Rugby round-up: Baptism of fire for promoted Windsor as defensive woes leave them bottom

Maidenhead in action at Bracknell on Saturday. Photo: Paul Morgan

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Bracknell 26, Maidenhead 14

Having rallied well in last weekend’s home win against Hammersmith & Fulham, a depleted Maidenhead fell to a 26-14 defeat at derby rivals Bracknell on Saturday.

Maids have done well in their matches with Bracknell in recent seasons and only a last-gasp score prevented them from taking the win at Lily Hill Park last season. That game finished as a draw while Maids won the return match at Braywick Park with a thrilling kick in the dying seconds. 

However, they paid the price for a slow start in this match as a series of scores left them trailing 21-7 at the break. They outscored their hosts in the second half to get back to within striking distance, but Bracknell held on for their first win of the season.

Maids were also beset by more injury misfortune after losing centre Alex Ropeti to a long-term shoulder injury in their home game with Hammersmith. A few more players departed through injury at Bracknell and head coach David Mobbs-Smith they don’t play again until Camberley visit Braywick Park on Saturday, October 4. Camberley like Maids haven’t had the best of starts losing two of their first three.

Maids are currently 10th, and Camberley ninth (both relegation play-off places) ahead of that enticing match up at Braywick.

The fixture list hasn’t been especially kind to Maids, with the side set to play most of last season’s front-runners in their first tranche of fixtures. After Camberley they fly to play current leaders Jersey RFC on Saturday, October 11, so will be hoping to pick up some points from their next home clash against what appears to be a slightly out-of-sorts Camberley.

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Windsor 29, Beaconsfield 45

It appears Windsor are taking a little while to find their feet following promotion to Regional 2 Thames, London & SE Division after kicking off the campaign with three straight defeats.

Andrew Symons’ first team squad were promoted last season as one of the best runners up at level seven of the RFU League Pyramid having comfortably finished second behind Oxford Harlequins 2nds in the Counties 1 Tribute Southern North Division.

However, the move into Marlow’s league hasn’t exactly been plain sailing for the Royals with the team losing its first three matches to Teddington at home, Aylesbury away and Beaconsfield at Home Park this Saturday.

They’ve been relatively competitive in all of the matches losing 31-12 at home to Teddington, 59-19 at Aylesbury and 29-45 to Beaconsfield, however, so far at least, they’ve been unable to stem the points against tally - already conceding 135 points this campaign.

On Saturday, they ran in four tries through Luke Budd (two), Isaac Tokura and Joseph Triegaardt with Ben Grant-Adamson kicking three conversions and a penalty, however, Beaconsfield ran in seven tries, with James Findlay and Henry Revill both touching down twice to add to scores from William Howells, Henry Berryman and Samuel Mark. Owain Griffiths swept over five conversions to see the visitors home with a reasonably comfortable 16-point advantage.

The three results they’ve had so far leave Symons side bottom of the table with only a point to their name, however, they have so far played the teams in third, fourth and fifth and they may fancy their chances of being more competitive in their next game at home to eighth placed Harpenden on Saturday, October 4.

Last season’s champions Harlequins have also struggled to adapt to the league, losing all three of their matches as well, collecting three points in the process.

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Marlow 53, Oxford Harlequins 2nds 22

League rivals Marlow sent the Harlequins spinning to a heavy 53-22 defeat at Riverwoods on Saturday, but Kev O’Byrne’s side will also need to improve if they’re to get closer to the league’s front runners this season.

Having consolidated in the division last season, Marlow have made a faltering start to this campaign, losing their first two away matches at current leaders Belsize Park (35-15) and Beaconsfield (27-12). However, their form last season was built on solid home performances, and they produced another one against promoted Harlequins on Saturday.

The game was very tight up until half-time, with Marlow leading by just three points at the break (20-17), however, Harlequins managed to score only three more points in the second half whereas their rampant hosts ran in and kicked 33 to claim a richly deserved bonus point win.

These were Marlow’s first points of the season and lift them to seventh in the table ahead of their next match at ninth placed Grasshoppers on Saturday, October 4.