Reading raced to an easy victory over bottom of the table Grove in a match which was effectively tied up in the first twenty minutes in which they ran up a 26 point lead and secured an extra bonus point.
Reading won a plentiful supply of ball through the match and were too sharp in attack for the Grove defence running in nine tries.
Reading came out of the blocks at speed and were already 12-0 up at the five minute mark. Will Proctor -Searle scored the first of a hat trick of tries after Alex Rowe made good ground down the left and put him over with a well-timed pass. This was followed by a try down the right from a sniping break by Hayden Wheeler who found Jason Carr supporting him on the inside to run in for the score. Sam Bowers converted the first of these.
Reading did not relent and Proctor-Searle had soon scored his second and Reading’s third try breaking away from a maul after Reading had driven a line out deep into Grove territory. Bowers converted to give his team a 19-0 lead after 10 minutes.
Grove then came more into the game but their efforts proved to be in vain when Luca Busciglio-Bland intercepted one of their attempts to go wide and sprinted in from his own 22 to score under the posts for Bowers to convert.
Reading were now well on top and scored again when, after a bullocking run by Ryan Smith was held up just short of the line, the ball was moved out and a backwards flip by Bowers put Jos Clarke over for a try which Bowers converted.
Reading had scored well over a point a minute but now allowed Grove to have their best spell of the match. First of all Grove scored a try through Todua, their full back who took advantage of a line break to run in from the halfway line. Then after a period of pressure near the Reading line the Grove scrum half scored a try from a maul.
This revival was short lived, as from the kick off Proctor-Searle caught the ball near the touch line and ran through unopposed to score an unconverted try, his third, in the corner to give Reading a 38-10 lead at half time.
The second half almost inevitably failed to live up to the first half. Grove had more possession than in the first half but Reading’s defensive organisation kept them out. Reading’s attacking efforts, in turn, were hampered by giving away too many penalties.
They did add to their first half lead when a good run from Joe Clarkson broke the Grove defensive line making good ground before finding Wheeler in support who scored under the posts for Bowers to convert.
For a long spell there was no further Reading score until the last ten minutes when from a good combination play between forwards and backs the ball was moved to Tom Sharp who crossed for a try which was converted by Bowers.
This was quickly added to, when after another good run by Clarkson he found Carr in support who crossed for his second try which Bowers converted to make the final score 59-10.
Reading coach Mark Eastley was pleased with the progress that the team has made but still sees plenty of room for improvement before the end of the season.
Reading go to Bletchley next week where they will attempt to make it three wins in a row against a team with an identical league record this season. This should give a better opportunity to assess their progress.
Tries: Proctor-Searle (3), Carr (2), Clarke, Busciglio-Bland, Wheeler, Sharp
Conversions: Bowers (7)
TEAM: Jason Carr; Robbie Webster, Jos Clarke, Archie Wright, Luca Busciglio-Bland; Sam Bowers, Hayden Wheeler; Dave Southworth, Luke Palmer, Ryan Smith; Harvey Rice, Greg Jackson; Joe Price, Will Proctor-Searle (capt.), Alex Rowe.
Replacements: Steve King, Joe Clarkson, Tom Sharp
