• Make a contribution
  • Get the Print Edition
  • Sign up for our daily newsletter
Thursday, May 29, 2025
  • Login
Reading Today Online
  • HOME
  • YOUR AREA
    • All
    • Caversham
    • Central Reading
    • East Reading
    • Katesgrove
    • Reading
    • Southcote & Coley
    • Tilehurst & Norcot
    • Whitley

    Subsidies for All-Bus ticket fares end as public transport use returns to pre-Covid levels

    Royal Berks one of 28 Trusts to see new radiotherapy machine investment

    Berkshire Care Association celebrates stars at annual Care Awards

    Royal Berks records second-highest number of mixed-sex accommodation breaches in England, report shows

    UTC SEND students win big in Agricultural Challenge

    Reading Buses: ‘no reported injuries’ following traffic incident involving bus on Kings Road

    Thames Water issued £123M Ofwat fine – the biggest ever – over environmental breaches

    Mind in Berkshire report finds serious deficits in mental health provisions for Black people

    Family Fun Day returns to Reading Station this week

  • COMMUNITY
  • READING FC
  • SPORT
    • All
    • Basketball
    • Football
    • Rugby

    Supporters’ Trust at Reading joins 21-group alliance calling for Football Governance Bill amendment

    The Forest School U15s make history with another National Elite Cup victory

    Former Reading FC player announces shock international retirement

    Former Reading FC player reflects on heart attack suffered during match

    FC Bracknell U10 Lions score dramatic winner to win the cup for second season in a row

    Reading FC star player linked with transfer to Wrexham

    Former Reading FC manager Ruben Selles linked with League One job

    Four in a row for BAPCO

    Reading fans – you can finally dare to dream again

  • ENTERTAINMENT
    • ARTS
    • READING FESTIVAL
    • READING PRIDE
    • WOKINGHAM FESTIVAL
  • PRIDE OF READING
  • OBITUARIES
  • JOBS
  • ADVERTISE
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Reading Today Online
No Result
View All Result
Home Sport Rugby

Rams 38-28 Cinderford: National League One title race to go to the wire

Guest Contributor by Guest Contributor
Wednesday, April 19, 2023 6:02 am
in Rugby, Sport
A A
Rams v Cinderford Pictures: Paul Clark and Tim Pitfield

Rams v Cinderford Pictures: Paul Clark and Tim Pitfield

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

SEB Reynolds believes National One is the best advert for the sport after Rams sent the title race to the wire with a brilliant 38-28 home success against Cinderford.

The hosts built up a 19-0 lead in front of a record crowd of 1,284 at Old Bath Road, James McRae, Ollie Cole and Axel Kalling-Smith, with an extraordinary length-of-the-field effort.

Rams’ discipline was not the best, though, with Zach Clow and Dan Swain both sin-binned before Cinderford cut the gap to five points at half-time through converted Nathan Taylor and George Porter tries.

Rams v Cinderford Pictures: Paul Clark and Tim Pitfield
Rams v Cinderford Pictures: Paul Clark and Tim Pitfield

Max Hayman became the third home player to be yellow carded early in the second half, but another stunning counter-attack was finished by Kalling-Smith for 24-14.

Replacement Ollie Monye then darted over with his first touch and Connor Stapley grabbed his side’s sixth, Humberstone’s two conversions giving his side breathing space.

And while Cinderford grabbed two late converted scores through Taylor and Mike Wilcox, it was too little, too late for the Forest of Dean outfit who eased past Rams 37-17 earlier in the season.

Related posts

Rams RFC get National One title hopes back on track

Rams RFC’s National One title hopes hit by defeat to Sale FC

Reading RFC suffer damaging defeat in bottom of the table clash

‘We’ve learned from last season’: Rams RFC captain relishes National One title race

Director of Rugby Reynolds said: “We owed it to ourselves to put in a performance because we weren’t at our best in December, and they did a fantastic job in getting a comfortable win.

“We hadn’t avenged any losses this year, so no matter what stage of the season we were at, league positions were irrelevant, we had to perform to move forward as a side, and we did that well.”

Things looked good for Rams early on with Kalling-Smith’s stunner the highlight, but the visitors gave themselves hope with a couple of comeback scores before the break.

Reynolds continued: “Cinderford are a real threat because their midfield players are excellent jackallers, so if you’re not on the money at the breakdown they’ll turn you over or slow your ball down.

“Then if you lose your discipline, they’re in the corner and scoring tries.

“They got a couple of maul tries, but for the most part we defended it well and held a couple up – if we hadn’t done that, we could have lost the game.

“One day I’ll work out how Axel does it and then make a lot of money, but at the moment I still can’t! It was great to have him back in, he looked a threat, beat multiple defenders and also off the ball, he’s skill-set, hard work, defensive duties, he’s tremendous.

“Ollie got a try on his 100th game and I can’t speak highly enough of what he’s done for the club, I hope he continues to do it for many years.”

Monye impressed after coming on for the centurion during the third quarter, and the DoR continued: “There’s a growing confidence with Ollie and his skill-set is getting better. We wanted to get him on early and with the sun shining and the pitch in good nick, he looked a real threat, showing some fine footwork to get the score.”

Another player to impress was debutant loose-head Paddy Harris, who showed up well in both the set-piece and open play during a baptism of fire against the much-vaunted Cinderford pack.

And Reynolds beamed: “I felt Paddy was superb and started to get on top when we began to have pressure coming on at the end of the first half.

“He was also good around the park, and he absorbs information – he’s an intelligent guy who’s improved during the season and it’s why he got his shot.

“It can go one of two ways, but I’m glad it was the positive one.”

The result keeps Rams a point clear of Sale and five from Cambridge with the top two finishing next Saturday, though the latter hold the whip hand with an extra game to play at home to Birmingham Moseley seven days after their rivals’ campaigns are wrapped up.

And the DoR said: “We don’t know how the season’s going to pan out – Cambridge should do it – but we just have to focus on our performance next week and see how the land lies after the Esher game.

“This level of rugby is the best advert you have for the sport.

“I question what the Premiership is where there’s no jeopardy, no relegation – if you look at what National One is producing, the fact is we’ve got to go to a quality side in Esher who are battling to stay up and we’re looking to stay in the hunt, that’s how it should be.

“There are meaningful matches all the way through, and for the Premiership to want to pull up the drawbridge and say ‘we’re happy, we’ll stay as we are’ is out of order.

“Hopefully people can see National One is where it’s at, it’s proper club rugby involving fantastic players and this was another example.”

And it seems the penny has dropped in Berkshire, with Reynolds ending by praising the record-breaking supporters as he said: “I hope this is just the beginning of something. The players have been fantastically supported by our fanbase all season, and they really came out in force. I can’t speak highly enough of them.”

Rams head to Esher on Saturday (3pm), needing a bonus-point win to guarantee second, and the title if Cambridge drop anything at Plymouth Albion.

By Richard Ashton

Keep up to date by signing up for our daily newsletter

We don’t spam we only send our newsletter to people who have requested it.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Tags: national league onenational league one rugbynational league one rugby tableramsrams rfcrams rugbyrams rugby clubrams rugby unionrams v cinderfordrugby unionseb reynoldsseb reynolds rams rfc
Previous Post

What’s on across Reading, Wokingham and Bracknell – April 20-May 1

Next Post

Hemel Storm 89-96 Reading Rockets: Play off journey ends after epic battle

FOLLOW US

POPULAR STORIES

  • Young man and woman attacked by group of teenagers in Reading robbery

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Former Reading FC star to become free agent following Championship relegation

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Thousands experience power outage in Reading, not expected to be fixed for hours

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Reading FC group Sell Before We Dai makes generous donation following end of campaign

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Reading FC takeover: EFL provides update as sale nears completion

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

RDG.Today – which is a Social Enterprise – provides Reading Borough with free, independent news coverage.

If you are able, please support our work

Click Here to Support RDG.Today

ABOUT US

Reading Today is dedicated to providing news online across the whole of the Borough of Reading. It is a Social Enterprise, existing to support the various communities in Reading Borough.

CONTACT US

news@wokinghampaper.co.uk

Reading Today Logo

Keep up to date with our daily newsletter

We don’t spam we only send our newsletter to people that have subscribed

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

The Wokingham Paper Ltd publications are regulated by IPSO – the Independent Press Standards Organisation.
If you have a complaint about a  The Wokingham Paper Ltd  publication in print or online, you should, in the first instance, contact the publication concerned, email: editor@wokingham.today, or telephone: 0118 327 2662. If it is not resolved to your satisfaction, you should contact IPSO by telephone: 0300 123 2220, or visit its website: www.ipso.co.uk. Members of the public are welcome to contact IPSO at any time if they are not sure how to proceed, or need advice on how to frame a complaint.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • MY AREA
    • Central Reading
    • East Reading
    • Bracknell
    • Calcot
    • Caversham
    • Crowthorne
    • Earley
  • COMMUNITY
  • SPORT
    • Reading FC
    • Football
    • Rugby
    • Basketball
  • ENTERTAINMENT
    • ARTS
    • READING FESTIVAL
    • READING PRIDE
    • WOKINGHAM FESTIVAL
  • PRIDE OF READING
  • OBITUARIES
  • JOBS
  • ADVERTISE
  • CONTACT US
  • SUPPORT US
  • SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER
  • WHERE TO GET THE PRINT EDITION

© 2021 - The Wokingham Paper Ltd - All Right Reserved.