The Details That Make the Difference
It’s great to be back at the Paddock as our 1st XV take on Bracknell RFC. Two encouraging weekends have given us a positive start and a platform to build on.
Last Saturday, the 1st XV secured a 47–7 win at Wimbledon in our first away league fixture. Our discipline and defence particularly pleased me. We conceded six penalties, following five against Maidenhead - both within our benchmark of eight or fewer. That discipline helps us control games and sustain pressure. We completed 108 tackles, including 48 dominant tackles, with eight missed - a 93% completion rate. With only 19 points conceded across two games, those are strong standards we must keep working to meet and improve.
There were areas I was less happy with. Our lineout defence needs improvement, and our attacking lineout was sloppy in the first half despite an 88% completion rate. We took our foot off the gas after half-time, leaving another two or three tries out there. We must stick to our processes for 80 minutes, with our bench bringing fresh energy and driving intensity and accuracy.
Preparation matters too. Our day began at 11am with squad brunch, followed by a planned stop en route and arrival at 1.15pm. An on-pitch energiser helped shake off the journey before we walked through our pitch maps and began our warm-up - all timed to the minute. These details matter. Well done to Jon Noble for managing the day superbly.
Last Sunday, our Player Leadership Group and coaching team each reviewed our last block and previewed the next block: what’s working on and off the pitch, where we can improve and, crucially, how. These regular reviews keep players and staff aligned across all our XVs and drive performance through clear plans. I believe 75% of our time should focus on longer-term priorities that feed into our game model, with 25% responding to the previous Saturday.
Our 2nd XV earned a hard-fought 26–21 win against a good Heathfield side. Across our senior men’s squad, healthy competition and movement between our three XVs raise standards as we work towards our squad objectives.
Well done to Mark Reay, Howard Packman, the coaches and players of our Academy 1st XV on their 31–24 away win in the National Cup’s opening round—a proud result for the pathway that has produced so many senior players.
Thank you to our coaches, medical team, volunteers, sponsors and supporters. The Paddock is special on matchday, and your support and noise make a real difference to the squad.
Enjoy the match, and come on you Oaks!
Adam Bowman
Director of Rugby
