortunate to be in
arrears at this point and resumed attack in spite of the pressure being applied
on the home scrummage. Thatcham forced their way into the
visitors 22 once again, this time no 8 Mike Grogan chipped a delightful
kick to full back Toby Littlechild who was standing wide: Littlechild beat the
defender but the ball just evaded his grasp, as home supporters were preparing
to celebrate. Thatcham were in the ascendancy in this half and resumed their
assault. Thatcham’s key man was Autodata man of the match, flanker, Arron Butt. Unassuming, but
honest and strong for 80 minutes, Arron Butt won ground and ball in equal
measure and has been critical to the side’s success this season. With half
time approaching, Mike Grogan and lock Dave Thomas combined well in a fine move
across field and back down the line for Matt Billinghurst to make the final well
timed pass to Toby Littlechild to score then step up to convert. Half time saw
Thatcham into a well deserved 15 – 12 lead.
Oxford
began the second period
more determinedly and the home side had only themselves to blame for some poor
tackling that ramped up the pressure. But somehow they held out and fifteen
minutes into the half Thatcham extended their lead with a simple penalty
converted by Littlechild.
Oxford
again used the maul to very good effect and fired away quick ball to the backs
and this time the centres broke through for an unconverted try. Three quarters
of the way through the game and Thatcham lead 18 -17, but Oxford are coming back
strongly and with fifteen minutes left on the clock the visitors took the lead
with a penalty, 18 - 20. Thatcham then had a penalty chance and opted for goal
instead of position, but the long range effort sailed just wide. With
Oxford
back in the driving seat they again went for the catch and drive from a short
line-out for a converted try with three minutes left. Thatcham weren’t
finished and showed they that too can drive a maul, but with the clock running
down, the final try scored by Dave Thomas narrowed but couldn’t close the gap
in what had been a real see-saw thriller of a game.
Thatcham
Team:
1.
S Oakham; 2. M Reeve; 3 P Goater; 4.
M Langdon; 5. D Thomas; 6. A Butt; 7. J Evans; 8. M Grogan;9. L Evans (60, L
Asquith); 10. D Tingle; 11. A Taylor; 12. M Billinghurst; 13. A Mitchell; 14. M
Smith (50,
S Niven
); 15. T Littlechild
Tries:
Billinghurst;
Littlechild; Thomas
Conversion:
Littlechild
Penalties:
Littlechild (2)
27th
February 2010
Abingdon
12
Thatcham
69
Rooted to the bottom of the table and regularly conceding big scores, this
season hasn’t been a whole bundle of fun for Abingdon and Saturday’s visit
of Thatcham proved to be no different. Although in the first half Thatcham did
their best to make it easier by making some frustrating and often unforced
errors, as the game progressed Abingdon crumbled and it was bit like cutting
through butter. The score would have been even higher had one or two Thatcham
players given the pass rather than going for glory themselves, although this was
forgivable with the game won and the home defence wilting. Thatcham didn’t
quite show the steel of their recent performance against Swindon OBs, but then,
they didn’t need to.
But it wasn’t all one way traffic and the home side had a good second quarter,
scoring well under the posts in response to three tries from Thatcham’s Andrew
Mitchell, Mike Broughton and Simon Niven. With Toby Littlechild slotting two
conversions out of three the sides turned round at 7 – 19 and Abingdon still
very much in it.
The second half was a different story as Thatcham started to really click, and Autodata
man of the match, Dan Tingle, at stand off was pivotal in distributing
effectively to his backs and regularly beating his opposite number. The second
half saw a further eight Thatcham tries, of which Tingle’s was arguably the
best, although the credit goes to Luke Evans, twice involved and with masterful
interplay supported by Mike Broughton. With 33 points against, Abingdon did
muster a brief period of pressure on the visitors to bring their score to 12
points, but with another thirty minutes play remaining they had very little left
in the locker and Thatcham ran in a further 6 tries.
In
all, eight Thatcham players got on the scoresheet: Billinghurst; Tingle;
Littlechild; Smith; Ben Broughton, Mike Broughton, with Niven getting a
brace and Mitchell a hat trick
Next
week’s home contest at
Henwick Lane
against Oxford should prove a very different proposition for Thatcham.
Thatcham
Team:
1.
M. Langdon; 2. M Reeve (60, B
Dixon
); 3 P Goater; 4.
B Broughton; 5. D Thomas; 6. A Butt; 7. J Evans; 8. M Grogan (65, L Asquith);9.
L Evans; 10. D Tingle; 11. M Broughton (65, M Smith); 12. M Billinghurst; 13. A
Mitchell; 14.
S Niven
; 15. T Littlechild
Tries:
Mitchell (3); Niven (2);
Broughton M, Broughton B, Billinghurst; Tingle; Littlechild; L Evans; Smith
Conversions:
Littlechild (7)
20th
February 2010
Harwell
12
Thatcham
34
After
3 matches in 8 days, Thatcham came into this match after back to back victories
against league rivals
Swindon
College
and Hungerford in the Berkshire Plate competition having to make several
changes, with Matt Langdon performing admirably in his first full game at prop
and Mark Smith replacing injured skipper Billinghurst.
With
confidence running high, Thatcham were expecting to do well against league
strugglers, Harwell, and sure enough Thatcham dominated possession in the
opening exchanges. It was Mark Smith who broke through the first line of defence
and from the ruck Andrew Mitchell took it on and put Simon Niven away to wrong
foot the defender and score the opener, Toby Littlechild converting.
But
the visitors didn’t have it all their own way and mid way through the half
Harwell had battled to within five metres of the Thatcham line. Putting pressure
on the Thatcham scrum, Harwell span the ball out wide to score in the corner.
But with twenty minutes gone it looked all one way traffic and Harwell were
breathing hard to keep the visitors out. Mike Broughton came close but was
bundled into touch in goal before he could ground the ball. Harwell failed to
capitalise on a penalty chance and Thatcham went further ahead as Simon Niven
finished off a great move after the visitors kept ball alive through several
phases and with Autodata man of the
match, Dave Thomas, making the hard yards, this culminated in a fine off
load in the tackle from stand in skipper Mike Grogan, who also put in another
classic no 8 performance. Moments
later Thatcham were back on the scorecard again as Mark Smith hit the line at
pace and broke three tackles to score under the posts. The conversion from
Littlechild put Thatcham 5 – 19 ahead at the break.
Harwell
started the second period spiritedly but without reward, and when Thatcham stole
possession from a knock on artful winger, Simon Niven, evaded the defenders to
put Tingle away in the corner for another score. With most of the half expired
Harwell finally put on some prolonged pressure. A catch and drive put them over
the line, but they couldn’t ground it and from the resulting scrum the flanker
picked up and scored. The conversion brought the scores to 12 – 24. But this
was to be Harwell’s last serious push: Thatcham won a penalty converted by
Littlechild and in the dying moments Liam Asquith finished a fine five pass move
under the posts for Littlechild to drive home the final nail.
Thatcham
Team:
1.
M. Langdon; 2. M Reeve; 3 P Goater (46,
S Oakham
); 4. B
Broughton; 5. D Thomas; 6. A Butt; 7. J Evans (55, L Asquith); 8. M Grogan;9. L
Evans; 10. D Tingle; 11. M Broughton (70, A
Taylor
); 12. M Smith; 13. A Mitchell; 14.
S Niven
; 15. T Littlechild
Try:
Niven(3);
Smith; Asquith
Conversions:
Littlechild (3)
Penalties:
Littlechild
Berkshire
Plate Semi-final
17th
February
2010
Thatcham
24 Hungerford
12
Familiar local rivals Thatcham and Hungerford met under the floodlights at
Monks Lane
on Wednesday evening (17th February) to contest the semi final of the
Berkshire
plate competition, knowing that the winners would meet Berkshire Shire Hall in
the final in April. Six tries and some skilful rugby from both sides entertained
a sizeable crowd of 150 on a very cold night.
Having the better of the early exchanges, Thatcham were nevertheless fortunate
with the bounce, when a well placed chip forward from Dan Tingle popped straight
into skipper Matt Billinghurst’s arms to give him a clear run through under
the posts. The game remained evenly balanced until a flurry of scores in the
final 10 minutes of the half. At a Thatcham line out on half way Grogan won
possession and fine support play put hooker Martin Reeves on the charge down the
flank go over to score in the corner. Thatcham went ahead again as Autodata
man of the match, Toby Littlechild running a great line, split the
Hungerford defence to make a clean dash through from the 10 metre line and
convert his own try. With only a minute remaining on the clock and Hungerford
having had a couple of runs, but not really threatening the Thatcham line, they
finally put together a neat interchange when it mattered and ran in a seven
pointer under the posts.
Thatcham made some changes at half time and Billinghurst came off for Rich Jones
to take over the scrum half duties and Nick Rance go to the wing. Hungerford won
much more possession in the second half and profited from Thatcham looking a bit
too casual at the breakdown. But, still Hungerford struggled to really apply
pressure, even though Thatcham’s support play slackened and saw them pinged
more than once for holding on. Mid
way through the half, Mike Broughton came on to the wing and looked sharp with
the ball in hand, eventually converting a fine backs move for an unconverted try
in the corner to put Thatcham 24 – 7 ahead. Hungerford got their consolation
again in the final minute of play to bring the scores to 24 – 12, a fair
reflection of a good night of local rugby.
Thatcham
Team: 1. D.
Chambers (55. B
Dixon
); 2. M Reeve; 3. P Goater; 4. M Langdon; 5. A Roach; 6. D Thomas; 7. J Evans; 8
M Grogan; 9.
N Rance
(60, M Broughton); 10. D Tingle; 11. R Horne;12. M Billinghurst (40, R Jones);
13. D Hudson; 14. M Smith; 15. T Littlechild
Tries:
Billinghurst; Reeve; Littlechild; Broughton
Conversions:
Litttlechild (2)
13th
February 2010
Thatcham
14
Swindon
College
Old Boys
8
Its far too dramatic to talk of a “coming of age” for Thatcham, but there
was a confidence and resilience about this performance that suggests they no
longer feel like the new boys at this level. Whilst Thatcham would no doubt have
settled for a comfortable mid table position before the season kicked off, they
may not have anticipated quite the step up it has been. With the success of the
II’s and active plans to re-launch the mini/junior section, the club is
flourishing, and with a squad growing in depth, Thatcham were able to field a
strong side in spite of having 5 regulars sidelined through injury.
In
this highly entertaining encounter, the Old Boys took first blood within minutes
of the start, breaking away down the touch line from halfway and running in to
score in the corner. After the initial setback Thatcham began to get a grip on
the game and the first half was finely balanced, with the home side shading
possession and territory. For lovers of the 15 man game, this was an absorbing
contest. Although both sets of backs looked useful,
Swindon
deliberately kept it tight in possession, but although Thatcham tried to play a
more expansive game, they struggled to get their backs away. Mike Grogan moved
up to lock from number 8 and looked very much at home there, whilst Arron Butt
went to the back of the scrum and put in another massive performance. Leading
literally from the front, head coach and hooker, Martin Reeve, is proving a
hugely positive influence and the home pack held firm against the relentless
battering of the heavier
Swindon
forwards.
For
most of the half Thatcham were in control and despite the absence of regular
kicker Littlechild, captain Matt Billinghurst stepped up to kick 3 out of 4
penalties to take Thatcham into a deserved 9 – 5 lead at the break. Thatcham
came under huge pressure in the final moments of the half, and had to pull out
all their defensive stops, including a last ditch tackle from Tingle under his
own posts to retain the lead.
As
the second half got underway a penalty chance to extend the lead was missed
early on, allowing
Swindon
to reduce the deficit to a single point as their pressure was rewarded with a
penalty. But this was the signal for Thatcham to really start to sling the ball
wide and as soon as Autodata man of the
match, Simon Niven, got his hands on it things started to happen. It
wasn’t long before his strong running put him over in the corner to put
Thatcham 14 – 8 ahead. Although the conversion was missed, it didn’t seem to
matter because the home side were back on the Old Boys’ line in moments.
Thatcham looked sure to score as their maul crossed the line. The referee got
low to see the ball, but Grogan had secured it and leapt over the mass of
players to touch down. Home supporters were still celebrating when the ref
signalled a 5 metre scrum, with an apology that he hadn’t seen it! With
Thatcham in the ascendancy home fans hoped it wouldn’t matter, as their team
continued to press forward and a Tingle dropped goal attempt just shaved the
posts. But as the clock ticked down,
Swindon
put in a mighty last effort, spending the remaining minutes camped on the
Thatcham line. Somehow, Thatcham’s determination and belief was enough to see
them through, and maybe the thought of the try that never was. An enthralling
contest with a nail-biting finish and deserved victory for Thatcham.
Thatcham
Team:
1.
D Chambers; 2. M Reeve; 3 P Goater; 4.
M Langdon; 5. M Grogan; 6. L Asquith; 7. J Evans; 8. A Butt; 9. R Jones; 10. D
Tingle; 11.
S Niven
; 12. M Billinghurst (75,
Hudson
); 13. A Mitchell; 14 R Horne; 15. A
Taylor
Replacement:
B
Dixon
Try:
Niven
Penalties:
Billinghurst (3)
6th
February 2010
Thatcham
15
Broadmoor
37
Thatcham gave a solid, workmanlike performance against top of the table
Broadmoor, but in the end the league leaders ran out comfortably ahead, having
got their noses in front mid way through the first period and not looking back.
The Broadmoor pack bossed the game in spite of the Trojan efforts of the
Thatcham back row and Autodata man of the match Jamie Evans, on the flanks. Possession for
Thatcham was the key to it, and when they had the ball in hands they certainly
knew how to pose problems for their visitors. The problem was
in securing it first. Thatcham coped well when Luke Evans (scrum half) and
Pete Goater (tight head) picked up injuries mid way through the first period,
when the disruption could have seriously rocked the side. But Rich Jones proved
up to the task at number 9 and Matt Langdon moved to tight head for replacement
lock Ben Broughton to come in to shore up the front five.
Broadmoor
flexed their muscles early, going ahead after five minutes with a rolling maul
from a lineout in the Thatcham 22. But Thatcham were quickly back on terms as
Grogan kicked upfield and the enterprising Toby Littlechild chasing through from
full back took grateful advantage of a Broadmoor fumble, converting his own try.
But the power of Broadmoor wasn’t to be denied for long as they resumed the
lead with a pushover try. Littlechild pulled back to ten apiece with a penalty,
but Broadmoor pushed ahead again, and before the break extended their lead with
another lineout and maul to take it to 10 – 22 at half-time.
Thatcham
began the second spell brightly enough and replacement scrum half Rich Jones
provided some good quick ball which the backs relished, with Ash Taylor, Simon
Niven (in his first premiership appearance) and Andrew Mitchell all taking turns
to show their pace. But a penalty followed by Broadmoor’s first real showing
from their backs added a further eight points to effectively put the game out of
Thatcham’s reach.
Thatcham
still pressed forward and were rewarded when no 8 Grogan put the backs away wide
to the left and some slick running saw Andrew Mitchell finish off in the
opposite corner. A final converted try from the visitors took the gloss off it
for Thatcham, but it was nevertheless a fine test against arguably the strongest
side in the division. Thatcham showed that defensively they are getting
stronger, but this kind of sustained pressure is difficult to resist and
Thatcham can console themselves that high scoring Broadmoor have averaged 36
points a match so far this season.
Thatcham
Team:
1.
D Chambers; 2. M Reeve (70, B
Dixon
); 3 P Goater (26, B Broughton); 4. M Langdon; 5. D Thomas; 6. A Butt; 7. J
Evans; 8. M Grogan; 9. L Evans (20, R Jones); 10. D Tingle; 11.
S Niven
; 12. M Billinghurst; 13. M Smith; 14. A Taylor; 15. T Littlechild
Tries:
Littlechild;
Mitchell
Conversion:
Littlechild
Penalty:
Littlechild
30th
January 2010
Drifters
43 Thatcham
29
After romping into a 24 – 7 lead Thatcham looked to be in clover, but even a
final tally of five tries wasn’t enough for the visitors to win this roller
coaster of a game. Thatcham made a fine start as Mike Grogan wearing the no 8
shirt galloped half the length of the pitch to put the visitors ahead, Toby
Littlechild converting. But Drifters were soon on terms at with another seven
pointer, before Rob Horne, promoted from Thatcham II’s where he’s been a
prolific scorer, showed his pursuers a clean pair of heels to put Thatcham back
into the lead. Horne put in a great all round display in defence and attack,
showing pace and good hands.
By
now Thatcham were in the ascendancy and Martin Reeve who took the Autodata
man of the match, at hooker, took a quick tap on his own 22 and looked
certain to score running the length of the pitch but was just caught 10 metres
from the line. Drifters cleared this one, but were soon under pressure again,
conceding a series of penalties deep in their 22. Thatcham opted for the line
out, took it cleanly and drove over, Arron Butt the scorer. Thatcham resumed
their assault and this time it was Dan Tingle in the centre who went through to
score to put Thatcham 24 – 7 ahead.
With
ten minutes of the half remaining the game took a turn and Thatcham lost their
fluidity as Drifters applied pressure. A converted try brought the home side
back into contention, but Thatcham looked to have made it to half time without
conceding further when they won a line out near their goal line. However, a
careless clearance attempt was charged down and Drifters had pulled it back to
19 – 24 at the break.
The
second half was a very different story as Drifters pulled level within minutes
of the re-start and from this point onwards Thatcham were chasing the game, as
Drifters upped theirs. In the first period Thatcham had seen a good level of
possession, but in the second period they got little more than scraps. The
Drifters number 9 harried at the back of the scrum to good effect and when they
got the ball away the home side gave Thatcham a real lesson in moving the ball.
Three further well deserved tries to Drifters secured the match and it was only
in the final dying seconds that Thatcham added to their tally with a pushover
try from Grogan. An entertaining game in which both teams had spells of good
running and exceptional handling skills that wouldn’t have been out of place
at a much higher level.
Thatcham
Team:
1.
D Cameron; 2. M Reeve (65, B
Dixon
); 3. D Chambers; 4. B Broughton (60, M Langdon); 5. D Thomas; 6. A Butt; 7. J
Evans; 8. M Grogan; 9. L Evans (50, R Jones); 10. T Littlechild; 11. R Horne;
12. M Billinghurst; 13. D Tingle; 14. A Taylor; 15. M Smith
Tries:
Grogan
(2); Horne; Butt; Tingle
Conversions:
Littlechild (2)
23rd
January 2010
Gosford
All Blacks 8
Thatcham 11
Thatcham started brightly enough, given the six week lay off since their last
competitive outing. Moving the ball confidently, skipper and Autodata man of
the match, Matt Billinghurst almost put Mark Smith away for the first try
within 5 minutes of the start. Unfortunately the last pass didn’t stick and
this proved to be the story of the game as Thatcham failed to convert their
pressure into points.
With the majority of both possession and territory Thatcham finally went ahead
mid way through the half. The visitors looked to be over the line, but Gosford
scrambled it into touch 5 metres out. From the resulting line out Dave Thomas
took it cleanly off the top and drove over to score. Although rarely out of
Gosford’s half, Thatcham’s frustration continued until near the close when
Toby Littlechild slotted home a penalty to put them 8 points clear at the break.
The
visitor’s inability to turn their superiority into points seemed to sap
confidence enough for carelessness to creep in, typified by poor clearances that
gave away advantage. But for all that, Gosford were not the most potent force.
They reduced the deficit with a penalty, but as the game spluttered on in the
mud Littlechild restored Thatcham’s advantage, before Gosford gained what
proved to be a consolation try with only two minutes left on the clock.
Overall
the Thatcham pack played well, with notable performances from Ben Dixon and
flankers Dave Thomas and Jamie Evans. Arron Butt also had an influential role,
but unaccustomed as he was to the no 8 role, scrum half Luke Evans found himself
exposed rather too often at the back of the scrum. Evans’ rifling distribution
of the ball got Thatcham out of jail more than once. Mark Smith and Ash Taylor
put in some storming tackles and Hudson &
Billinghurst were solid as a rock in the centre. A scrappy game in difficult,
slippery conditions and a deserved victory for Thatcham but by a margin just a
little too close for comfort.
Thatcham
Team:
1.
D Cameron (55, P Goater); 2. B
Dixon
; 3. D Chambers; 4. M Langdon; 5. B Broughton (60, M Reeve); 6. D Thomas; 7. J
Evans; 8. A Butt; 9. L Evans; 10. T Littlechild; 11. A Taylor; 12. M
Billinghurst; 13. D Hudson (55,
N Rance
); 14. M Broughton; 15. M Smith
Tries:
Thomas
Penalties:
Littlechild (2)
12th
December 2009
Stow
on the Wold 25
Thatcham 11
Stow
are certainly starting to
turn their season round after a slow start, but Thatcham will be disappointed
with this below par performance. If they’d maintained the form of last week,
Thatcham would have been challenging for all the points against this
Stow
side, but instead the visitors showed their fragility by making the familiar
slip ups that bedevilled them earlier in the season.
With
a glorious Cotswold hilltop view ahead of them. Thatcham got off to a racing
start with an early penalty, but
Stow
were soon on terms. With all Thatcham’s points, Autodata man of the match,
Toby Littlechild took the visitors into the lead with a superb solo try,
kicking forward from deep in his own half. Following up his kick, Littlechild
cleverly anticipated the catcher’ s pass with a neat interception and
run through to score. But the first half was end to end stuff as Thatcham
needlessly lost possession to allow
Stow
to draw level once again, with both conversions missed. Thatcham pulled ahead
once again as their enterprise was rewarded with another penalty to push them
into a slim 11 – 8 lead. Thatcham appeared to withstand a last thrust from the
home side as the clock ticked down, but with the scrum five won by Thatcham a
too slow clearance kick was charged down to gift seven points to
Stow
.
The
second period began with the scores at 15 – 11, but it was a disjointed affair
characterised by mistakes on both sides. Having lost Smith through injury in the
first half, Thatcham were left ruing the lack of a replacement front row, as
Oakham came off after 50 minutes, leaving Thatcham unable to compete in the
scrummage. Thatcham struggled to retain possession with a succession of handling
errors and some indifferent rucking.
Stow
took early advantage pushing forward confidently and working a massive overlap
out wide with worrying ease, to take their tally to 20 points. It began to look
ominous for the visitors, but somehow they managed not to concede further until
midway through the half with a pushover try from
Stow
. Thatcham can take some comfort that they managed not to ship any further
points. Dave Chambers still had enough gas for an impressive break and Mike
Grogan was held up over the line, but these glimpses of flair were too
infrequent and Stow were able to coast home as the chilly north wind began to
bite.
Another
tough test for Thatcham next week as league leaders Broadmoor visit Henwick for
a 2.15 kick off.
Thatcham
Team:
1.
D Chambers; 2. B
Dixon
; 3.
S Oakham
(50, A Roach); 4. M Langdon; 5. B Broughton; 6. A Butt; 7. J Evans; 8. M
Grogan; 9. L Evans; 10. D Tingle; 11. T Littlechild; 12. M Billinghurst; 13. D
Hudson
(65, M Reeve); 14. M Smith (25,
N Rance
); 15. R Jones
Tries:
Littlechild
Penalties:
Littlechild (2)
5th
December 2009
Thatcham
25
Phoenix
13
Thatcham found plenty to party about after Saturday’s double header which saw
both 1st & 2nd XV's triumph over
Phoenix
. Thatcham coach Martin Reeves was justifiably satisfied with this performance
at
Henwick Lane
, as Thatcham showed continuing improvement with a resolute, disciplined
display, combining solid defence with sure handling in sticky conditions.
Marshalling
an attacking back line, skipper Matt Billinghurst led from the front, and after
an early breakthrough from
Phoenix
, the visitors were kept at bay until the dying seconds of the game. Secure
under the high ball, full back, Mark Smith took the Autodata man of the match
award with a brace of tries and some incisive running from deep. But this
was an all round display from a Thatcham side increasing in confidence, in spite
of the loss of no 8 Grogan after 15 minutes. A victim of stamping, Mike Grogan
was unable to take further part in the game and the
Phoenix
flanker was lucky to get away with a yellow card. A long range penalty from
Littlechild, followed by a converted Mark Smith try saw Thatcham into a 10 - 5
lead. The home side were unlucky not to go further ahead when a last ditch
tackle on the line saw the ball dislodged from Reeves grasp, when another seven
points looked in the bag. In a finely balanced half,
Phoenix
pulled back to within two points after slotting a penalty to make it 10 – 8
at the break.
Thatcham
turned the screw in the second period, as
Phoenix
struggled to maintain their composure, in the latter stages having two further
players confined to the bin. But numbers didn’t come into this as the home
side’s superiority was translated into a succession of penalties, but early
efforts from Littlechild fell just a tad short. On the flanks, Jamie Evans and
Arron Butt were outstanding, but truly this was a great show from the Thatcham
boiler-house, who gave very little away.
Phoenix
were continuously harried and a spilled ball well into Thatcham territory was
enough for Mark Smith to steal in and win the race for the line from a full 60
metres. Littlechild’s conversion and a penalty extended Thatcham’s
advantage. Thatcham kept up the pressure on their visitors and an enterprising
Ash Taylor profited from a loose ball tapped forward and sprinted through to
lift the points tally to 25.
As the clock ran down,
Phoenix
worked their way up field and from the line out put together a slick move for a
consolation try. But there was no time for the re-start, making the Thatcham
club Christmas dinner a very merry affair.
Next
week Thatcham face a challenging trip to
Stow
on the Wold.
Thatcham
Team:
1.
D Chambers; 2. B
Dixon
; 3. D Cameron (55, P Goater); 4. M Langdon; 5. B Broughton; 6. A Butt; 7. J
Evans; 8. M Grogan (15, M Reeves); 9. L Evans; 10. D Tingle; 11. T Littlechild;
12. M Billinghurst; 13. D Hudson (45, R Jones); 14. A Taylor; 15. M Smith
Tries:
Smith
(2)
Taylor
Conversions:
Littlechild (2)
Penalties:
Littlechild (2)
28th November
2009
Oxford
31 Thatcham
24
After
a two week lay off, Thatcham returned with renewed vigour, playing with
confidence and skill against mid table rivals,
Oxford
. Thatcham certainly had the measure of their hosts in the first period of a
pulsating encounter, going into the break with a 17 – 14 lead, although Oxford
came out on top in the end in a four converted tries to three thriller.
Oxford were first to get points on the board, but lock Ben Broughton making a
comeback from injury in his debut first team outing of the season, put in a
familiar rollicking performance to crash over for Thatcham’s first score. Toby
Littlechild returning on the wing made a deft interception deep into the first
period and ran the ball in under the posts, for the second converted try. Before
the whistle Thatcham found time to extend their lead with a Littlechild penalty.
But the hosts weren’t content to let it slip and ran in three converted tries
and a penalty without response from Thatcham to take them into a 31 – 17 lead.
In spite of the setbacks it wasn’t all one way and the visitors’ were
justified in feeling they might have got more out of it had it not been for a
couple of very marginal decisions. It was nip and tuck and Thatcham kept
battling, eventually securing the last word with a classic forwards try finished
off by Grogan at number 8. And then they were but a forward pass away from a
draw, but it wasn’t to be. Overall, this was an outstanding performance from
Thatcham who continue to improve and are sure to get more points in the next
three weeks to brighten up their Christmas. The Thatcham back row played their
socks off, but this week’s Autodata man of the match was Toby Littlechild
with a tally of 14 points.
Thatcham
Team:
1.
D Chambers; 2. B
Dixon
; 3. P Goater (65, J Smith); 4. M Langdon; 5. B Broughton; 6. A Butt (65,
N Vass
); 7. J Evans; 8. M Grogan; 9. L Evans; 10. D Tingle; 11. A Mitchell (60, A
Taylor
); 12. M Billinghurst; 13. D Hudson; 14. T Littlechild; 15. M Smith
Tries:
Broughton;
Littlechild; Grogan
Conversions:
Littelchild (3)
Penalty:
Littlechild
14th
November 2009
Thatcham
17
Harwell
5
Gale
force winds and driving rain combined with a ball sponsored by imperial leather
served to ensure this was no great spectacle as both sides struggled to master
the conditions. The first half saw few chances for either team and Harwell, with
the storm at their backs, should have put Thatcham under more pressure. To their
credit, Thatcham enjoyed the best of the territory, having learned early on that
there was little to be gained trying to kick out of defence. In calmer
conditions Thatcham should surely have gone ahead earlier than the 25 minutes it
took to break the deadlock. Eventually Andrew Mitchell broke free on the wing
and combining well with Damian Hudson put Matt Billinghurst away to score under
the posts for a seven point lead.
Harwell responded in the final minutes of the half but without reward and it
looked as if Thatcham would run away with it in the second period. But Thatcham
failed to capitalise on having the breeze behind them, although they were
certainly the more lively of the sides. As it settled into a game of attrition
Thatcham took a dubious decision to kick for goal when awarded a penalty and
Mark Smith running in from full back nearly broke through the Harwell defence. Thatcham’s
Autodata man of the match was lock Dave Thomas, but it was Harwell who had
the better of the scrum and it wasn’t until well into the half that Thatcham
were able to extend their lead. Keeping hands on the ball and creating space had
proved challenging, but Thatcham kept at it and were rewarded when Ash Taylor
broke free on the right wing to score.
Twelve
points in arrears and only ten minutes left on the clock saw Harwell enjoy their
best spell as they set up a siege of Thatcham’s line. Thatcham didn’t take
their chances to get the ball clear and Harwell were adjudged to be held up over
the line twice before the inevitable drive took them over for five points. But
Thatcham’s response was immediate and from the restart the ball was worked to
Taylor
out wide to score his second of the afternoon in the final play of the game.
With
Harwell languishing at the foot of the table, Thatcham knew this was a game they
needed to win, so it was a satisfying job done, even if it wasn’t pretty.
Thatcham
Team:
1.
P Goater; 2. B
Dixon
; 3.
S Oakham
(40, D Cameron); 4. D Thomas; 5. M Langdon (65, A Roach); 6. A Butt (60, M
Reeves); 7. J Evans; 8. M Grogan; 9. R Jones; 10. D Tingle; 11. A Mitchell; 12.
M Billinghurst; 13. D Hudson; 14. A Taylor; 15. M Smith
Tries:
Billinghurst;
Taylor (2)
Conversions:
Billinghurst
31st
October 2009
Thatcham
15 Drifters
24
Thatcham
only have themselves to blame for not securing both points in a game that never
really sparked. With the scores tied at 3 all after ten minutes it looked like
an abandonment was inevitable as the
Somerset
referee hobbled off with a calf strain. But Berks Society Referee David Levy
was on hand to enable the match to proceed after a 20 minute break, although
Thatcham might have preferred to see the game played on another day, given their
disappointing performance!
Both sides struggled to get back into gear after the stoppage and each missed
two penalties, with Toby Littlechild desperately unlucky with two massive
strikes from the half way just dropping inches short. Thatcham looked the more
likely to break the deadlock and spent 15 minutes camped just outside
Drifters’ 22, but it was the visitors who struck first as a moment’s
indecision provided turnover ball on the halfway followed by a fine run in under
the posts
This
week’s Autodata man of the match
was flanker Arron Butt, and fittingly, it was a forwards try that brought
Thatcham back into the game just before half-time as a penalty gave Thatcham a 5
metre line out and from the subsequent maul and drive, Mike Grogan touched down.
Turning
round at 8 – 10 down Thatcham looked set to take the lead, but missed what
looked like a certain three points. Drifters took advantage of Thatcham’s
inability to turn pressure into points and forged further ahead as they were
allowed to create a big overlap with ease. Despite plenty of possession, the
Thatcham threequarters weren’t really firing on all cylinders, but then Toby
Littlechild bucked the trend with a classy solo break to score under the posts
and convert for seven points. With the scores at 15 – 17, Thatcham now looked
in the ascendancy as the pack kept up a steady stream of possession. Then for
the second time this season the Thatcham backs allowed a high garryowen to
bounce and, inevitably, straight over the flailing arms of the home defence and
straight into the grateful hands of the oncoming Drifters’ winger who faced an
unopposed run in to the posts.
With
15 minutes left on the clock Thatcham were now chasing the game at 24 – 15
down and pushed deep into opposition territory, almost driving over, securing
two five metre penalties, but somehow Drifters kept them out. Needing two
scores, Thatcham declined the chance to take the three point option. Finally
Andrew Mitchell seemed to have carved a way through, but was felled inches short
of the line, when he looked certain to go over. Thatcham continued to battle as
the clock ran down, but once again it seemed they still haven’t found the
killer punch in a match that really should have been theirs.
Thatcham
Team:
1.
P Goater; 2. B
Dixon
; 3.
S Oakham
(60, J Thorogood); 4. A Roach; 5. M Langdon; 6. A Butt (70, M Reeves); 7. J
Evans; 8. M Grogan; 9. R Jones; 10. T Littlechild; 11. A Mitchell; 12. M
Billinghurst; 13. D Tingle; 14. A Taylor; 15.
N Rance
(60, D
Hudson
).
Tries:
Grogan;
Littlechild
Conversions:
Littlechild
Penalty:
Littlechild
17th
October 2009
Thatcham
50
Gosford All Blacks
27
Thatcham
supporters experienced delight and despair in equal measure in a first half that
saw them romp into a comfortable lead, only to see it overhauled by Gosford who
went into the break ahead by the slimmest of margins, 26 – 27. But the second
period was a different story as Thatcham grasped the game by the scruff of the
neck and extinguished their visitors’ hopes: whilst the All Blacks failed to
add to their tally, Thatcham stamped their superiority by adding a further four
tries.
Starting
without their skipper, Jamie Evans, absent at his graduation ceremony, Matt
Billinghurst stepped up to the plate and led from the front with two early
tries, the second an opportunist run in from well inside his own half. His
determination not to be caught evident from the moment he claimed possession. At
this stage Thatcham had taken a 21
– 5 point lead thanks to a pick up and drive from no 8 Grogan. In fact,
Thatcham could have been further ahead had Littlechild not dropped the ball over
the line after a sublime solo break! But Thatcham pressed self destruct and kept
playing themselves into pressure by not clearing their lines and kicking away
possession. Gosford clawed their way back into it and thanks to poor Thatcham
defensive play went 21 – 27 up. On the stroke of half time Thatcham took a
catch and drive from the kick off and it was Jamie Smith in possession as the
maul went over to reduce the deficit to one.
From
the re-start Gosford attacked deep into Thatcham territory, but this was to be
the last time they threatened as the home side began to exert control. Thatcham
scrums and line outs were working well and the All Blacks succumbed repeatedly
to the Thatcham maul. Arron Butt at flanker worked away tirelessly and is
increasingly looking indispensable, but Thatcham’s backbone is built around 8,
9 and 12. Grogan and Billinghurst were both in commanding form on Saturday, but
it was a flawless performance from Luke Evans, at scrum half, that shaded him
the Autodata man of the match award. Two forwards tries followed for
Thatcham, touched down by Grogan and Butt to put daylight between the teams. As
the Gosford resistance subsided, Thatcham were able to open it out and ran in
two further tries from wingers, Mitchell and Taylor.
Please
click
here for opposition match report
Thatcham
Team:
1.
J Smith (55, J Thorogood); 2. B
Dixon
; 3. P Goater; 4. D Chambers; 5. M Langdon; 6. A Butt; 7. D Thomas; 8. M Grogan;
9. L Evans; 10. T Littlechild; 11. A Mitchell; 12. M Billinghurst; 13. D Tingle;
14. A Taylor; 15.
N Rance
.
Tries:
Billinghurst
(2); Grogan (2); Butt; Smith; Mitchell;
Taylor
Conversions:
Littlechild (5)
10th
October 2009
Alchester
57
Thatcham
18
Thatcham knew their trip to league leaders, Alchester, would be no picnic, and
so it proved as the home side started like a runaway train and steamed into an
early 14 point lead. Typically slow to get started, Thatcham picked up the pace
and showed what they are capable of with a classic try converted by Mike Grogan
but made by an excellent threes move across the full width of the pitch.
Thatcham had got their act together and by mid way in the half forged into a
deserved lead after a Littlechild penalty, followed by a try under the posts
from Luke Evans, after Rob Horne and Dan Tingle had broken through on the flank.
Littlechild’s conversion put Thatcham into a 15 -14 lead.
The
visitors‘ lead was short-lived as powerful running from the Alchester No 8
found weak links in the Thatcham defence. The
Oxford
side put two further scores on the board before Thatcham again rallied with
another good run from Horne on the wing. Thatcham worked their way deep and
Grogan looked as if he was through again but was scythed down in front of the
posts. Thatcham reduced the deficit by three from the simple penalty, but were
again found wanting in defence before half time.
Turning
round at 31 – 18 down, Thatcham had their best spell and the scores remained
unchanged in the third quarter. Nick Rance continues to improve and put in an
excellent performance, but it was Jamie Smith making his debut at loose head
who stole the Auotdata man of the match. The Thatcham pack had looked
unsettled at the start, but improved as the game wore on, although it was
Alchester who saw the lion’s share of possession. Thatcham are certainly
capable of putting on the pressure, but with the majority of possession going
Alchester’s way, the visitors’ resolve began to weaken. Thatcham were often
guilty of standing off and giving their opponents too much room to run at them.
Eventually the pressure became irresistible and Alchester were able to run in
unchecked in the final ten minutes to seal an emphatic victory.
Please click
here for opposition match report and photos.
Thatcham
Team:
1.
J Smith; 2. B
Dixon
; 3. P Goater (60, D Chambers); 4. M Langdon (60, D Thomas); 5, A Roach; 6. A
Butt; 7. Jamie Evans; 8. M Grogan; 9. L Evans; 10. T Littlechild; 11. R Horne
(40, D
Hudson
); 12. M Billinghurst; 13. D Tingle; 14. A Mitchell; 15,
N Rance
Tries:
Grogan;
L. Evans
Conversion:
Littlechild
Penalties:
Littlechild (2)
3rd
October 2009
Thatcham
26 Abingdon
7
Thatcham started expecting an easier ride than last week, but Abingdon clearly
had different ideas and pushed the home side back from the start. Looking
decidedly out of sorts, there wasn’t much in it for Thatcham in the early
stages, although it took Abingdon 15 minutes to get points on the board. The
ease with which the stand off dummied and opened up an unchallenged route to the
posts looked a bit ominous. But Thatcham were in the game by the end of the
first quarter and being only 7 points adrift they came back strongly with the
first of hat trick hero, Andrew Mitchell’s tries with a powerful run through
the middle to score under the posts.
Thatcham
changed round their back division with Luke Evans returning at scrum half for
Richie Jones to pull on the no 15 shirt. Jones looked very solid in this
position, particularly under the high ball, and Evans’ nimble footwork at the
back of the scrum combined with slick distribution was absolutely key to this
result. In fact the Thatcham scrum never looked settled all afternoon, and it
was Evans, together with Autodata man of the match Mike Grogan, in
commanding form at No 8, that got them out of what could have been big hole as
the home side found themselves going backwards more often that they would have
liked. Toby Littlechild moved to fly half and Dan Tingle to outside centre and
the back line worked well as soon as they got sight of the ball. Just before the
break Grogan came into the line, put away by Matt Billinghurst, and Mitch took
the final pass from an unselfish Tingle to put Thatcham clear. Toby Littlechild
was in fine kicking form and slotted the second of his 3 conversions from the
touchline.
Re-starting
with a 14 – 7 lead, Thatcham piled on the pressure from the off and looked
sure to extend their lead as Chambers drove forward to the line. But after a
succession of penalties on 5 metres, Abingdon eventually spoiled the home scrum
and somehow managed to clear their lines. Abingdon were rucking well and saw a
fair amount of possession, but struggled to penetrate the home defence, so it
wasn’t long before the visitors again came under pressure and from a 5 metre
line out Dave Chambers charged over the line to score and put Thatcham into a 12
point lead. As the Thatcham back line began to really fire the pressure seemed
irresistible, but first Grogan and then Billinghurst were held up over the line.
At last Grogan picked up at the back of the scrum and popped it out to Mitchell
to go over in the corner. Littlechild rounded it off with his boot to slot the
conversion and Thatcham were home and dry.
Thatcham
Team:
1.
D Chambers; 2. B
Dixon
(65, J Thorogood); 3. P Goater; 4. A Roach; 5. M Langdon; 6. A Butt; 7. Jamie
Evans (65, D Thomas); 8. M Grogan; 9. L Evans; 10. T Littlechild; 11. A
Mitchell; 12. M Billinghurst; 13. D Tingle; 14.
N Rance
; 15. R Jones
Tries:
Mitchell
(3); Chambers
Conversion:
Littlechild (3)
26th
September 2009
Broadmoor
39
Thatcham
13
In spite of a blistering first ten minutes, Thatcham soon discovered that
they’ve gone up a level against a Broadmoor side that looked strong in every
department. Thatcham’s cause was not helped by an injury to hooker Ben Dixon
in the warm up. Coming on as a late replacement for loose head Darren Cameron,
who’d put in another solid performance,
Dixon
only lasted 5 minutes. Another front row reorganisation saw Luke Evans, still
nursing an ankle injury, brought into the backs.
This was certainly a tough outing for Thatcham, who struggled to get good
possession for much of the game: just about holding their own in the scrums, but
unlike last week, getting little clean ball from the line out. Nevertheless the
visitors made the perfect start going straight into a ten point lead, with an
early penalty from Autodata man of the match, Toby Littlechild. This was closely
followed by a slick move from the backs that provided space outside for Josh
Evans to run in the try. Littlechild’s conversion had Broadmoor rocking, but
the home side eased back into control and by the second quarter they had a taken
a 15 – 10 lead, with two tries. By the end of a very creditable first half
Thatcham had narrowed the gap to two points with another Littlechild penalty.
Turning
round at 15 – 13 Thatcham made a positive start to the half, but soon realised
they were under the cosh and were forced to defend furiously. Gaps started to
appear and Broadmoor soon extended their lead after stealing line out ball on
the 22.Broadmoor then made their own luck with a lofted kick deep into Thatcham
territory. It looked safe with three Thatcham players behind it, but a cruel
bounce set the home side up to score under the posts. By now Thatcham were
really chasing the game and the result was not in doubt. As the visitors tired
Broadmoor stole another seven pointer in the dying minutes to earn a comfortable
victory.
Thatcham
should be pleased with their overall performance at Broadmoor and will only
improve as they gain more experience against this level of opposition. They
certainly played their part in a competitive and entertaining encounter against
one of the sides that is likely to set the pace this season. Thatcham will be
able to measure their improvement when the sides meet next time, at Henwick, a
few days before Christmas.
Next
week Thatcham entertain Abingdon at
Henwick Lane
, KO 3 pm.
Thatcham
Team: D
Cameron; D Chambers; P Goater; A
Roach; M Langdon; A Butt; Jamie Evans; M Grogan; R Jones; D Tingle; A Taylor; M
Billinghurst; D Hudson; Josh Evans; T Littlechild. Subs: N Rance (55, for
Hudson
); B
Dixon
(65, for Cameron)
, L
Evans (70, for
Dixon
)
Try:
Josh
Evans
Conversion:
Littlechild
Penalties:
Littlechild (2)
Southern
Counties Cup
19th
September 2009
Weymouth 28 Thatcham
16
With
a scintillating forwards display, Thatcham did more than enough to set up
victory in their first competitive game of the season at breezy
Weymouth
. But unfortunately the backs performance fell below par and ultimately gifted
the spoils to the home side with a points margin that hardly did justice to
Thatcham’s forward superiority.
With
the breeze at their backs
Weymouth
’s fly half kept Thatcham pegged back in the first quarter and Littlechild and
Taylor
at full back and wing were kept busy fielding the aerial bombardment.
Weymouth
profited from the territorial advantage with two early penalties and a well
taken dropped goal to give them a 9 point lead. But by mid way in the half the
Thatcham pack began to put on the squeeze in the loose and
Weymouth
had only scraps to feed from. Thatcham’s Autodata
man of the match was Mike Grogan, dominant and bossy as a No 8 should be,
but with a faultless displays in the line out from locks Langdon and Roach it
was a hard pick. Thatcham mastered the scrums and the rolling maul with the
front row providing the graft and new skipper Jamie Evans and two try Arron Butt
tirelessly working the flanks. From a line out ten metres out Adam Roach took
clean possession and the Thatcham pack drove across the line for Arron Butt to
score. Thatcham continued to press forward and on the stroke of half-time, Toby
Littlechild converted a penalty to reduce the deficit to a single point.
With
the game finely poised at 9-8, Thatcham looked the most likely to pull ahead and
began the second period as they ended the first. Pushing into the Weymouth 22
Thatcham carelessly gave away possession to see the fleet footed
Weymouth
wing run the length of the pitch to ground under the posts. Although the
conversion attempt was charged down, the points were mistakenly awarded to
Weymouth
, just to rub salt in the wound!
Thatcham
resumed their assault and were again rewarded with a second try from Arron Butt.
Winger Josh Evans looks useful with the ball in hand and made good ground before
feeding inside to brother Jamie, who was able to offload to Butt a metre out, as
the two flankers showed how well they were working together. Although the
conversion was wide, further Thatcham pressure resulted in two more penalty
awards, the second going over to give Thatcham the lead at 14 -16.
The game looked to be going in Thatcham’s direction, but despite a
solid display from Matt Billinghurst in the centre, the mistakes kept coming to
frustrate the visitors’ efforts. A combination of overrunning the ball, some
sloppy passing and handling errors left the door open for
Weymouth
to capitalise with a converted try to regain the lead. Taking more risks as the
time elapsed Thatcham went down to 14 men as Tingle was binned for killing the
ball and the numbers proved key as the Weymouth winger found another gap to put
the result beyond doubt on the final whistle.
Although
they were disappointed at their failure to convert possession into points
Thatcham should take a lot of positives from this game into their first league
encounter next week at Broadmoor.
Thatcham
Team: D
Cameron; B Dixon; P Goater; A Roach;
M Langdon; A Butt; Jamie Evans; M Grogan; R Jones; D Tingle; A Taylor; M
Billinghurst; A Mitchell; Josh Evans; T Littlechild. Subs: D Osborne (for Goater);
D Chambers (50, for Cameron); N Rance (55, for Mitchell); C
Bell
(65, for Littlechild)
Tries:
Butt
(2)
Penalties:
Littlechild (2)
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