ON THIS DAY - MARCH 4

On this day in history in…

1933 – ORs played their first game at Emmer Green since the lifting of a six-week restriction because of a foot-and-mouth outbreak.

Facing the sun and wind in the first half against Chartered Bank, they trailed 4-0.

However, they rallied to win 20-4 thanks mainly to man-of-the-match and hat-trick hero Carson.

Brookes added another touchdown and a conversion, while Hill added the extras to the other three tries.

1939 – Doubles from Maule and Cotton, alongside further tries courtesy of Messer and Stephens – the latter adding a trio of conversions – guided Old Redingensians to a 24-10 home win against Oxford Nomads.

1950 – ORs drew 3-3 at Old Gaytonians with both penalties coming in the second half, Eric Martin obliging for the visitors.

Martin and Peter Mundy played well in the backs, both being caught within a few feet of the line.

Of the forwards, Coward, Parsons and Micky Horler were always to the fore.

1961 – Brian Petty and Dennis Jones crossed the whitewash for Gensians in a 14-3 success at Salisbury, the other points coming from a Tony Farr conversion and two penalties.

1967 – Gerry Knight and Barry Greenwood dotted down for Redingensians, but they lost 21-8 at RMCS Shrivenham despite Allen also landing a conversion.

1972 – The boys in blue lost 19-9 to visitors RMCS Shrivenham.

1978 – Mark Leyton-Smith and Powell scored for Gensians, and Bob Lewis slotted two penalties, but the hosts were edged out 16-14 by RMCS Shrivenham.

1989 – Redingensians piled up the points against Manchester YMCA on the Lancashire club’s first-ever visit to Old Bath Road.

They ran out 35-10 victors with Joe Bell starring with a four-try haul.

His brother Micky was also on the scoresheet as well as James Norman.

Martin Radford completed the tally with an 11-point haul of four conversions and a penalty.

1995 – Gensians bounced back from a 10-0 deficit to beat Corsham 13-10 in Berkshire, Dorset & Wiltshire One.

The hosts, with wind advantage in the first half, used their massive front row to pin Gensians in their own territory.

After the break, however, the kicking of Steve Hunt and Gerry Howarth kept Corsham on the back foot and the boys in blue were rewarded with an Ian Angell try converted by Hunt, who also added two penalties.

2000 – A Jez Flynn try was barely a consolation in a 61-5 drubbing at Abbey.

2006 – Matt Reed marked his return from injury with the first of four Rams’ tries in the 22-5 home win against Witney.

It kept them four points clear in Southern Counties North, and Stuart Mills, Rob Castell and Greg Lynch also chipped in with touchdowns, while James Lack landed a conversion before going off injured.

2017 – Tries from Stevie Bryant, Ben Henderson, Jak Rossiter and Greg Illingworth, added to by a conversion and penalty from Jacob Atkins, helped Rams to a 25-12 triumph at Cinderford.

For the full report, click here

*Historical research by Nigel Sutcliffe