This corresponding fixture last season was a break through match for Tadley as for the 1st time the fruit of the clubs fledgling youth system really shone, with Connor Dyment,Gavin Williams & Jamie Shields bursting onto the Tadley scene, they were all back there again and it would be interesting to see how much they had improved since then. Fellow teenagers Dan Fowler, Jack Margets were also there and it was great to see the lads playing the pivotal rolls of 7, 8, 9 & 10.
Tadley started strongly and if it hadn’t been for a shocking forward pass from Lock Dave Boshier, Lewis Dyment would have been in for the try, having forgotten his boots he borrowed a pair of Boshiers so its suspected the veteran lock hurled the ball forward as he didn’t want to see his boots run in from just outside the 22 as they have never been over the line from further than 2 yards out before. It was against the run of play when from a 5m lineout a poor tap from Tadley saw wheatlye through to open the scoring. Apart from this aberration Tadley started strong in the set piece with debutant Trevor(not a teenager) showing well at tight head and the lineout going well Thanks to Jodie and Mike Gibbons in a tricky wind only one not straight from hooker Pikey. This platform took Tadley deep in the Wheatley half and big No. 8 Dan Fowler powered over. Williams was unable to convert.
Back on the attack from the kick off Tadley countered well the always impressive James Moffat breaking away, a sliding pass from Boshier this time went backwards and Johnson was away for the score, converted by Williams. When Johnson followed this up with a solo effort after a jinking run which seemed to go more across the pitch but eventually finding a way through it looked a big score was on the cards.
Tadley lost No.8 Dan to a rib injury to be replaced by Ben Saich.To the home sides credit they battled back well, their scrum gained ascendancy a deep kick was well cleared up by Winger Ben Thatcher who passed inside to Boshier who treated the team to that rare sight of a dummy kick in your own 22, rather than outrageous skill it was more to do with the realisation of being in the middle of the pitch and a long way to touch even though it was a school pitch, he set off looking to get closer, then a call from full back Neal Carter in space, unfortunately carter was level with the veteran lock and not keen for another forward pass it was thought wise for Boshier to get in front of Carter this took 10 metres of Carter slowing down and Boshier trying to speed up, Carter cleared the danger.
As the half closed out Tadley looked a bit jittery losing skipper Steve Edney to a shoulder injury on came Ali Churchill who bought energy to the side, as he hadn’t expended any in his previous roll of water carrier where he showed a great reluctance to walk anywhere carrying the heavy bottles. Moffat settled Tadley nerves with a powerful burst and score and then in the dieing moments of the half a good run from Thatcher saw Tadley with a lineout on the 5m line. From a driving maul new skipper Jamie and Jodie fought over the ball, with Jamie winning and claiming the touch down, which Williams converted for a 29-5 lead at the break.
The second half was evenly contested; the home side’s advantage at the scrum was cancelled by Tadleys work at the lineout where Jodie was impressive stealing ball. Tadley were guilty of too much sideways running as they lost the directness of the 1st half, though Pike and Trevor had some good straight runs making good yards and it took a try from Wheatley to snap Tadley into life.
From a retreating scrum Jamie did well to get the ball out and Moffat was away for another score. Then we had what was probably the most outrageous jug avoidance ever! Johnson was over the line and strolling under the posts only to get clattered and held up, great defending, terrible finishing.
As the home side tired and now with a secure scrum Tadley attacked blindside a good pass from Jodie put Williams away and he capped a good game by putting in the supporting Saich for a good team score.
This win sees Tadley Bandits 2nd in merit table ‘C’
Bandits- Carter (Harvey 60), Thatcher, Johnson, Moffat, L Dyment (Marget 50), Williams, Shields, Edney (Churchill 30), Pike, Trevor, Boshier, Gibbons, Kent, C Dyment, Fowler (Saich 20)
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