Devizes RFC

Saddlebacks get impressive win over Reading

Devizes travelled to Reading in their final preseason friendly, before the season starts for good this coming weekend.  Devizes hadn’t faced Reading since their final season in South West 1 East when both sides were relegated to Southern Counties where both sides are now plying their trade.  Prior to COVID, Reading had finished 2^nd in Southern Counties North and had only fallen short of promotion due to Frome’s better win and points record in Southern Counties South.  The Devizes lads knew this would be a significant step up from the previous week’s rout of Warminster.  And so it proved.

Devizes kicked off long and managed to regather possession immediately.  Some good interlinking play nearly saw Devizes in down the right wing, but a pass was picked off by the Reading winger who intercepted and ran in the 70 metres or so to dot down inside the first minute to make it 5-0.

This seemed to buoy the home side, and they started to assert control early on with several attacks in the Devizes half.  Devizes were making silly errors and handing the initiative to Reading with a couple of silly penalties, which the home side were more than grateful for.

It wasn’t long before Reading were in for their second try of the afternoon after a number of attacks in Devizes territory to bring it to 12-0.

Devizes responded excellently and played some neat phases which brought in the backs and after a superb strike move, centre Lewis Dodds found the gap and dotted over the line.  Matt Tinker added the extras.

Play then bounced between respective twenty two’s, but Devizes then got the upper hand with some forward charges and unfortunately were held up on the try line, which meant a try line drop out for Reading.  The Reading fly half unfortunately forgot the rules, tapped it 2 yards and therefore knocked on, resulting in a Devizes five metre scrum.  Powering towards the try line, and after a couple of pick and goes, Devizes were over again through prop Kieran Hiscock.  Tinker added the extras to make it 14-12 at the break.

Devizes were looking to add to their small lead; however, it was the home side who scored two quick fire tries to edge in front to 22-14.   Devizes responded well again however, as a burst down the left flank by Vizard and skipper Lewis Paget saw replacement wing, Oli Bird bundled into touch with a superb try saving tackle by a Reading prop.  Devizes penned in the hosts though and regathered possession.  With a few more rumbles close to the line, replacement prop Conor Scott bundled over.  Tinker converted again to bring it to 22-21.

Devizes regained the lead when more forward rumbles close to the line saw second row debutant and academy graduate, Henry Sheppard crash over to make it 22-28 with Tinker converting a tricky conversion.

Devizes had the edge now and were finding plenty of space in the Reading defence, and after some excellent play, back rower Oscar Conroy-Purbrick ran through a gap from 30 metres to dot down for a well-deserved try.  Tinker once again converted a tricky angle to edge Devizes now into a commanding lead.

The hosts, although tiring, did find an edge on the right flank and exploited the numerical advantage with a well taken try for their fifth try of the afternoon to bring the scores to 35-29.

Devizes had the last score of the day though, with centre Gus O’Connor working well with Oli Bird, who galloped through to go over for Devizes’ sixth score of the afternoon.  Despite Tinker kicking beautifully all afternoon, he narrowly missed the final conversion.

Reading had the final spell of possession but were snuffed out by a superb ball and man tackle by Tinker which forced the knock on and a Devizes win 40 points to 29.

Thank you to Reading for the great hit out and good luck for the rest of the season.  For this young Devizes side, sights are on this coming weekend’s double header against Swindon College Old Boys and Pewsey Vale respectively.  It’s a home double header and the first Devizes home game for 19 months.

Devizes squad:

1.Vizard 2. Hutchings 3. Hiscock 4. Bills 5. L.Paget (c) 6. Holloway 7. Conroy-Purbrick 8. Bryant 9. Bramwell 10. Tinker 11. Walker 12. O’Connor 13. Dodds 14. Wellington 15. Clarke 16. Scott 17. Rose 18. Sheppard 19. Cook 20. Alford 21. Thomson 22. Bird