REDINGENSIANS Rams head coach Seb Reynolds paid tribute to the togetherness of his side after a fourth consecutive win lifted them to third in the National Two South table, writes Richard Ashton.

In a game switched to Maidenhead RFC’s 4G surface due to the effects of the Beast from the East and Storm Emma, Rams ran in three second-half tries to run out 24-15 victors against Wimbledon.

It was a fifth game unbeaten for the Old Bath Road side, coming off the back of defeats to the only sides above them in the table, Chinnor and Cinderford.

And Reynolds told the Chronicle he was delighted by his players’ response to those setbacks.

He said: “I’m pleased for the players the way we’ve managed to turn it round. It was a tough period, but what has brought us through is our togetherness in a squad which is built from local lads.

“Of the side which went out against Chinnor, 14 were from the local area and that’s a credit to what we’re doing as a club and what the area is doing.

“What happens when you have that is when you have tough times you come through well.

“We kept keeping on, keeping on to the next game and I’ve been so impressed with the way these players perform.”

Rams fell behind to a fourth-minute James Doe penalty on Saturday, but they went into the break with a 5-3 advantage after a fine Conor Corrigan break ended with Connor Stapley crossing just before the half-hour mark.

Gensians moved further in front in the 51st minute after scrum half Ollie Cole picked up at the base of a five-metre scrum to snipe over, Jordan Souter converting to push his side 12-3 to the good.

The power of the Rams pack gradually told more and more, and captain Tom Vooght ran in a brace of tries to seal the bonus point. With Souter adding another conversion, Rams led 24-3 by the 64th minute.

Wimbledon hit back with two late scores of their own through Jack Flanagan and Alfie Dudman-Jones, but Rams held on for another impressive win.

And Reynolds said: “It was a really good win.

“It was a really tight game at first and I felt Wimbledon were starting to tire. I felt our fitness levels would come through – we’re a very fit side at the moment and we stay in games well.

“On an artificial surface where you do get fatigue around 60-70 minutes, we were still looking strong.

“We played the conditions well and the players loved playing on it. We’ve been playing in muddy conditions for a couple of months, so it was nice to be able to play on a nice flat and firm surface.

“On this surface it was nice to be able to play some rugby and that came through as well.”

Rams success was the only game to be played in the division, and allowed them to move five points clear of Taunton Titans as they continue to look set for a best-ever finish.

And Reynolds paid tribute to those who helped get the game on, stating: “Credit must got to all the people who’ve helped put the games on. Maidenhead have been very accommodating and Wimbledon have been class all week. They wanted to play as well and they’ve been on a really good run, they’ve won four from five. They’re really battling against relegation and we were under no illusions it was going to be a tough game.

“On the back of that, I’m really pleased with the way we performed. The pack, again, were outstanding. It took a while against a very big front five to get dominance, but we did.”

The head coach was also delighted with some of the younger members of his squad, most notably Souter – who stepped in at fly half – centre Ellis Jones and 17-year-old Shiplake College scrum half Joe Booth, who has recently been released by Wasps.

He said: “Joe has not quite made it as he’d have liked at Wasps, but I think they’ve missed a gem there. We’re very pleased to have him.

“The University (of Reading) has been brilliant for us, there are some very talented players – Jordan, Ellis, Griff Whitson, who have been outstanding coming into our academy.”

Redingensians travel to fifth-placed Redruth on Saturday and Reynolds is looking forward to the challenge, concluding: “We enjoy the trip down there, the crowd, the atmosphere and the players enjoy the bus trip back as well.”