Phoenix RFC 13 – Faringdon RFC 5

Taplow-based Phoenix Rugby Football Club secured their first league points of the season following a hard-fought 13-5 home victory over Faringdon RFC.
Wet and windy conditions ensured this was a game for the purists, with both sides playing an attritional ‘pick and drive’ game through their powerful forwards.
Cheered on by a small crowd of hardy supporters, the Phoenix pack were once again utterly dominant in the scrum and it wasn’t long before this pressure resulted in two penalties inside the opposition 22-metre line. Both penalties were duly dispatched by Phoenix flyhalf – and captain for the day – Jason Townsend.
However, with the home side in the ascendancy, Faringdon hit back with a try in the 38th minute. Quick thinking by the away team’s skipper saw him scamper over the tryline after a ‘tap and go’ from a penalty five meters out.
The conversion was missed, but Phoenix could have been going in at halftime 8-6 down had the Faringdon kicker not missed a presentable penalty on the stroke of halftime.
As the rain continued to hamper any attempts at expansive rugby, Phoenix adopted a similar physical approach in the second half.
Props Luca Piemontesi and Stephen Hyland were relishing every scrum and the pair were rewarded for their dominance in the 60th minute after a string of re-set scrums finally led to a pushover score, with number 8 Callum Brodie bagging his second try in as many games.
Townsend slotted the conversion to hand Phoenix an eight-point cushion that the home side never relinquished, despite receiving a couple of yellow cards in the closing stages.
Phoenix make the short journey to Farnham Royal next Saturday (29 September) in a game that will determine local bragging rights. Phoenix II take on Bracknell IV at home.