London Chargers A 36 - 20 Reading Raiders

The Raiders travelled to Surrey for the club’s first ever competitive, 13-a-side game, on Saturday (6) with the club competing in the London & South East Championship this year.

Just like last year, when London Chargers A provided the Raiders’ first opposition of any kind at the Brighton 9s, the second-string Chargers side were the opposition on another historic day for Reading.

Having trained for weeks under the supervision of Head Coach, Alex Fox, it was time to put tactics into practice.

The team started well with Dan Neal and Matt McLellan punching holes through the middle, but soon found themselves 14–0 down midway through the first-half as the more experienced hosts threatened to build up a cricket score.

Reading regrouped impressively and, led by captain, John Boucher, began to chip away at the deficit. First, scrum-half, Boucher, kicked on the last tackle and Dave Abbott scored the club’s first ever competitive try on the right-hand side of the posts.

Boucher was the architect of the Raiders’ second try when a clever kick left Head Coach, Fox, with the simple task of dotting down in the left corner.

Chargers posted another try but a grubber kick this time from the Raiders’ captain saw full-back, Fraser Banks, win the foot race to score in the corner.

Boucher was unsuccessful with conversion attempts from difficult angles and the Raiders went in at half-time losing 20-12.

Smelling blood, Reading kept it tight in defence and probed effectively in attack, with Neal showing great strength to get the Raiders off the mark in the second-half.

Banks took over conversion-kicking duty but was unable to add the extras as Reading closed the points gap to four.

Just when it looked like the Raiders might be on to a comeback, the Chargers upped their game and with Reading’s troops rotating regularly towards the end through various niggles, London posted three tries to swing the game decisively in their favour.

There was still time for prop, Ed House, to bulldoze his way through a few Chargers and reach out to the try line – the third House brother to score a try for the Raiders.

Banks missed the conversion attempt and the game finished shortly afterwards, with Reading encouraged by a positive first outing in the L&SE Championship.

The players’ man-of-the-match went to centre, Josh Bull, impressing with some great tackling and hard drives, and the committee’s man-of-the-match went to Neal, whose powerful drives propelled the team forward throughout the game.

Team

Fraser Banks; Ryan Williams, Callum Man, Josh Bull, Alex Fox; Alex Dorliac, John Boucher (C); Chris Wiseman, Callum Yeoman, Brad Walters, David Abbott, Matt McLellan, Dan Neal

Interchanges

Mike Beckly, Ed House, Andrew Belt