SEB Reynolds put Rams’ 21-16 victory at Plymouth Albion down to ‘sheer guts and determination’ as they made it eight straight National One victories to start the season.
The Brickfields has proved a fateful destination in the past two campaigns, but despite a home siege akin to the Alamo in the final five minutes, the Berkshire boys repelled a trio of five-metre line-outs with James McRae eventually stealing the last to secure a nail-biting success.
It was Plymouth who earlier took the lead against the run of play, Tom Putt converting Craig Duncan’s 12th-minute try, only for visiting skipper Max Hayman to barge over and Fraser Honey to add the extras.
Two Putt penalties made it 13-7 at the break, the full-back pushing a long-range effort just right of the posts with the last kick of the first half, but Rams came out firing after the break and Dan Swain – on his 50th appearance – smashed his way over following a patient build-up.
A third Putt three-pointer nudged Albion back in front, but Hayman, with his ninth of the season, restored Rams’ lead before Honey made it a five-point game.
And try as they might, Plymouth’s all-out late assault could not find a winner, Ollie Cole producing a remarkable piece of work to get under a rolling maul before McRae’s late magic.
After a nerve-jangling, heart-racing encounter, Reynolds was phlegmatic as he said: “It’s pleasing to get the win and the guys deserved it, albeit they probably weren’t at their best and there’s lots of things to look at, but we got there and that’s important.
“Plymouth away is one of the tougher games in National One – they’re playing some good rugby and it’s a hard place to come with the crowd behind them, so our guys just gutsed it out well and the stand on the line at the end was huge.
“I believe as a club we’ve always been good in these situations – the way we try and put sides together is with attitude, commitment, sheer guts and determination, so I wasn’t surprised by the end.
“I knew we’d passionately defend our line and, in those moments, you just need that one chance to get in the window and thankfully we had that.
“It wasn’t the prettiest, but sometimes this kind of win provides the group with the knowledge of where they’re at.”
Trailing 13-7 at the break and with ill-discipline creeping in as the opening 40 minutes went on, the Director of Rugby continued: “Tactically early on Plymouth were good, but it seemed we went into their 22, scored with relative ease and then our energy levels seemed to drop and we didn’t manage that well.
“I felt we hadn’t turned up in the first half – we were sort of a blue mass movement going around the pitch without truly doing anything, allowing them to score 13 points – but I didn’t say too much at the break.
“It was the guys themselves who identified they needed to be more in the moment and the way we started the second half was crucial – we improved our contact area and had great patience on their line with the pick-and-goes before getting over.
“Last year we might have got to the five-metre line and after three or four goes we’d get to a desperation point and cough the ball up, but we didn’t do that, scored a crucial try and built into the game.”
A feature of the win was key moments from key players – Nile Dacres matching McRae’s last-gasp effort with a crucial defensive line-out steal in the second period, James Baker with a vital scrum penalty and Robbie Stapley again superb throughout – and Reynolds beamed: “They’re experienced players which helps them keep their calm; they’ve had these big moments so it doesn’t rile or rattle them in any way.
“With five minutes to go I thought we’d be in there 22 and ready to seal the victory, but next thing you know we’re on our line having to defend multi-phase and penalties.
“But it was so brave to go up at the end and steal the line-out, it was the right decision and credit to the lads to have the guts to get up their and nick it along with the victory.”
On the younger end of the spectrum, the versatile Rowan Grundy – more renowned for playing at fly-half or 12 – was again superb at outside centre on his 40th appearance, with the DoR ending: “It’s a huge credit to him and we’ve been trying to work out who will step into the position and fill the Stevie Bryant boots.
“Axel’s been doing a great job and in his absence (with Sweden) we’ve almost been forced to change Rowan to 13, but he’s an intelligent young man whose been around the group a long time and he’s defending so well there, as well as adding a uniqueness in the way he takes the ball to the line.
“He’s a gutsy so-and-so and I thought he had a strong game.”
After a week off, Rams host Sedgley Park on Saturday, November 9.
By Richard Ashton
