Redingensians Rams six match unbeaten National League 3 South West run came to end in front of their home fans at the Old Bath Road Ground last Saturday when league leaders London Irish Wild Geese snatched two second half tries and a penalty to seal their 15th win of the season.
In a match that was never going to be high scoring Rams looked good for their fragile 3-0 lead at the break but their fit, well-drilled, visitors took their chances well after the break and, while Rams felt aggrieved with Hampshire referee Doug Neagle for not awarding them a penalty try to have possibly levelled at 10-10, Wild Geese ended the match worthy winners.

The defeat opens up a 13 point gap between Rams and their visitors while with second placed Weston-super-Mare also thrashing Newton Abbot, 83-19, they are also now 12 points behind the Somerset side and any chance of promotion.
The defeat also marks the end of a 75 match run, going back almost three seasons, in which Rams had scored at least one try on every outing.

However, as disappointing as it was for Rams, skipper and lock Owen Root was generous in his praise of the visitors efforts afterwards.
He said: “We’re all very disappointed obviously, we’ve been on a good roll. Today was a crucial match in all areas but there was no excuses. Well done to London Irish we wish them the best of luck, they played incredibly well today, they retained the ball and had the clarity of thought in certain areas of the pitch to outwit us.

“But it was a fantastic effort from us, we never gave up, we were always chasing the game and there was tackles coming in from everywhere and that’s commendable. Everyone played their part today. We suffered some injuries but everyone really sacrificed themselves and everyone worked really hard for the full 80 minutes.”And should they have been awarded that penalty try?
“Yes, of course, I think that,” says Root before adding honestly, “But then we should also have scored seven tries at other opportunities. It’s a game of 80 minutes and we can’t say that the whole game pivoted on one decision.”

After all the snow and cold weather it was a mild, sunny, afternoon with the pitch soft underfoot when the game kicked-off with both sides making a jittery start especially Wildgeese fly half Ed Keohane who’s second minute penalty, when flanker Aaron Hopkins joined a ruck at the side, went well wide.

But Gensians fly half Guy Swadling also missed from 27 yards eight minutes later before, after some good driving work from the pack, he was well set-up by his forwards to slot a 28th minute drop-goal to put Rams, 3-0, in front.

With Rory Paxton replacing the injured prop Chris Rumble and starting hooker Chris Rowland switching to the loose-head Rams also headed towards the interval with 14 men after a yellow-card for full back Simon Swadling making his first start in several years following his return to the club.

Rams fragile lead lasted for the opening six minutes of the second half when having, unusually, lost a ball at a scrum Keohane’s great break set-up centre Lawrence Price to outpace the Rams cover and touch down their opening, unconverted, try.

And, they added a second six minutes later when quick hands again resulted in them camping on the Rams line before big lock Charlie Davey smashed over for a second touchdown that again went unconverted.
Keohane, however, had the last laugh slotting a late penalty as Rams got offside defending their line and before two great tackles from Rams left-wing Roy Wilkinson prevented a late third try for the visitors.
As Rowland, who started the season as Rams skipper before injury side-lined him for Root to take over, said afterwards: “Very, very, disappointed but you can’t fault the boys. On the day it’s the rub of the green, it either goes your way or it doesn’t. We had them under the cosh in the right-hand corner and I think the ref gave four or five penalties and he didn’t go under the sticks and that was a game changer. They got their tales up and it changed the game.”

“The desire the work-rate to get back and make tackles and to put people on the deck was there, everyone wanted to get their hands on the ball and people wanted to play rugby against them today. I’m gutted!”
And, in talking to his squad at the end of the match, Rams Director of Rugby Mike Tewkesbury also praised his sides overall commitment.
He said: “I thought this afternoon you showed commendable courage, you never gave up, there was a never-say-die spirit, a tremendous spirit that kept us in the game at times when we were subjected to some serious attacks. There were guys coming in making tackles from nowhere and that shows the effort and the spirit we have in this team and it’s highly important that we retain that spirit and move forward.”

Rams, still fourth in the table despite the set-back, face yet another huge challenge next Saturday when they travel down to Devon to face third placed Exmouth in the re-arranged fixture previously postponed due to the recent cold weather.

Rams: Simon Swadling; Matt Grindle, Steve Bryant, Nigel Gumbleton, Roy Wilkinson; Guy Swadling, Will Clark; Chris Rumble, Chris Rowland, James Baker; Owen Root (c), Tom Bryson; Andrew Amor, Aaron Hopkins, Ian Jeffries. Reps – Rory Paxton, Rudal Aiono, Stuart Gough.