EIGHT TRY RAMS TRIUMPH UNDER FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

By RICHARD ASHTON sport@wokingham.today

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH James

Baker put in a stand-out performance as Rams ran in eight tries to overcome visitors Chinnor 50-31.

Under the Friday night lights it was the away side who silenced most of the bumper 1,023 crowd as Willie Ryan crossed early.

Nick Smith added the extras, but Rams hit back with a rapid-fire double.

Firstly, Ollie Cole’s grubber kick was pounced on by Ellis Jones, the Welshman dotting down for Will Partington to level, and the centre then intercepted in midfield to free Axel Kalling-Smith to run in from distance.

Partington was again on target before Cole grabbed the third with a close-range dart, and the bonus-point was wrapped up when debutant Zach Clow brilliantly dived on a crossfield kick.

Chinnor hit back with a Charley Robinson effort, Smith converting, but the hosts claimed two more tries before the break.

Baker got the first and after Partington landed the conversion, Clow doubled his tally with a magnificent finish.

Chinnor started the second period stronger, though, Ryan smashing over from close range.

Rams got the next as Baker hurtled 45 metres before a wonderful off-load gave Cole the simplest of tries and the hosts reached their half century when some slick handling ended with Clow’s lovely pass allowing Max Hayman to cross.

With a 29-point deficit heading into the final quarter, things looked bleak for the away side, but Chinnor picked up a bonus- point of their own when Josh Hodson went over, Robinson later doubling his tally.

Reflecting on a memorable evening, Rams’ Director of Rugby, Reynolds, said: “There was a real buzz around the game and from when we arrived there was a crowd here – some people had come straight from work, there was an Under 11s game on and our guys arrived into the changing room and you could see their eyes light up.

“They deserve it because they graft week in, week out, all the stuff they do in the dark, on the middle pitch in midweek, in the mud, these evenings are deserved and the crowd were fantastic.”

Two stars of the show were man-of-the-match Baker and debutant Clow, and the DoR continued: “Zach is mad as a box of frogs, but I like him and his fundamentals are superb.

“He loves rugby, having a ball in his hand, being on the training field, his footwork is superb and he showed his handling skills to put Max Hayman in, and he’s also good in defence.

“It was a fantastic debut. He said he got here around 4pm because he was so excited, so he then just watched rugby videos on YouTube and he went out and performed, so credit to him.”

Rams tries: Jones 7, Kalling-Smith 9, Cole 16, 50, Clow 23, 37, Baker 33, Hayman 60

RAMS: (15-9, 1-8) Bird, Kalling-Smith, Jones, Hayhow, Clow, Partington, Cole; Kidd, Hayman, Baker, Taylor, Swain, Collis (vc), Everitt, R Stapley

Substitutes: Moffitt, Englezos, C Stapley, Allan, Grundy Chinnor: (15-9, 1-8) Smith, Goss, Hughes, Blakemore, Hammond, Feeney, Carter; Lines, Marshall, Millar-Mills, Down, Eames, Manning, Heathman, Ryan

Substitutes: Robinson, McNulty, North, Hodson, Goodfellow

By RICHARD ASHTON sport@wokingham.today

JAMES Baker admitted Rams’ 50-31 National One derby victory against Chinnor was up there with his career highlights.

The tight-head prop – who has played more than 350 first-team games for the club – grabbed a first-half try before producing an astonishing 40-metre burst which set-up Ollie Cole for his second.

Club legend Baker said: “It’s one of the best games I’ve ever played in – the atmosphere, the fact it was on YouTube, getting a try and the massive break, you can’t ask for anything more.

“With the break, I saw a gap and an opportunity.

“When you’re going forwards you’re just thinking ‘keep going’, and then with the full-back I didn’t want to go into him so I just did the step, a little short-arm and kept on.

“I’ve got bad knees, but when you’ve got the momentum, you seem to keep going faster and with the pass to Ollie, I’ve been playing rugby for a long time and fortunately my hands have always been quite good.

“I could be a back really, but my strength perhaps forced me to be a front row.”

“It took a while to get going, the guy I was up against was weird to scrum against, but once I figured it out we managed to get some momentum and some penalties, so that was good.”

Rugby Union