Top of the Table Clash

Second Best

Buckingham welcomed league leaders Windsor knowing that after their disappointing result against Bicester the previous week that this was a must win game if they were to maintain their own title challenge. The Clubhouse was buzzing in tribute to the Ladies of the Club and the expectations were high amongst the 300 strong crowd.
Unfortunately from a Buckingham perspective the game did not quite live up to expectations. Windsor had clearly come to play despite a hesitant start when they let the kick off bounce into touch leading to a line out in the Windsor 22. Windsor recovered the ball but in trying to run the ball, knocked on. Windsor made amends taking the ball against the head and cleared downfield.
The ball was fielded well by Jamie Lee who carried well to half way. The ball was eventually turned over and led to the first score of the game, when the Windsor centre cut back in heavy traffic, straightened and fed the ball to his support who then returned the favour,allowing a fine score underneath the posts.
There then followed a period of sustained Windsor pressure in the Buckingham 22 which was relieved by strong work by flanker Euan Prime.
The next score did then go to Windsor on 14 minutes when following a rare penalty on half way for a crooked feed the ball was fed out and after crisp passing moves the left wing was able to canter over. 14-0 to Windsor.
On 19 minutes the home side were again undone by an inside pass which was eventually fed to the left wing. This score was converted leaving Windsor on top and leading 21-0.
The final score of the half went to Windsor who scored an unconverted try from a catch an drive from a 5 metre scrum to leave the score at half time 26-0.
Whilst the scoreline represented a mountain to climb, Buckingham had ended the first half battering away at the Windsor line with their forwards, who had gained parity in the scrum, and were to play with the wind at their backs in the second half. Buckingham put together their first piece of fluid back play after 10 minutes which allowed centre Max Nagy to make ground down the middle of the field and led to a Windsor infringement duly punished with a fine touch kick. Sustained attacks were repulsed. The first score came from a Windsor knock on which Nagy hacked on showing his football skills and composure touching down just before the ball went dead. Converted by Cluness 7-26.
A glimmer of hope for the home side and a rolling maul improved the scoreline further with Jamie Temple touching down.Again a superb conversion by Cluness 14-26.
Windsor came back with successive forward rumbles which were well defended to the cries of "hammer, hammer, hammer".
With 5 minutes to go managed to break out of their half following a strong break from Nagy when a high table and resultant penalty allowed Cluness to plant the ball into the Windsor 22. The line out was secured but a final pass to the wing went astray and the final whistle sounded. A great effort to comeback so strongly and on another day with slightly crisper passing the Buckingham support felt this was a game that could have been so different.

Match Report by Ray Sothcott