‘When they needed to, this team stood up and found the answers’
Maidenhead Rugby Club: Maids beaten by Brighton again but visitors dug in and fought back for bonus point
Maidenhead’s hopes of chasing down Brighton for a seventh-place finish were ended as they lost 37-27 against their rivals on Saturday.
Maids travelled to the South Coast with slim hopes of winning both their remaining games and leapfrogging Brighton for seventh, but although they fought diligently in the second half to get themselves back into the contest, they went down to a 10point defeat.
The bonus point they secured for scoring four tries will ensure they likely finish the season in eighth above Hammersmith & Fulham - the only team who could still catch them. And their form over the second half of the campaign at least means they haven't been drawn into a relegation scrap with the likes of improving Bournemouth and Horsham.
Maids once again displayed their attacking prowess in difficult conditions on a heavy pitch, but head coach David Mobbs-Smith admitted their away form this season hasn't been good enough, for whatever reason, and it's something he's keen to address next year.
“The game was almost one of two halves,” said Mobbs-Smith. “They got a try and a penalty just before half-time to make it 22-8 and we had a chat in the changing rooms about what we were trying to achieve. It was very wet down there, very muddy. In the warm-up it was hailing, and it ended up lying on the ground like snow. So, it wasn’t perfect conditions for us.
“They scored again at the start of the second half to make it 27-8 but then we just started chipping away at their lead. We were starting to have a lot more say in the game. They did get one more try before the end, but we won the second half.
“They just kept scoring every time we got close to them. It felt like we were playing for the bonus point for much of the second half, and we ended up getting that bonus point just before the end with a penalty try. We got the point we deserved. The team put in a big effort in the mud.
“One of the highlights was our prop, Elio Mandozzi, getting two tries.”
Back in November, Maidenhead were beaten in heartbreaking circumstances by Brighton, who slotted the last kick of the match to claim a 36-35 win - having been 35-22 down heading into the final 10 minutes. Saturday's loss wasn't quite so tight, or deflating, and the side will head into their last match at home to Bournemouth on April 6 in much better form - and in a much better place - than they were after that devastating defeat to Brighton in November, a result which left them hovering around the league's two relegation spots.
Maids kicked off this campaign away to Bournemouth, losing a topsy-turvy match they probably should have won 40-36. So, they'll be keen to right a few wrongs from that and extend their excellent recent record on home turf. Maids have won their last five matches at Braywick Park and were at their scintillating best in their recent 67-26 win over Tunbridge Wells.
“We can’t catch Brighton who are ahead of us now and fundamentally, Hammersmith can’t pass us. They can maybe draw alongside us but not go past us. When you think of where we were in November, it’s been a great recovery. When it was needed this young team stood up and found answers.
“Even this weekend, we had to dig out a bonus point in the mud. But we just haven’t been good enough on the road. Three of our losses away from home should have been wins, and then things might have been different. If we can stay in the top five until Christmas next season, then you might be able to challenge for promotion. Whereas this season we were down near the bottom fighting for survival. Hopefully, we’ve learned some great lessons.
“It should be a great game against Bournemouth. They’re improving so, these past five games were not the time to stumble. Without those home wins we would have been in a lot of trouble I think.”
He added: “We did manage to break free from that group at the bottom, but we needed five consecutive home wins for that to happen. When you look at the results over the weekend, the teams at the bottom have started winning, Bournemouth beat CS Stags, Horsham beat Hammersmith & Fulham. Bournemouth have won their last two home games, so they are coming to us in form.”
A win will also put a spring in their step heading into the end-of-season Papa John’s Regional Shield matches. Bournemouth will visit them again for the first of their pool matches on April 13, while a trip to Westcliff (April 20) and a home game against Hertford (April 27) follow that.
Maids will look to at least replicate their performance in the Plate competition last season when they were beaten in the final by Macclesfield at Worcester’s Sixways Stadium.