The 1st team league match at Cane Lane on Saturday between Grove and Wallingford was rather like watching two undefeated boxers facing up to each other. Grove had not lost a home league match since January 2006 and Wallingford were unbeaten at home or away during the whole of last season plus last week they beat Aylesbury who the season before were two divisions above them. Something had got to give and it did with Grove deservedly winning the match by 32 : 24 to end Wallingford's long winning run.
Grove opened the scoring after 19 minutes when, following a line out, flanker Ben Nicholl charged the opposition line then spun the ball to number 8 John Smart who duly obliged with a neat try, converted by fly half Nick Sevier to put Grove 7 : 0 up. Poor tackling from Grove after a wayward clearance kick allowed Wallingford back into the game after 24 minutes when they scored an unconverted try to take the score to 7 : 5. Grove bounced back however and extended their lead when centre and skipper Dave Johnson beautifully intercepted a Wallingford pass and having drawn the last man, slipped the ball to supporting centre Jamie Burns, who went between the sticks to make Sevier's conversion a formality and give Grove a 14 : 5 lead. Grove then repeated their earlier error with another poor clearance kick followed by a succession of missed tackles to allow Wallingford another try which they failed to convert despite scoring between the posts. The half time score thus stood at 14 : 10 to Grove and the game was wide open.
Grove opened the second half by extending their lead again when full back Dave Maryon took a quick penalty tap, passed to John Smart and Grove's former skipper crashed over for his second try in the corner of the pitch. The conversion was missed but shortly after three points from a penalty slotted by Sevier meant Grove were beginning to move out of sight at 22 : 10. Next came the try of the match when Sevier evaded at least 6 Wallingford defenders, was then brought down but got up again to storm through the remaining defence to score a superb try which winger and brother Roger Sevier just failed to convert. Unfortunately it was the end of the game for the Grove fly half who had to leave the field with a calf muscle strain but Grove were now virtually unassailable at 27 : 10. Wallingford did not give up however and came back with a converted try although the move did contain a knock-on not seen by the referee. With the visitors trailing by 10 points it was Roger Sevier who sealed the game for Grove with a fine but unconverted try wide out on the left wing. At the death Wallingford scored a converted consolation try to provide the final scoreline but this had definitely been Grove's day with very powerful forwards play and tremendous running from the backs, particularly from centre Jamie Burns. Grove replacements who came on during the game were prop Tom Beauchamp for Richard Keen, wing Jack Alder for Simon Peel and flanker Jason White for Nick Sevier.