Saturday 25th September

South West 1 East

Witney 5 - 18 Reading (PHOTOS)

In days gone by, the lads could under perform and often get away with it, in this League that is simply not an option and a much hungrier Reading side came away with the spoils against a somewhat lethargic Witney side that lacked a spark. The boys were firing individually ok but collectively they looked a shadow of the team that has started so well this campaign. Sure there were injuries and unavailability to cope with but every side has that and so it is never a valid excuse. It would be great to say the scoreline didn’t reflect the match but in truth it probably did as Reading looked more lively with ball in hand and were committed in defence as they were hungry to come away with their first win of the season, which they dually did.

The match kicked off on a cold but sunny Saturday afternoon at the Hailey Road Ground and the expectant Hailey Road supporters were hoping for another top drawer performance from the boys in blue and black. They were soon stunned as Reading won the ball from the kick off and charged upfield with forwards and backs inter passing well and their no 10 finding a few gaps, something he continued to do all afternoon. The first wave was stopped but Reading came again and crashed over out wide to give them the best possible start and stun the home side. The conversion was missed and the visitors tails were up but the question was, how would Witney react ? The answer was a tad slowly to be honest as they tried hard but kept giving stupid penalties away which kept the momentum well and truly in Readings hands. A few of the penalties were questionable but generally you make your own luck and Reading carried on looking the side most likely. A penalty was kicked to increase the lead to 8 points and although neither side really threatened in their opponents 22, with the wind behind them Reading probably thought they needed another score before halftime as Witney were sure to improve, weren’t they?
Robbie Richardson and Jez Hicks were battling away and making ground but the pack was not quite firing collectively and although the were on top in the scrums, the lineouts were very messy and a cause for concern against the tall visitors. The backs lacked spark and line breaks were few and far between. Scrum half Gareth Campbell made one superb break but the real chance came when young Jake Thomas exploited a rare hole in the Reading defence and ran 40 metres deep into the Reading 22. Support was there but the Reading defence was solid and the chance was gone. The half petered out and although they had been far from their best, Witney were only 8 points down and with the wind behind them, the match was still very much in the balance. Readings dream start to the match was repeated though as a speculative kick downfield was not fielded by the Witney back three and the cruel bounce of the ball saw Reading regather possession and a couple of phases later and the rangy winger was over for their second try and it really was all to do for Witney. The home forwards finally began firing with Owen Fowler and Marc Copperwheat (before he was injured) making good ground but the penalties were still being conceded and this allowed Reading an easy escape route just when pressure began to build. Copporwheats injury opened the door for Will MacBurnie to come on and he produced a lively half hour as Witney slowly edged towards Readings line. Aaron Lambourne had a couple of nice runs to lift the home crowd who sensed a comeback was still possible. The forwards won a lineout five metres out and from the resulting catch and drive, hooker Sam Collins emerged at the bottom of the pile. Ed Mitcham’s conversion would have brought Witney to within a score but he never really struck the kick well (his only kick of the match!) and the deficit remained at 8 points.
A rousing last five minutes was needed but a hopeful kick upfield saw the ball curl agonisingly over the touchline close to Witneys line and it seemed it really would be Readings day. They pressed the line and Witney prop Alan Richens was yellow carded, perhaps unluckily so but it was probably a result of the huge penalty count against the home side. The five metre scrum seemed like a score would be inevitable but Witney defended well and kept the visitors out. The pressure was still very much on Witney though and Reading made their numerical advantage tell and scored out wide. They missed their conversion but were home and dry and the last few minutes were played out with Witney waiting for the inevitable final whistle and their opening defeat of the season.

1^st XV

Mitcham, Lambourne, Thomas, Strutt, Monks, Lamb(H), Campbell(G): Richardson, Collins(S), Richens, Fowler, Copperwheat(M), *Hicks(J), Campbell(C), Rowles

Repl: Fuller(Richardson-55), MacBurnie(Copperwheat-50), Collins(L)-not used

VIEW FROM THE TOUCHLINE

Well, it couldn’t last for ever but the defeat was disappointing as the lads never really “turned up” rather than the loss itself. The visitors were much more determined all afternoon and in their number 10 had the stand out player, not perfect in everything he did but often threatened with ball in hand and asked too many questions of the home defense for comfort. The penalty count was definitely one way but Witney had got on the wrong side of the referee early on and that pattern kept on throughout the match. The biggest cheer of the first half came when Witney were eventually awarded a penalty after numerous for the visitors. Hopefully the lads will learn from this by putting the work back into training this week and coming out “hungry” for next weeks away fixture at Reading Abbey. When sending me his excellent photos, Fin’s comment was, “Hard to find any shots of Witney on the front foot and/or any without Pin tackling somebody...“, which says it all really !

Berks, Bucks & Oxon Prem "A"

Reading Abbey 2nds 19 -22 Witney 2nds

Great win and top of the league now, well done to all.
2nd XV
D. Godfrey, A. Copperwheat, M. Calley, S. Copperwheat*, R. Haire, M. Jones, C. Quarterman, W. Caffekey, J. Birks, P. Dubost, A. Mayer, N. Phillips, L. Douglas, R. Mills, T. Murton
Rep – G. Bibby (Phillips), S. Chatterton (Unused)
Trys from Adam Mayer, Rob Mills, Thom Murton, plus 2 conversions and a penalty from Simon Copperwheat.
Numbers Game!
1. Dan Godfrey – 7 – Strong in the scrum, not so on his back though.
2. Adam Copperwheat – 7 – Accurate lineout throwing, mouthy as ever!
3. Matt Calley – 7 – Workman like performance, improving all the time.
4. Simon Copperwheat – 7 – A couple of useful turn overs, one made for a try.
5. Richard Haire – 7 – Mobile performance, run straight Richard
6. Martin Jones – 8 – Top performance, all action display
7. Charlie Quarterman – 8 – Worked his socks off all afternoon!
8. Wayne Caffekey – 8 – Carried the ball well, strong in the lineout
9. Jack Birks – 7 – Another good performance, needs to bully the forwards more!
10. Pierre Dubost – 9 – STAR MAN – A 10 that plays like a back row and runs like Philippe Sella.
11. Adam Mayer – 8 -Try scoring debut, solid in attack and defence!
12. Nathan Phillips – 8 -Scared the defence with some excellent turns of speed until he retired injured.
13. Lee Douglas – 7 - Growing into the 13 shirt, another good display.
14. Rob Mills – 7 – Took his try very well, ran an interesting line.
15. Thom Murton – 7 – First Try for the 2’s, solid at the back!
Replacements:
16. George Bibby – 5 – Ignored an obvious three on one but showed good defence.
17. Simon Chatterton (unused) – 6 – Good note taking!

Berks, Bucks & Oxon Prem North 1

Aylesbury Athletic 48 - 17 Witney 3rds

I'm not going to do scores this week. I only had complaints about the scores awarded last time and as no one was excellent this week it's best avoided! The trip to the prison is always a tough one. After the first few weeks of good numbers available and training it was back to normal with the 3's and 4's still trying on Saturday morning to get more players. We travelled with 16, though Pete was delayed and then not let in for 30 minutes so we had to reshuffle and start with our super sub Nick in the second row and 2 forwards in the backs. We competed well though and after conceding an early try (it seems to be a Witney rule to concede a try within 3 minutes at the prison) were in the game and a fairly even contest was played until the last 13 minutes. At this stage we were winning 17 - 15. The last 13 minutes saw us completely fall apart and Athletic's superior fitness and pace told as they started to score for fun. At the end we reminded ourselves that we've played very well for 2 and a bit games so heads mustn't drop about the score. Instead we need to use this as a kick up the bum that we must work harder as the season progresses if we what to keep up winning ways. A big test next week with Bicester away who are joint 3rd with us in the league, but a great chance to stamp a marker down again. Finally thanks to Andy for playing at 12 for us (again) and get well soon to Mark and Robbie who both picked up injuries and will now miss some games.
3^rd XV
1. J Harris, 2. T Hickman, 3. A Clinkard, 4. T Perry, 5. A Taylor, 6. D Brown, 7. J Reynolds, 8. Terence Trent D'Arby, 9. N Godfrey (P Minch 15), 10. M Mansfield, 11. Paddy, 12. A Hunt, 13. R Lakey, 14. L Manning, 15. K Tiltman
Tries - L Manning, Terence Trent D'Arby, J Harris

Cons - M Mansfield

Berks, Bucks & Oxon Prem North 2

Buckingham 3rds 67 - 3 Witney 4ths

Well that was a fun afternoon. After the giddying heights of the glorious win over Marlow last week, it was back to earth with a thud for our plucky Witney heroes as a rampant Buckingham plundered away at the tryline all afternoon on Saturday. Still, this was a win of sorts in a way as last year we did not manage to get a side together until around now and did not actually manage to play Buckingham on either occasion through lack of numbers (filling out the teams above). Still, Buckingham did actually get changed before we got there so we have not rattled their confidence in us existing too much. It is also infinitely easier staying off the bottom of the league table when you are not trying to come back from a minus 6 points start.
Anyway, not a great deal of great things to say about this weekend as at times, Buckingham were rampant and grew the confidence to rush the line at just about every occasion. Scrums were not brilliant and lineouts shaky as we had a lot of players out of position while both territory and possesion were a bit too heavily in the green corner for our liking. The chink in the Bucks armour was they were not too good at the breakdowns so the Witney back row nicked a fair bit of ball but we did somehow contrive to give it back again on most occasions with some comedy ball protection. As usual, there appeared to be 5 Clive Mannings on the pitch as he appears to be everywhere, popping up and causing havoc all over the park. The score could easily hit three figures but for a good 6 or 7 occasions when a raiding winger went whizzing down the sideline in the clear, only to be cut down and blasted off the pitch just before the corner flag by a last ditch tackler tracking back so that was a big positive. White line fever no doubt, but Witney tried to the very end and never gave up, even when the scoreline became a little lopsided. Special mention must be made of Toby Morris debut in the second row, Toby is a stranger to the dark arts of the scrum but may have found his calling in the engine room and may possibly look into it at training over the next few weeks to work out what it is all about. Best wishes to mercurial winger Mike Timms who had to go off with a toe injury which I understand required special shoes after a visit to hospital (Caspar, what the hell does that mean?). Pete Moriarty showed his versatility to be able to fill any shirt on the pitch with another appearance in 'Prop Idol', Micky Lynn yet again demonstrated what a key destructive little dynamo he is and Jake Stride again put in a great performance in the second row.
Other comedy gems included attempts to psyche out the Buckingham centre who took the conversion attempts and eventually missed a sitter late in the game bang in front and the same player's head on rush into the goalposts with a tackler on his back (no doubt Clive again?) to rebound into the field of play but the try given as technically, the ball hitting the posts (even 5 feet in the air) is a try despite being nowhere near the tryline. To be honest, the young referee did a very good job, no complaints at all and if you don't notice the bloke with the whistle, he is doing his job correctly. It appears an up and down season this year and all we need is a few more on deck to be able to climb back to the top half of league table finish this side managed just the season before last. Results seem to be very home-side driven in this division this season as we beat Marlow who shredded Alchester, who did the same to us in the opening game. This brings promising omens for next weeks HOME match against neighbours, Gosford All Blacks, who are one of 5 teams (including us) on 1 win and 2 reverses so far this season.
4th XV
1. Pete Moriarty, 2. Martin Connor, 3. Trevor Wicks, 4. Toby Morris, 5. Jake Stride, 6. Karl Anders, 7. *Clive Manning, 8. Bill Quarterman, 9. Nick Mason, 10. Alan Cotton, 11. Caspar Morris, 12. Michael Lynn, 13. Tom Nicholls, 14. Declan Duffy, 15. Michael Timms.
Scorer: Pete Moriarty (pen)

Saturday 18th September

South West 1 East

Buckingham 18 - 42 Witney

“THE SHOW GOES ON……” (report thanks to Mike Lamb)

On a lovely day for open rugby, Witney faced their first away game against a team that gave the boys a good hiding the last they met, so they had to be on their mettle.

From the kick-off Robbie Richardson hared through to put Buckingham under pressure only for Witney to be penalised. A second penalty against the boys followed less than a minute later and it was obvious that an overanxious Witney were going to get no favours from the ref (well, we did get one when Robbie Richardson was very lucky to stay on the pitch after taking out a Buckingham player in the air). After 6 minutes the ref felt the need to reprimand to Mark Copperwheat and so it went on all day. Sometimes difficult to judge what he was seeing! Nevertheless, Witney were running hard and putting some great phases together but all the pressure counted for nothing when Buckingham were awarded a penalty in the Witney half for yet another infringement and slotted over the kick for a 3 : 0 lead after 17 minutes. This was a rare foray into Witney territory and the boys in blue were camped back in the Buckingham half soon after. A penalty for Witney came to nothing but shortly after Carl Campbell decided to get the show on the road and dived over for a try, confidently converted by Eddie (15). 3 : 7.

Louis Collins got into the act after 22 minutes and the score was 3 : 12. There were some great passing movements to admire but Witney were guilty of impatience and had to wait till almost half time for Louis to score his second of the afternoon. Half Time 3 : 17.

There was a feeling amongst the supporters that Witney could turn on the style in the second half but Buckingham were not going to lie down quietly and duly went over for a try after 43 minutes to take the score to 8 : 17. Louie Collins was determined to enjoy his afternoon, beat 4 tackles and went over for a converted try after 50 minutes. 8 : 24. Great play but woeful tackling! Buckingham built pressure close to the Witney line and the ref sent Monksie for a 10 minute rest. Buckingham took advantage of the numerical superiority and scored a try of their own to bring the score back to 13: 24. Louie Collins was deemed to have done enough for a day and Aaron Lambourne was sent on as a replacement. Still one man down but not to be seconded, Witney piled on the pressure and Mark Copperwheat did the business, taking the score to 13 : 29. Buckingham were not done though and came back for another try: 18 : 29. Joe Rowles was next to incur the refs displeasure and he swapped places with Monksie in the rest room. Buckingham, vociferously egged on by their supporters, hammered away at the Witney line but to no avail. Henry Lamb got his hands on the ball and sprinted (well almost!) down the field to relieve the pressure. Witney began to get some decisions going their way and Eddie (15) slotted 2 out of 3 penalties during this phase. 18 : 35. Sam Collins was accidently knocked out and Buckie came back for a second go. Then Will McBurnie came on for a cameo appearance and Aaron Lambourne decided to finish off Buckingham’s resistance with a converted try. Final score 18 : 42

Every player contributed massively. The forwards initially struggled to settle with 3 changes from last week but improved their tight work as the game went on: work rate, loose and support play excellent throughout. The backs defended like lions and ran some great lines.

Thank you, boys, for another thrilling and enjoyable afternoon!!

1^st XV

Mitcham, Collins(L), *Lamb(J), Strutt, Monks, Lamb(H), Campbell(G): Richardson, Collins(S), Burke, Fowler, Copperwheat(M), Hicks(J), Campbell(C), Rowles

Repl: Fuller(Burke), MacBurnie(S.Collins), Lambourne(L.Collins)

VIEW FROM THE TOUCHLINE

Another fine win and as Mike says, the show goes on ….. unfortunately without skipper James Lamb who has broken his hand.

The Numbers Game!
itney continued their winning start of the season, with an entertaining and hard fought win over bottom side Buckingham.
Competition: South West 1 East
Score: Buckingham 18, Witney 44
Witney player ratings:
15. Ed Mitcham 7 (linked well but had plenty to say to the ref)
11. Lewis Collins 8 (a well earned hat trick and jug)
12. James Lamb 8 (another good display, but must do better with his number 1s)
13. Carl Strutt 7 (assured performance, but did a Lambourne)
14. James Monks 8 (impressed his new girlfriend even after a yellow card)
10. Henry Lamb 9 (STAR MAN, calm and controlled) - right
9. Gareth Campbell 7 (good service from the ginger)
1. Rob Richardson 7 (scrummaged well)
2. Sam Collins 7 (some good carries)
3. Jamie Burke 7 (a good return and only screwed up a few line outs)
5. Marc Copperwheat 7 (worked hard for his try)
4. Charlie Bennett 7 (good to see him back)
6. Jeremy Hicks 8 (quality and kept it together)
7. Carl Campbell 9 (BOOM BOOM Campbell, that’s a big 12 stone POW)
8. Joe Rowles 7 (first ever sin bin)
Replacements used:
16. Will Macburnie 7 (dodgy parking but good cover tackle)
17. Mark Fuller 7 (gave stability)
18. Aaron Lambourne 8 (nice to see him score for a change)
Entertainment rating: 9.
Highlight: Lewis Collins hat trick return.
Lowlight: Two sin bins.

Berks, Bucks & Oxon Prem A

Witney 2nds 34 – 0 Reading 2nds (PHOTOS)

The seconds fine start to the season is NOT all down to improved fitness, or a new captain and coach, its obviously Danny’s choice of pre match music. Last Saturday the lads enjoyed Take That, this week to make Pierre feel good on his second team debut, it was Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin! This obviously worked for the passionate Frenchman, as he scored one of five Witney tries. Other scorers were Adam and Robbie both with two each and “Copper” kicked three conversions and a penalty.
A beaming but breathless coach Calf said at the end, that a bit more structure and control would have been good, but that all eighteen had played a French style of rugby. He then needed a sit down and a Gauloise.

Here in a sort of Ed Mezzetti style is the seconds Numbers Game.

15 Jake Thomas. Plenty of savoir-faire. Good in defence. 7
14 Robbie Mills. Two tries was his tour de force. 7
13 Lee Douglas. The enfant terrible linked well. 6
12 Thom Murton. Le protégé from the colts worked hard. 7
11 James Taafe. Quite, quelle surprise! 6
10 Pierre the Gaul. Played with elan. Tres bon. 8
9 Jack Birks. Le petit general. More skilful than his father. 7
8 Wayne Cafferkey. Deserved the rubber poulet. 9 Star Man
7 Will Worrall. The veteran gave an a la carte display. 7
6 Taff Davies. Travaille boucoup. 6
5 Rich Haire. A robust return from injury, aggressife. 7
4 Simon Copperwheat. Had a good day kicking le balon. 7
3 Matt Calley. Played with that certain je ne sais quoi. 6
2 Adam Copperwheat. Deaux tries for the happy hooker. 7
1 Dan Godfrey. Je t’aime, shows his eclectic music tastes. Solid. 7
Reps.
16 James Harris. Enjoys a glass of Evian and a pie. Improving each week. 6
17 Nathan Phillips. A first outing for the connoisseur of back play. 6
18 Simon Chatterton. Poseur. Stayed on the bench. 5

Andy Merriman. Coaches with joire de vivre. 8
Harry Godfrey. Manages a good café au lait. 8

Berks, Bucks & Oxon North 1

Aylesbury 2nds 5 - 24 Witney 3rds

Brucie’s Good Game, Good Game Ratings

In an effort to keep up with the Joneses here are the 3’s ratings for

our well earned second victory of the season. Well done to all the lads,

this season is going to be a great one if we keep up this work rate.

1. T Hickman (always available, always late, never lets you down) 7

2. R Todd (excellent game from the colt, never stops running) 8

3. A Clinkard (Put in a good shift) 7 *Chris Clinkard likes this status*

4. T Perry (Typical Toby, try scorer) 7

5. S Godfrey (Awesome, MOTM) 8

6. B Guest (Jumped well, tackled all day) 7

7. D Brown (tried to start a fight with Russel’s dad, getting better each season) 7

8. Terence Trent D'Arby (Strong debut. Bonus point for getting invited to a girls 21st that evening) 8

9. M Jones (Improved from last season. Kicks to touch like a 10) 7

10. M Mansfield (try scoring debut, Pierre who? Needs game time) 7

11. A Mayer (Scored and almost ran the length from his own line. Looks very dangerous) 8

12. O Roper (Classy debut, very comfortable with the ball. Mustn'ttell the 2’s) 7

13. R Lakely (Needs to join a gym and bulk up. Took his try well) 7

14. Paddy (Must have something on the captain to still be getting picked) 6

15. K Tiltman (Excellent under the high ball. 2 forward passes sees a point deducted) 6

Replacements
16. P Minch (Two try saving tackles in the second half, good to have him back) 7

17. S West (Shored up the scrum. If only he was available every week) 7

18. A Hunt (I think the Aylesbury inside centre is still down after THE tackle of the game) 7

19. S Aldridge (Cameo at the end to avoid playing with 14. Was he wearing the thong?) 6

Management

Coach. S Aldridge (Gives confidence and has made the 3’s fun. Already building a squad closeness) 8

Aid. P Holliday (Told everybody to be on time next week after being 15 minutes late himself, taking a great weight off Paddys shoulders by looking after everything) 7

Tries - A Mayer, M Mansfield, T Perry, R Lakely

Cons - M Mansfield, K Tiltman

Berks, Bucks & Oxon North 2

Witney 4ths 21 - 17 Marlow 3rds

Well, where do I start? I knew it was going to be a good day when for the first time ever I rang Paddy and asked if he needed any more players and he said no! We even had front row cover in each team! Then I see on the old mobile Pete Holiday calling! Oh no they cried off! No, not the case, but we had no ref! After a few phone calls I managed to get (and I'm not just saying this) probably the best ref a 4th team game has had in a very long time! Take a bow Mr Nick Godfree! The game played better with a ref telling you, you got the advantage and use it! All to often the players stop before the whistle with refs not being vocal! As I got to the club back still hurting from last week but thinking I'll play if I have too I met a lip stitched Clive who said leave you bag in the car we got loads of young lads turned up, bag left in car we went in and he wasn't wrong think the average age of the team dropped about 15 years! Matt Delnevo also joined us in leaving his bag in the van but did get to do a lap of the pitch painting a touch line to give us at least some sort of clue, cheers Matt, was great to see some new lads running out for us, Callum (finding senior rugby tough in the front row but holding your own better than you realise), Seb (great first game for us at 9 after a long period of injury, you will find yourself there quite a bit!), Mark (good strong prop that carries the ball well), Ryan (strong little fella, tackles men twice his size with ease), Elliot (getting better every week, becoming a good wing man) and Joe (keeping you out of Paddy's sight, great lines strong in both attack and defence), your all more of an asset to the team than you know! Great to see old names coming back Phil (great tackles, real club player), Tom (strong prop, found the last minutes hard but managed the full 80 after a while out due to work! Cheers Tom), Zoltan (carried the ball to destructive standards), Bambi (put on a bit of weight and it helps, good strong game fella well done), and everyone else on Saturday played 110% to the final whistle and you should all be proud! It wasn't an easy match to win Marlow are not a soft side! Leigh (the chlamydia kid) was complaining of having a girls knee before the game started and settled in to the 10 position after I think 5 off side and 2 high tackle penalties! That was all in the first 10 mins but the good stable ball from Seb helped him calm down and gave some good options for a young back line (apart from Pete Moriarty he's old!) And witney went into the lead with a try from Joe which the chlamydia kid then converted, with witney ahead but giving away penalties (think we need to clean up our game) Marlow took to kicking for posts lucky for us they didn't bring anyone who could kick! Marlow came back hard but Witney's defence was just as strong as its attack but with Marlow full on they managed to slip by and then convert to equalise, with the confidence Witney's defence wasn't completely infallible they kept coming hard and with witney not giving up managed with thanks to the ever mobile Ski to put a good effort of a try into touch in the corner just as the half time whistle went! Think if that had gone over the line we would have seen a different game! In the 2nd half a few changes made witney was still strong, only hampered by Dec still with his rugby league tackling, pulling an arse cheek and coming off and the chlamydia kids girls knee collapsing we saw the man Moriarty at 10 (seemed happier there than front row) some good plays see another good try this time Bambi taking it over, and with his brother on the side line Luke took kicking duties and converted Marlow soon replied with another try of there own! But this one unconverted left us ahead Marlow still wanting the win and playing strong and spending far to much time in our 22 thinking another score puts them ahead nerves on the side line were starting to show, then from the other side of the pitch I see Manning jnr start a 90 meter run with great pace to score between the post ( I can't give more details as when I asked him how he got the ball that was in Marlow's possession he didn't know!) And seen as he was the only person up that end of the pitch he converted it again! (Nick did you actually see the try or like the rest of us just trust his word it was?) Witney now 21-12 ahead started to relax! Big mistake with this team as they took advantage and scored again, 21-17 and 10 mins left to go, anyone with basic maths knows an unconverted try and they win! As this was easy maths they had worked this out and did they ever go for it, our boys defending there hearts out playing safe praying for the final whistle! Then horror! They get an attacking scrum on the 5m line, last play is called! We know the result we know Witney won but this final scrum I think showed the heart and commitment from every forward on the pitch that game they weren't coming through! Good game lads sorry if I haven't mentioned you but please remember the win was yours to and wouldn't have happened without you!

4^th XV

1 C Brown, 2 M Lynn, 3 T Young, 4 Zoltan, 5 B Quarterman, 6 P Romain, 7 T Nickolls, 8 A Dubouski, 9 S Grattan, 10 Le Manning, 11 Lu Manning, 12 D Duffy, 13 P Moriarty, 14 B Barton, 15 J Wicks
Repl: 16 M Slaughter, 17 E Drake, 18 E Bradley, 19 Ryan (sorry don't know surname), 20 N Mason, 21 J Stride (All used))
22 C Manning, 23 M Delnevo, 24 M Conner, 25 C Morris, Not even bothered to get changed!
Scores : J Wicks, try, B Barton, try, Lu Manning, try, con x2, Le Manning, con

Saturday 11th September

South West 1 East

Witney 41 -5 Wallingford

Superb effort from the whole squad and seven tries was the result of fine teamwork and work ethic which left coaches Harper and Campbell very pleased. The tempo came right from kick off as Wallingford failed to secure and Witney won the ball, spun wide and Owen Fowler almost got over. Wallingford gave away a panalty and Witney kicked to the corner, secured the lineout and drove over with hooker Sam Collins (left) being the scorer. Henry Lamb nailed the conversion to leave Witney 7 up in a couple of minutes. Carl Strutt's (right) try came five minutes later. also converted and it was all Witney. They missed a chance for a third score soon after and this gave Wallingford a window of opportunity and the visitors got into the match for 15 minutes but kicked poorly and rarely threatened despite winning plenty of ball. They scored just before halftime with a disputed try and their lineout looked far from straight and then their player seemed to have Gareth Campbell between the ground and the ball but a try was given. Just after halftime, Witney had their own stroke of luck as a wayward pass left everyone flat footed and an attempted kick through saw the ball pop nicely to Phil Gouldie who cruised over. Further tries came from skipper James Lamb, a 20 metre effort from Joe Rowles, a great pass for Gouldie's second and a superb team effort for Strutt's brace.
1^st XV
Thomas, Gouldie, *Lamb(J), Strutt, Monks, Lamb(H), Campbell(G): Fuller, Collins(S), Richens, Fowleer, Copperwheat(M), Hicks(J), Campbell(C), Rowles

Repl: Richardson(Fuller-55), Caffekey(Rowles-65), Lambourne(Gouldie-70)
VIEW FROM THE TOUCHLINE
A suberb win for the lads and seven tries says something about the extra fitness of the squad this season. I said if last week and I'll say it again. lets not get carried away as there will be tougher matches ahead and we have yet to travel but it was a fine effort. Talking to Ed from the Oxford Mail after, he said no stars but a fine team effort and that is about right. All the players now have others chomping at the bit for their position (or soon will have) and that is very healthy. Jez Hicks had a lively game and the Lamby's combined well all match. Its not about individuals though, its about the team ethic and win, lose or draw, long may that continue! Away at Buckingham next week will really see what the boys are made of.

RUGBY UNION: Seven up in derby romp

By Ed Mezzetti (Oxford Mail)

Witney 41, Wallingford 5

Carl Strutt and Phil Gouldie grabbed try braces to fire Witney’s derby demolition of Wallingford in South West 1 East.

Centre Strutt and wing Gouldie were the chief beneficiaries as Witney produced the sort of display that will challenge most in this league.

It is unlikely they will retain the top spot they hold after two matches, but confidence is high after this seven-try romp.

Wallingford never recovered from conceding two tries in the opening ten minutes and face a long season ahead if they keep playing like this.

Witney could have scored in the opening minute, but inside two minutes a clinical catch-and-drive move ended with impressive hooker Sam Collins touching down.

Fly half Henry Lamb converted and did the same after Strutt capitalised on fellow centre James Lamb’s tackle-breaking run to bag his first try on nine minutes.

Wallingford were stunned and did not help themselves by twice kicking dead with a strong wind in their favour.

Collins won a scrum against the head, while wing James Monks sent his chip kick out after a useful break.

Wallingford started to gain territory and gave themselves hope on 36 minutes when flanker Matt Chapman reacted first to Tom Hill’s line-out throw, which appeared to miss its target, and dived over.

The visitors must have been buoyed when Henry Lamb missed an easy penalty after 46 minutes.

Witney, however, were sharper throughout as was shown when Gouldie snaffled a bouncing ball and sprinted over on the left wing for 19-5.

On 58 minutes, lock Owen Fowler popped a pass to No 8 Joe Rowles, who blasted over for Henry Lamb to convert.

Wallingford replacement Dan Stalker and full back Henry Venners combined well inside their own half, but the move broke down.

The visitors’ tackling was flimsy, compared with Witney’s James Lamb-led effort.

And on 71 minutes, Gouldie was able to break through and score his second try.

There was more to come as Strutt fed James Lamb for try No 6 on 76 minutes.

A seventh looked on when Monks raced 70 metres from his own half and fed replacement Aaron Lambourne, but he inexplicably knocked on.

Witney, however, ended on a high as some great hands, led by Henry Lamb, led to Strutt touching down on the right.

Witney: Thomas, Monks, Strutt, J Lamb (capt), Gouldie (Lambourne 75), H Lamb, G Campbell, Fuller (Nicholson 55), S Collins, Richens, Fowler, M Copperwheat, J Hicks, C Campbell, Rowles (Caffekey 65).

Wallingford: Venners, L Lewis, Collett (Stalker 35), Brettell (Best 51-61 [blood]), Smith, Pooler, Dawes, Marris, Hill, P Lewis (Small 69), D Jenkins, Rowberry, Matt Chapman, White (Best 61), Jeffreys (capt) (Best 31-32 [blood]).

Referee: A Rolfe (Oxfordshire). Man-of-the-match: S Collins.

Witney's joint coaches Phil Harper and John Campbell were very happy men after their resounding victory over Wallingford.

Harper said: “It’s brilliant. Everything seems to be clicking at the moment. It is going really well. “I thought some of our passing and support play was excellent.

“We made the right decisions and the set-piece was on top.

Campbell added: “I thought our defence was great today, especially James Lamb and Jez Hicks.

“When Wallingford got promotion from Southern Counties North, they came here and gave us a lesson. We have returned that today.”

Wallingford director of rugby Martin Moran admitted: “We got what we deserved. “They were fitter than us. I am not that surprised by it.

“We have had a disrupted pre-season and a number of players coming back just haven’t got the legs yet.
“I am more disappointed by the manner of our defeat, but we weren’t 41-5 worse than them.”

Berks, Bucks & Oxon Prem A

Buckingham 2nds 3 - 42 Witney 2nds

A rampant 25 minutes spell in the second half really put Buckingham to the sword and put the game well out of reach of the home side. Two first half trys from Will Bibby and James Taafe gave us the perfect start to the game. Clearly the pre game music is working; More Take That next week please Danny. Our first score of the game came from an error from the useful Buckingham No.8 who had started strongly which cost is side dear when throwing a hail mary pass to no one, this was picked up my George Bibby he stepped is way round a few players before passing to brother Will to navigate his way through the dog leg defence to score a converted try. Taafe’s try in particular was a real team score. The forwards showing good handling skills as a number of off loads were completed before terrific hands from the backs created space for the flying Taafe to cross the line. The rest of the first half was a blur of odd decisions by the referee, a mixture of penalties and scrums. A few changes were made at half time, George Bibby leaving the field injured so thus meaning Thom Murton returning to the more familiar position of full back having played the first half at blind side flanker due to Charlie Quarterman’s late arrival. The second half started as the first had ended with us on top! Jack Birks was finding is way in the game, box kicking well, his passing was accurate and had a number of useful breaks! It didn’t take long for us to score our third try through second row Charlie Bennett(right), he bulldozed his way over when receiving the ball wide with a fair amount of work to do. Lee Douglas(left) was next on the score sheet after booming run from MacBurnie, good support from Worrell allowed quick ball and Lee stepped back in on the covering defence to score out wide. Simon Copperwheat was next to barrel over as he got on the end of another long distance move, much to the annoyance of wing Russ Gurney as he was heard from the other side of the pitch screaming "NO, NO, NO, anyone but him" Funnily enough Russ was replace soon after……………………………………………………….due to injury! Douglas added another try but if I am honest I’m not sure how it happened, but Lee assured me it was a terrific effort! The scoring was finally capped off by Bennett with his second, following a well driven lineout, a pre called backs move was ran, winger Merriman was held up inches short of the line but recycled the ball brilliantly, Birks then had a small dig and was stopped short, the ball was again recycled and Bennett came from depth and couldn’t be stopped! This was a particularly pleasing performance, before the game we all spoke about how we hadn’t been clinical the previous week and how we wanted to punish sides when in there own 22. This week we did this as the score line shows, I don’t think on one occasion we left their territory without scoring points, this was very satisfying! There were many good performances by players Lee Douglas was excellent, Will Bibby was particularly evasive, Will Worrell stole a lot of ball and used it well, Jack Birks development as a scrum half continues but Kevin the chicken was awarded to the referees favourite person William MacBurnie, The Tit went to James "Bummer" Harris as he had strop on the field at his father as he hadn’t been supplied with the right water bottle!
2nd XV
J. Harris, D. Godfrey, M. Calley, S. Copperwheat*, C. Bennett, T. Murton, W. Worrell, W. MacBurnie, J. Birks, G. Bibby, J. Taafe, W. Bibby, L. Douglas, R. Gurney, R. Mills
Rep – C. Quarterman (Bibby), A. Copperwheat (Harris), A. Merriman (Gurney)

Berks, Bucks & Oxon Prem A

Witney 3rds 23 - 15 Amersham & Chiltern 3rds

A fantastic start to the season for Paddys boys this week. After a really tough year last season hopefully this is the start of a far better campaign. Amersham topped this league last year so when on Thursday only 11 names were on the team sheet it wasn't looking good. However not only did we get a starting 15 we even had a sub. To then find out Amersham only had 14 meant we could sniff a chance, regardless of their pedigree. There was a familiar feel to the team with the likes of Terry, Awesome and Damien there as always but we also had some slightly younger experience too with the likes of Toby and Lee Ashford in the pack and also 2 new faces, with Pierre and Adam making their debuts in the backs.
Playing into the wind and sun first half Witney looked to run the ball and use the pack with kicking not an option. From the off we played well for a team with no preseason games and confidence slowly grew. All game the pack were brilliant and always moved forward on all the scrums. The scoring was started by Pierre, who was excellent all game. A dummy move at pace saw him through the defensive line with a second dummy leaving the full back flatfooted as he raced in from half way. Next over was Ben who crashed through after pressure on the line for some time by the pack. On the stroke of half time we should have scored again but poor ball retention and choice of option allowed Amersham to turn over the ball.
The second half Amersham improved and figured out getting their very quick winger into the game was their best chance. In a 10 minute period of play they scored twice. From the restart though ball was secured and Awesome and Pierre set up the evergreen Jonny Blacker (far right) to scamper over. He tells me this means he's scored in every game this season, impressive. Witney needed another try to make the game safe and it came from the devilishly handsome captain (right). Russel did the hard work, beating his man and engaging the fullback who put in a good tackle, but a call from Paddy following behind and a great pass out of the tackle from Russel put him through to claim the bonus point. The last 5 mins were a frantic nervous affair as noone was quite sure on the score (score board for the 3's?) and Amersham came close to our line, but we held on for a confidence boosting win. The 3's are picking a MOM and a version of the tit (when we can think of something witty enough). This week saw Damien man of the match for being everywhere and showing everyone what it means to be fit. Tit went to Mal for forgetting his hands this week and juggling the ball a number of times, crucially while right in front of the voting committee.

3rd XV
1. T Hickman, 2. M Gorfin, 3. L Ashford, 4. S Godfrey, 5. T Perry, 6. D Brown, 7. A Taylor (40' J Blacker), 8. B Guest, 9. M Jones, 10. Pierre, 11. Mal, 12. K Tiltman, 13. A Mayer, 14. R Todd, 15. Paddy

Tries - Pierre, B Guest, J Blacker, Paddy
Cons - K Tiltman x 2

Berks, Bucks & Oxon Prem A

Alchester 2nds 62 - 10 Witney 4ths

As we left hailey rd with 16 players we thought a better start than last season even if a few are out of position! And as we kicked off all seemed equally matched, shortly after Alchester's training started to show and a couple of trys from drilled moves came through, not easy trys for them though as although not as fit (apart from Ski -left - who although not liking it played 2nd row rather well!) an older (apart from Callum Brown every other member of the pack around the 30 or older age mark) witney pack showed we weren't going to let it be easy! When we got our pack tight we won quite easily but I think the lack of training on the trained opposition showed, and Pete Moriarty did well as prop (I think regretting saying he was available now) This resulted in Alchester starting to get a little aggressive with cheap out of the refs sight shots, one putting Alan Cotton (retired) on the side line and our one sub on the pitch, some of there antics were, however picked up and with a penalty just out side the 22 Leigh Manning (from here on will be referred to as the chlamydia kid) thought he would see if his kicking is still ok, a few more battles and one collapsed scrum bought on Caspar's old back injury and although just before half time the scrums going uncontested couldn't continue, and another of their unnecessary punches putting Jake out of action this put us at half time 30 something 3 down and only 13 men left on the field, with 2nd half under way I have to admit the first 10 mins will be vague on what happened as I thought I'd get showered and changed before my back ceased completely, so I sent Jade who did well as water girl to the bar and off I went, after the coldest shower ever I was just getting dressed and our captain Clive came in looking like he had just slaughtered something! Blood everywhere! As I was wondering where we could bury the body it became apparent it was all his coming from a good half inch split in his lip! ( He still came for beer after the game before going to the hospital for 3 stitches which took till 1am, that's a man showing his team how it should be done) I asked has this put us to 12 men, the reply "no Alan Cotton (retired) is back on!" So back outside pint in hand watching you wouldn't to look at it think witney were 2 men down as every one else left showed witney spirit and dug that bit deeper, Dec Duffey was great a season of rugby league helping his tackles no end and a few new lads, Joe and Elliot playing really well,I discovered while I was absent I had missed a witney try by the chlamydia kid who also converted it, in all I think although a loss a good afternoon with a full squad at the start and some new players helping out

4^th XV

1 P Moriarty 2 C Morris 3 C Brown 4 J Stride 5 A Dubouski 6 P Romaine 7 C Manning 8 B Quarterman 9 N Mason 10 A Cotton (retired) 11 Luke Manning 12 D Duffy 13 Leigh Manning 14 M Timms 15 J Wicks 16 E Bradley

Scores : Leigh Manning, try, con, pen

Saturday 4th September

South West 1 East

Witney 27 – 8 Marlow

The visitors finished fourth in this League last season and so Witney knew this would be a tough test but they had nothing to lose but few could have predicted the final scoreline. Five tries were scored and after a nervous first 15 minutes, the lads really knuckled down and all 18 players did themselves and the club proud. There will be tougher tests to come for sure but this was a fine effort from all involved and shows the hard work pre-season really paid off.

The opening ten minutes showed Marlow dominate territorially and even though possession was fairly even it was the visitors that made the impression as James Lamb and his team struggled to get out of their 22. No scoring chances came but the initial intensity was something they had to get used to soon. Marlows fly half slotted a penalty to open the scoring and that was a fair reflection of the early exchanges. This kick started Witney into gear and they started making inroads into the visitors half and strong running from the forwards with Jez Hicks and Tim Muller working hard and Carl Campbell being everywhere as usual. Crucially, the set pieces were going well with Sam Collins finding his jumpers right from the off and on Marlow’s throw, they often found themselves under pressure. The scrums were going well too with Alan Richens and Mark Fuller both gradually getting on top of their larger opposite numbers. With big Joe Rowles showing up well at the base of the Witney scrum, the forwards were really starting to find their feet. That said, Marlows driving mauls looked impressive and sent alarm bells out but most of their best work was in their own half and so was not a real threat. Witneys pressure saw the visitors give away a penalty but Henry Lamb failed to convert as he hit the post and this was an area which a school report would read “could do better”.
Witney still looked nervous in some of their play and some moves were being forced but their nerves were soon settled with the opening try of the match. With the play sweeping left, scrum half Gareth Campbell changed direction and broke right and fed winger James Monks (left). With winger and full back to beat, the there was still a lot to do but he “bounced” first the winger and then the last line of defence to score the first try for Witney in this League. Henry Lambs sweetly struck conversation from out wide missed by inches but the match was now really up for grabs and so the crowd started to buzz.

For the next 15 minutes, Witney played some good rugby and enjoyed most of the best rugby played. Phil Gouldie showed some fine skills to collect his own chip ahead but Marlow regrouped and snuffed out the threat. Skipper James Lamb looked hungry in the tackle and his team followed his example. All this pressure failed to materialise into points though and Marlow broke downfield in the closing minutes of the half. This time they got their driving maul moving where it mattered most in the Witney 22 and slowly crept towards the line. The score seemed inevitable and so it proved as they crossed the line to take the lead, the conversion being pulled and the interval was looming with the score at 5-8. Witney had one last chance and put the pressure on from the kick off. Marlows second row was yellow carded for killing the ball and most of the watching Hailey Road faithful expected a kick for posts. James Lamb elected to go for the try and the forwards drove forward, the ball was recycled quickly and Carl Campbell broke blind, drew the defence and released brother Gareth Campbell who scampered over. The conversion was missed but the lead had been regained and with the visitors down a man, Witney knew they needed to take advantage.
A team talk from coaches, Phil Harper and John Campbell, made sure the lads stayed focussed at the break and returned with a vengeance in the second period. Jez Hicks and Carl Campbell put pressure on from the kick off and a lovely nudge forward from James Lamb saw Marlow under huge pressure five metres out. The momentum was all with Witney and the pressure started to show with a number of Marlow players picking up knocks. Fair play to them though, they kept the home side out and all Witney could muster was a missed penalty from their efforts. The visitors 15^th man returned but Witney had gained momentum and the score came thanks to a sublime pass from fly half Henry Lamb who hit Phil Gouldie (right) on a great line and he scampered over for a super try, this time Henry Lamb did add the conversion and Witney were 17-8 up and in the driving seat. The forwards were now really enjoying themselves with Marc Copperwheat making some great ground and despite some wrong options and rushed passes, the territory was all Witney. The visitors began to get on the wrong side of the referee and their frustration just handed more impetus to the home side.

A fourth try came from concerted pressure and good team play. Winger Aaron Lambourne made some good ground and Joe Rowles became more influential before the backs were again released. Some neat passing saw Carl Strutt score out wide and despite the missed conversion from Garath Campbell, Witney were now two scores up. Marlow started to come back with their 12 and 15 both finding holes and only good cover defence saw any half chance snuffled out. The final score came from more concerted Witney pressure and another fine flat pass saw Gouldie run through for his second score and the match was now over as a contest.
The final ten minutes saw replacements Robbie Richardson, Owen Fowler and Robbie Mills all heavily involved. Marlow gave their all but the Witney determination in defence was typified by second row Marc Copperwheat who took out the Marlow winger with a covering tackle and the final whistle sounded to leave Witney jubilant.
1^st XV
Gouldie, Lambourne, *Lamb(J), Strutt, Monks, Lamb(H), Campbell(G): Fuller, Collins(S), Richens, Hicks(J), Copperwheat(M), Muller, Campbell(C), Rowles

Repl: Fowler(Muller-55), Richardson(Fuller-65), Mills(Lambourne-70)
VIEW FROM THE TOUCHLINE
Great start, some nerves for sure and some wrong options but when the lads found the intensity they needed, they really did themselves proud. The visitors were hunting in two’s and three’s but Witney had four or five players at each breakdown and that proved crucial as they turned their visitors over on a number of occasion due to that. The commitment was excellent and with a number of players missing, the players showed the coaches that they want to be the team who are there to be shot at. Lets not get carried away though, it was a great start but every match in this League will require this effort and while we got away with the missed 14 points from the boot this week, in future matches, this could prove crucial.

Berks, Bucks & Oxon Prem "A"

Marlow 2nds 6 - 11 Witney 2nds

On a warm summers evening on a train bound for nowhere….Why not start the season with a good song after a solid team performance and the first points of the league campaign.

Two penalties from captain Simon Copperwheat interjected by the only try of the match from number 8 Will Hook were enough to give Witney’s travelling support a pleasant onward journey home but Witney will need to be more clinical as the season progresses missing numerous opportunities to make the match safe in the second half.

With Danny Godfrey delayed due to Burger King commitments the side had a distinctly young feel about it, Jack Birks making his debut at scrum half, Thom Murton at full back and Bomber Harris starting in the front row, this was however evened up on the sideline as Birksy senior, Bennett Senior and the diminutive Mr Toase added their wisdom. From the off Witney were on the metal, the pack led by hooker Adam Copperwheat got down to graft. The tight play and contact areas were dominated with Matt Cally also carrying the ball superbly all day. The first points were on the board within 5 minutes as Copper stroked over a penalty from just inside Marlow’s 10 metre line. Jack Birks at 9 was producing good ball for George Bibby at 10 who had the comfort of a rampaging Wayne Caffekey playing at 13. Wayne’s rugby brain is superb, slotting easily into this role and never failing to make the gain line and provide a good target for the back row. Marlow’s open side flanker was their star player putting George under pressure at every opportunity and it was from a charged down kick that Witney scrambled and eventually gave away a penalty to even things up. Witney then re-took the lead before half time after Adam Copperwheat was denied a try for a forward pass after a great passage of play with quick ball seeing a 4 on two overlap. It was Will Hook who picked a great line to slice the Marlow defence and go over unopposed for a 8-3 half time lead.

Marlow did look dangerous on the break with their full back particularly slippery and Witney’s defence worked well with Leigh and Taafy working as a team to push the attacks down the cul de sac of the touchline. Will Macburnie’s work rate was matched by the team as Marlow failed to get any field position and it was this work rate that gave Witney further try scoring opportunities. A 5 metre scrum enabled Witney to march Marlow back toward s their line but with the line beckoning and the scrum disintegrating Hooky could not get to the ball cleanly . Further chances came with overlaps created and a bit of early season over excitement saw the ball being over run and the pass not accurate. Si Copperwheat missed two more pots at goal before landing a penalty 15 minutes from time to give the visitors some breathing space. Changes were then made as Will Hook pulled his buttock, Taff Davies the able replacement and Dan Godfrey came on for James Harris (left) who earned Kevin the Chicken for his great work in the tight play. This was a strong performance and laid a good bench mark for future perfomances.
2^nd XV
Harris (Godfrey 65), Copperwheat A, Cally, Bennett, Copperwheat S (Capt), Macburnie, Quartermain, Hook (Davies 55), Birks, Bibby G, Gurney, Lee, Caffekay, Taafe, Murton.
Repl: Godfrey(D), Davies(T)