Welsh international given home bow

Published 15 Feb 2010 10:10 0 Comments

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GENSIANS

NEW signing Aaron Hopkins makes his home debut in the National 3 South West clash with Coney Hill on Saturday (2pm).

The 23-year-old former Welsh youth international takes over at fly-half, pictured left, from Simon Swadling who switches to the wing.

Swadling, playing out of position, has done well to fill the void created by the long-term injury to Spike Chandler, but Gensians feel Hopkins' speed could open up defences.

Basingstoke-born Hopkins showed plenty of pace on the wing in his opening game, a gritty 16-0 defeat at Taunton last weekend.

Normally a centre, he was a member of the London Welsh first-team squad for three years before moving to Barking this term.

Hopkins said: "I'm looking forward to Saturday. I've played games at No 10 for Wales under 16 and 18 as well as for London Welsh."

Tom Allen returns from holiday to fill the full-back berth but Gensians have been obliged to make changes in the pack.

The only first team ever-present, tight head James Baker, is ruled out with a shoulder problem, so Teddy Saunders, who was to be rested, plays.

Open side Simon Parfitt, man-of-the-match against Taunton, is unavailable, and in a shuffle of the pack, up steps Griff Davies, with Matt Hulland switching from lock to blindside.

Coach Alun Rise feels this weekend is a great opportunity to build on the performance against the league leaders.

He said: "It was disappointing we lost. But if we maintain that intensity, we can compete with anyone in our league or at the bottom of the next league up."

Probable team: Allen; Clements, Freeth, Reynolds, Swadling; Hopkins, Flynn; Clare, Dewland, T Saunders, G Davies, Root, Hulland, Watkins, Stapley. Reps: Minifie, S Hallett, Matthews

* GENSIANS coach Alun Rise hailed this gritty performance as a massive step forward by his men.

They held runaway National 3 South West leaders to a try in each half but the result could have been a lot closer if they had made the most of pressure situations.

Rise said: "This is a benchmark in terms of self belief. We played for 80 minutes with intensity.

"Our defence against a very strong outfit was brilliant and our discipline good. We gave very few penalties."

There was an outstanding performance from man-of-the match open side flanker Simon Parfitt while Aaron Hopkins, a new signing from National 2 side Barking, impressed.

The 23-year-old, a former Welsh junior international and London Welsh first-teamer, made several searing breaks on the wing.

Gensians were edged out in the set piece but made up for this with sound defence and tigerish work in the loose, turning over ball.

The second row of Matt Hulland and Owen Root, with several carries, played a big part as did the rest of the pack.

Taunton had most of the play in the opening half-hour and led 8-0 through a Matt Ayres penalty and Matt Newman blindside try when the Gensians defence was caught napping.

But the Sonning men dug in, enjoyed their first real spell of pressure and could have been on terms at the interval.

They forced a penalty 35 yards out but Joe Matthams' attempt fell short, before Craig Clements just failed to claim a touchdown.

Five minutes into the second half, the home side stretched their lead with a soft try, when a kick was knocked on into arms of Taunton full-back Ayres who scored in the corner.

Gensians had the best of the exchanges for a spell but they were unable to make the breakthrough and after 72 minutes a Sam Saunders penalty sealed the Somerset side's 42nd consecutive league win.

This performance will put Gensians in good heart for a run of three home games against Coney Hill and Barnstaple in the league and Bracknell in the Berks Cup semi-final.

Gensians: Matthams; Hopkins, Freeth, Reynolds; Swadling, Flynn (Matthews); Saunders (Clare), Dewland, Baker, Hulland (G Davies), Root, Watkins, Parfitt, Stapley.

ABBEY

THE pressure builds on Abbey as they face old rivals Salisbury in a big South West One East basement clash.

It's an old fashioned four pointer - a win for Abbey would give them the same points as Sailsbury, a defeat would see them trailing by four points.

Trowbridge who separate the two clubs face a difficult home fixture to High Wycombe, who are looking to sustain their play-off place, so if results go well for Abbey, they could find themselves level on points with fifth-bottom Olney.

To help the cause props Lee Waite and Arun Gupta return, with only second row man Tom Bryson unavailable in the pack, having picked up a bruised rib.

Skipper Tom Waterhouse believes the side will bounce back from last week's narrow defeat at Bletchley.

He said: "We drew 16 all down there in September, when we could have won, and I don't want to remember this season as series of lost games we should have put away.

"We shall be focused and giving it all we have."

Whilst Abbey last week were sunk in the final minutes at Bletchley, unpredictable Salisbury had a comfortable win over basement club Wotton Bassett.

Coach Adam Hurst will be looking at his pack for the best permutation of players which might see Alex Woolnough move inside to hooker, pushing young Ollie Charlton on the bench.

Hurst is also considering his options in the back row where Barty Carson and Ben Davies are both available.

Waterhouse might well stay out on the wing to leave David Cole in the centre, leaving talented winger Steve Warwick, who starred in the 2nds last Saturday, on the sidelines.

* BLETCHLEY snatched a last gasp 15-13 win against Abbey when fly-half Phil Harman, whose kicking had tormented Abbey all afternoon, put over a penalty goal to take the victory.

Abbey had a narrow lead, 10-9 at half time but failed to stop the steam roller of Bletchley's pack grinding out kicking chances which eventually left Abbey in the relegation mire, their plight looking more perilous, but not beyond escape.

Two first half tries by Gavin Dampies put Abbey in charge early on. An Adam Hurst drop goal kept them in front until Harman's late kick denied them a third win in four games.

ABBEY: Reddy, Charlton, Woolnough, Pawlett, Allison, Robinson, Fungai, Willis, Heath, Hurst, Dampies, Cole, Anfield, Waterhouse (capt), Drake: reps, all used, Jake Mollett, Williams, Brooks.

READING

READING RFC face a massive relegation tussle at Holme Park on Saturday.

With the possibility that three clubs could be relegated from National Three South West this campaign, the third-bottom Green Machine entertain fourth-bottom Weston-super-Mare in what looks like a must-win clash.

Defeat for Reading, who have now won just once since October could see the Sonning Lane side move to within five points of the fellow strugglers.

However, victory for the visitors could open up a 15 point gap between the sides, which would be a monumental blow to Reading's hopes of finishing outside the top three.

As things stand only the bottom two in the league are certain to be relegated, whoever the worst third-bottom team in National Three London and National Three South West will also go down.

Reading currently have a four point advantage over Portsmouth in the London division. However the south coast side have two games in hand. And Saturday represents one of Holme Park side's best opportunities to get more points on the board.

Unfortunately for the Green Machine, Weston are a team in form. Despite the fact they lost at home to Bouremouth last weekend, they have produced some impressive form since the beginning of 2010.

On January 16th they beat Chippenham 24-10 to record their first away win of the season. And they followed that up with wins against Chinnor, Barnstaple and Oxford Harlequins.

The last time the sides met Reading went down 14-13 and were controversially denied a last minute try.

* READING sank further into the relegation mire with a ninth successive league defeat to Gloucester team Coney Hill who racked up 50 points by playing simple but effective rugby as a team.

The Green Machine have not won away all season and have now only recorded one victory in their last 13 games.

The Holme Park side made 13 changes from the previous week and trailed 22-0 at the break before eventually going down 51-17.

Taniela Bakoso got them on the scoreboard with a try early in the second half before Joeli Uluikede and Mark James also crossed late on.

READING: Dorliac, Bakoso, Brooks, Williams-Paul (Smith 70), Lynch; Brown, Lester; le Mar, King, Harvey (James 60), Keneally (Laverye 30), Uluikede, Phillips (c), Cranton, Heirene.

* THERE was more joy for Reading's 2nd XV, the Wanderers, on Saturday as they had too much pace in the back for the then Berks, Bucks and Oxon Premier A leaders Marlow 2nds who have now been deposed.

Wingers Duncan Mollinson and Aaron Bloomfield ran in four tries each, while Jason Donnelly and flanker Adam Veale crossed twice in a comprehensive 65-17 win.

* READING Ladies under-18s star Grace Hilbourne has been rewarded for her fine form with a place in the Scotland Academy squad.

Hilbourne was a member of the all-conquering Reading squad that won the National Cup, National Sevens and Thames Valley League last season.

The Scotland Academy squad will go on to become the country's under-20 squad for next season.

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