Marlborough 79 – 0 Buckingham
Spirits were high on Saturday; Marlborough were on the brink of promotion, needing just a single point from their last five games to secure the league title. They were at home on a slightly damp and murky Marlborough Common, knowing that their goal for the season was almost complete. They were up against a struggling and yet winless Buckingham team. All credit goes to the Buckingham boys and their supporters for making the long trip to the Common, a trip I’m sure they weren’t relishing given the current form of both teams and their standings in the league. They embodied everything that rugby is about and showed their true sportsmanship throughout the afternoon. If there was ever a game to stake your house against, it was this one. Nevertheless, the Marlborough squad knew Buckingham wouldn’t just roll over, and Marlborough would still need to turn up and play well to secure the crucial points.
As with last week’s fixture, the matchday squad remained largely unchanged. A few players were given the opportunity for a rest. Rich West came back into the fold at 10 after a quad injury, and exciting prospect Loketi Manu made his debut at centre, replacing regular starter Joe Pittams (currently out with a rib injury).
Kick-off. The game started, and immediately Marlborough was on top, pouncing on some loose play to work themselves into the Buckingham 22 and exert their usual pressure. Soon after, the first points of the afternoon went to debutant Loketi Manu, as he crashed through a tackle to score. This really set the tone for the game, as expected. Marlborough quickly asserted their dominance over the game and didn’t let up for the rest of the eighty minutes.
Tries from Akariva Seruvati (Aka) and Henry Webster soon followed, off the back of some decent Marlborough possession, with the backs and forwards linking well. Then came the moment the supporters had been waiting for, and given the way he’s been playing this year, it was quite fitting that Jack Lynd found himself on the ball and crashed over the line for the fourth Marlborough try. Securing that all-important single point needed to take Marlborough up a level next season to the highest level the club will have ever played at. The crowd celebrated, but it seemed the job for the players wasn’t yet complete; they seemed eager to press on. “Let the boys play” was the attitude taken by all at the fixture, with the supporters excited to get their fill of high-level play from those in black and amber. There would be one more try in the first half, with Aka scoring again just before the whistle.
Though Buckingham had been unable to push through the Marlborough defence, they didn’t give up the fight. forcing Marlborough to make errors and give away penalties, but the visitors just could not get past the barrage of resistance from Marlborough just shy of the try line.
The first half yielded five tries, and it was clear at the start of the second half that the boys were still warming up, turning around, and using all the downhill advantage that Marlborough would go on to score eight second half tries. Jack, Loketi, and Will Reeve secured a brace each for the game, and Aka completed his hat trick, his second in two consecutive games. It’s worth noting that as it currently stands, with 24 tries to his name, Aka is currently ranked 8th in the country for the most tries scored this season. This is across both the men’s and women’s leagues. An incredible achievement, and we can’t wait to see how high he can climb with the remaining four games.
The second half held a try each for Ash Horner, Ben Fulton, and Solomone Aniseko (Seko). These gave James Clancy the opportunity to showcase his kicking ability from the tee, slotting some nice conversions from difficult areas of the pitch. This is a useful skill to have as the squad is currently without our usual kicker, Will Grant.
There was only one event that marred the otherwise emphatic victory: Skipper Ollie Spanswick, who, as usual, was having a very strong game, was shown a red card five minutes from the end of play. A last-second change of direction from Buckingham’s inside centre caused Ollie’s tackle to ride up and make contact with the player’s head. Hopefully, we will see him back on the pitch before the end of the season.
Shortly after, the whistle blew for full time, and just like that, the game was won 79-0, the highest winning margin so far this season, and Marlborough were promoted. The players and supporters alike were ecstatic, and champagne corks started popping. James Clancy was awarded “Man of the match”, impressing the coaches with his skillset, reading of the game, and how quickly he has been able to slot into the team. The years as a youngster, when James would sprint onto the field on a Saturday with the kicking tee and watch previous kickers do their stuff, must have left an impression, as it is now, he who waits for the tee.
Final Score: Marlborough 79 – 0 Buckingham
It has been a long road to get to the place Marlborough is now. Years of building the squad, building the coaching team, and building the backroom staff Steadily developing players who have come up through the age groups have all led us to this point. There have been close to unimaginable levels of hard work from many people behind the scenes, who rarely get the credit they deserve. There are far too many names to call out in this report, but they should know who they are and that all the players and supporters are incredibly grateful for the work that they continue to put in.
This is only the start for Marlborough, there are still four games left in the season, which the players are looking to remain unbeaten for, and the Level 6 Cup to win. We are thankful for the continued support from the sponsors, and everyone involved in the club.
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