Windsor III XV v Slough II XV
14th January 2006by Richard Allen
The listing was posted by Windsor RFC - Seniors - Third XV
RESULT: Windsor III 44 Slough II 5
Windsor III's maintained their winning ways on Saturday in a local derby with Slough II's. For Joe Hennessy's men though it was not as easy as the score line suggests.
Last season Windsor suffered a heavy defeat to the visitors from the other side of the Thames and they were keen to even the score. Overnight rain had left the pitch heavy with mud which stuck to ball and boots and made open rugby difficult for both sides. Slough arrived with a much bigger pack and it looked like the game would be won from the front. Unfortunately for Slough however they had 7 players pull out on Saturday morning and even after borrowing Martin, a Windsor substitute, were still a man down.
Windsor III's always take their time to warm into a game but today was an exception. In his second game in 5 years, a new recruit, ex - High Wycombe, Dave Iouens opened the score in the first five with some fancy footwork and pace on the left wing. Windsor failed to convert from the touchline. Soon after Windsor flanker John Light took an opportune break from an already caked forwards maul and barged over for a good try. Number Ten John Thorne sealed the goal. At this point it looked like Windsor were going to run away with it and the team sat back. Slough had other plans however and came back at Windsor with some strong running rugby and good support, resulting in a try. They did not convert but followed it up with a long spell of constant pressure keeping Windsor on the back foot. Breakaway attempts by Windsor were thwarted with dynamic tackling. Hooker Dave Bascombe (in his fiftieth year), was not afraid to get amongst them but paid for his bravado going off with a blood injury and Rob Edmunds is still regretting his attempt to dummy Slough's full back, resulting in a face full of home turf.
At 12-5 it looked as if this was how it would stay going into half time, but John Thorne's dogged chasing of all loose balls paid off as he scooped one out of the quagmire to beat two men and go over for a try, leaving it 17-5 at the break.
The game was far from won and a stern talking to, along with a couple of substitutions, seemed to pay off. Slough kicked off, dropping the ball into the arms of scrum half Richard Endacott, committing the tackler he offloaded to the fresh legs of winger Richard Allen to make an incisive run through the midfield, the back row were there to clear up and the slippy ball made its way through most of the team before ending up in the experienced hands of centre Jim Christie to round his man and score in the corner. Windsor's heads were up and began to throw it around some more. Rob Edmunds managed to avoid the defence this time with some great running and went over for Windsor's fifth.
The lone, solid figure of ex-England prop Paul Rendell watched on from the castle touchline to see Windsor running away with the game. It was the turn of the forwards now as they played Slough's game and began attacking from the fringes. The Engine room fired up and Whisper, Bascombe, Barney and Ball were there at every break down. After some devastating runs from Josh Tuoey and Justin May; May earned a well deserved forwards try from the back of a maul five yards out. Soon after it was the backs turn again and a clever interchange of passes between the centre partnership of Christie and Julian Gale, let a wind assisted Gale loose to open his legs and score under the posts.
Slough were well beaten now but would not lie down and came very close a few times to breaking their deadlock, but a man down and against some ferocious tackling from the likes of Christian Hall and Tom Graham it was not to be. As a final nail in the coffin the ball came out wide and Allen could hide his pace no longer, beating his opposing winger in an eighty yard footrace to the try line. After many kickers had tried and failed to find form all afternoon, Touey just managed to convert under the posts leaving the score at the whistle, 44 - 5.
Windsor III's can leave their Slough demons behind them now and can feel confident as they face two league matches in the next fortnight. If they can win against Reading Abbey next week then Hennessy will want all cylinders firing as they face league leaders Basingstoke the following Saturday. A win will put Windsor top of the table and one stop closer to bringing a league trophy to the Home Park.
Windsor III: Whisper, Bascombe, Barney, Ball, May, Light, Hennessy, Tuoey, Endacott, Thorne, Iouens, Christie, Gale, Edmunds, Hall, McGee, Allen, Graham.