RAMS Development made it back-to-back wins with a 19-5 Wednesday Night Lights home victory against a similarly experimental Royal Air Force side.
Both teams felt each other out in the early stages, but it was the hosts who took the lead midway through the opening quarter with a fine team try.
Wing Jack Rampton fielded a kick just inside his own half and carried strongly, then showing his power to remain in-field on the right.
The ball was then shipped down the line before centre Oli Rhoads – impressive in both attack and defence – made a fine break before sending Alex Mannhardt racing down the left.
He looked odds-on to open the scoring, but a superb cover table forced the wing to ship the ball back inside, Morgan MacRae the beneficiary as he rumbled over from a couple of metres out.
Home skipper Tom Humberstone was unable to add the extras, but his side came close soon after as they again charged down the left and won a penalty five metres out.
However, after the maul was halted, the hosts surprisingly conceded the first scrum penalty of the night – they had been on top in the first four set-pieces without gaining any reward – and the Air Force were able to clear their lines.
A further setback arrived when home flanker Barnaby Thomas was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on in front of some 50 of his vocal Reading University comrades, the students adding to the atmosphere throughout.
There were no further scores before the break, but the hosts moved further in front as a five-metre line-out – well run all game by Liam Elston and Callum Pitfield – ended with Harry Bicknell riding a maul over the line.
Humberstone made it 12-0, but the RAF hit back swiftly with a slick score finished by Jiute Tapua on the left.
The visitors were then reduced to 14 men as captain Mark Williams was yellow carded for a knock-on, and Bicknell doubled his tally in rinse and repeat fashion.
Uni fly-half James Gilman slotted the conversion as Robbie Williams’ ‘Angels’ rang out from the stand, the students becoming ever-more lively.
A second card arrived for the RAF as full-back Kieran Jenkins received 10 minutes for an off-the-ball incident, and while both sides had chances during the final quarter, neither were able to convert as the Development XV took the spoils with home flanker Mikey Duda taking man-of-the-match honours.
They next head to the Army Under 23s in Aldershot next Wednesday (7.45pm).