Pre-season warm-up

Thornbury 55 Reading Abbey 33

THORNBURY began the season with a satisfying nine-try win over Reading Abbey which provided the coaches and players with optimism for the season ahead.

With a side missing many of last season’s regulars, Thornbury included several Development Squad players.

Highly-rated James Portch played his first game in over a year whilst Louis Ogilvie celebrated his seventeenth birthday with inclusion on the wing.

Newly-arrived outside half Sam Poustie formed a youthful and exciting half-back combination with Harry Glew meaning the returning Jak Evans began the game in an unfamiliar position in the back row.

Thorns began with a strong selection and immediately pressurised Abbey.

The Berkshire visitors included a first-choice back line but were missing a few forwards, and that was evident as they were propelled backwards at an alarming rate at the first scrum.

With Thorns giving the ball air and width fullback Alfie Richardson was involved early on and it was not surprising that it was he that scored the first try of the season, finishing off an orthodox three-quarter move from a scrum on the Abbey ‘22’.

Thornbury were causing all sorts of problems for Abbey and the strong carries of Sam Evans and James Wood regularly took Thorns over the gain line.

Then after the Abbey defence made a hash of a deep kick Jack Hussey secured possession and Jak Evans raced in at the corner. Glew’s conversion put Thorns 12-0 ahead.

Hussey and Sam Evans then scored from driving lineouts, Glew converting one, and Thorns were 24-0 up scoring at a point a minute. Liam Pemberton scored as the first period came to an end and Thorns were 29-0 up.

Wholesale changes were made during the interval and within a few minutes hooker Henry Low powered over following several forward challenges on the Abbey line.

Then Abbey opened their account with a converted try to reduce the deficit to 34-7.

Louis Ogilvie celebrated his birthday with a fine try. Poustie perfectly executed a cross-kick which the young wing was able to take in his stride, round the cover and score between the posts. Glew’s conversion put Thorns 41-7 up.

Outstanding support play between forwards and backs carved an opening for James Wood to charge through and score a converted try before Abbey scored a converted try to make the score 48-14 to Thornbury at the end of the second period.

A third period commenced with further changes to the Thornbury side but it was Abbey who looked the better team at this point and crossed for three tries, two of which were converted, before Wayne Underwood showed good determination to score between the posts for Thornbury.

This time it was Josh Panting who converted and concluded the scoring with Thornbury 55-33 winners.

It was all good stuff for Thornbury. Poustie looked a valuable acquisition with good control and movement whilst Portch tackled ferociously and ran with purpose. The experiment of Jak Evans in the back row looked worthy of continuing into the next game. The coaches have plenty to work with ahead of Saturday’s match at Chichester.

Thornbury scorers: tries –Richardson, Jak Evans, Hussey, Sam Evans, Pemberton, Low, Wood, Ogilvie and Underwood; conversions –Glew (4), Panting.