It’s tough finding good fixtures for the 3s they rely on a diet of a handful of merit table fixtures and the odd friendly, one of the best friendlies on the circuit is Overton 2s, the game was played 4 times last season with Overton just winning the series. With the Vets off on their own journey and the game a mixed team effort. this was a great opportunity for the youngsters in the 2/3s to shine and push for places in higher teams and with the equivalent of 4 teams being put out last week it was assumed(well you know what assumption is the mother of all?)Getting a side full of young thrusters would be easy. We ended up with 11 and that included 2 vets who couldn’t find Aldbourne, as Tadley were badly let down by players, 5 crying off on the morning of the match, with a further 2 the night before. A mixture of hangovers (how many player do you know that don’t play with one?) and various other scrapes and sniffles.

Overton very graciously lent Tadley 2 players to make it 14 v 13, one thing Tadley weren’t short of was 2nd rows they had 5 this lead to some interesting playing positions, Jodie and ali on Backrow duties with regular backrows Seth and Luke Titley filling in at Hooker and outside centre and Dave Boshier the wing. Showing the sort of commitment we like at TRFC debutant Steffan Honey played tighthead.

Tadley surprisingly started very well No. 10 Toby Smith and James Moffatt and Doug Hawker made breaks and the forwards supported well, new boy Steffan getting round the park well. In better weather with a less boggy pitch would have surely seen Tadley take the lead. Once Overton’s big pack got into gear the game changed they drove over a lineout from close range and then after a break the backs showed good hands to make the overlap count for a 12-0 lead.

20 mins into the game and Titley and Boshier still hadn’t done anything and weren’t muddy, this was too much for the veteran lock who went into the forwards. Good running saw Tadley make ground and though the rest of the half stayed scoreless Tadley created chances Moffat unlucky to be called back when through and Titley who had finally got muddy was almost in at the corner Tadley finished the half the stronger.

Overton bossed the early exchanges of the 2nd half, ex Overton player Paul Hollingshead had done wonders holding the inexperienced Tadley front row together but turnovers at scrum time lead to 2 further scores as the extra man really started to tell as Tadley tired, a cracking tackle from Hollingshead wasn’t enough to stop a 3rd and it looked like it could be a big score but to their credit Tadley raised their game, a surprisingly good kicking game from 10 Toby Smith saw them move up the field. Uncontested scrums helped giving Tadley parity and good old fashion hard graft saw Tadley finish strong, a kick and chase from titley went close and Boshier was stopped a yard from the line from a drive but Tadley couldn’t get the reward on the score sheet that their efforts deserved.

Well done to everyone who played they were really pretty fed up in the changing room after having been let down by some of their mates but they battled really well and we had a good debut from Steffan to give us some cheer. Next week The Bandits travel to Wheatley, quite a trek that one, lets hope people make the effort to turn up.