Once again Reading travelled with a much-changed team and once again paid the penalty, slumping to their 15th defeat out of the last 17, the two wins being over bottom club Maidenhead. This is real relegation form and it looks like the Holme Park side will be competing in South West One East next season.

When beating Barnstaple in September just two of Saturday’s side were on the field, Sean Lynch and Richard Lester. The rest of that side have either gone down with long-term injuries or were simply not available for this game. Devoid of any of their Fijian players and missing most of their army men, Reading had to put out very much a home-produced (five ex-Colts) and home recruited team which put up a very good fight against the high flying Quins side.

Inspirational stand-in skipper Rob Taylor summed things up afterwards. “We played very well in patches and put in a tremendous effort on the day but we need to have everyone up to training so we can work better as a team for longer periods”, he said.

It was Reading who made the better start when a series of drives near the Quins line led to a scrum from which fly half Shaun Brown cleverly chipped over the top of the home backs centre for Oliver Smith to touch down.

The home side came back to take an 8th minute lead with a try from Morgan Cross from a lineout drive, well converted by Jeff Stewart, and a similar effort ten minutes later brought another try for Cross.
The Quins backs then showed their pace, running back two Reading kicks up field for scores from Anthony Cope and Mark Forth and, just before half time, the speedy Martin Nutt came into the line for a score. Stewart converted two of these tries and the home side led at the interval, 31-5.

With the game won and the try bonus point in the bag the home team perhaps switched off a bit in the second half and Reading certainly had more of the play. Nevertheless, big second row Boyle barged over in the corner, with Stewart again converting, but Reading responded in the best possible way, forcing an attacking line-out of their own and Adam Veale emerging to claim the try.
A late, well executed try by Quins’ Xavier Andre finished the scoring.

READING: Tom Goodhew (Dwayne Rosie, 35 mins); Sean Lynch, Oliver Smith, Jason Donnelly, Kavetai Williams-Paul; Shaun Brown, Richard Lester; Steve King, Richard Crowther, Richard Bellingham, Rob Taylor (capt), Tim Laverye (Colin Sharp, 58 mins), Adam Veale, Rob Cranton, Scott Heirene

MATCH FACTS:: Tries: Oliver Smith, Adam Veale

Ted Goodhew