READING RFC confirmed their spectacular rise up the Southern Counties North table with another high-scoring display, blitzing Stow-on-the-Wold 53-19 at Holme Park.

They overwhelmed the visitors and snatched second place in the table, level on league points with Aylesbury, but with a much higher total of points scored.

They have amassed 53 tries in their last seven games and their overall ‘points for’ total, 463, is 61 points higher than top team Witney’s.

Nevertheless, there was a somewhat subdued air about the team immediately after the match.

There was a feeling that, with the score 34-7 at half-time, they should have scored more tries and should not have conceded three.

Coach Ben Wills was very positive, however, stating: “Our first-half display was absolutely awesome. We showed great control and at the end a great hunger to stop them scoring another try – and it worked."

It was an indication as to how far the team has come since they lost four of their first six games of the season before winning the next eight in a row.

Reading went on the hunt for a try straight from the kick-off and were rewarded within five minutes as hooker Steve King touched down in the corner.

However, seven minutes later some sloppy defending on Reading’s part set the visitors up for a converted try, and the lead.

Reading came back immediately and Alex Dorliac’s penalty gave them a lead they never lost.

Then, from the Stow kick-off, Callum Cload collected and hammered the ball into Stow’s 22. Soon a Reading scrum led to wing Chris Greig touching down in the corner.

It was not long before Greig scored again, put away on a 40-yard run for the line by George Dear’s long pass. Dorliac converted, and seven minutes later it was Cload who scored after the ball was spread from a Reading five-metre scrum, the prolific No. 9 taking advantage of an inside pass.

Dorliac converted this and then, just on half-time, he completed a move so well-executed it looked as if it had come straight from the training field. His conversion made the score 34-7 at the break.

Ten minutes into the second half Fraser Koefman took advantage of some good scrummaging to touch down, Dorliac converting.

Stow were not finished, however, and scored a line-out catch-and-drive try before, soon after, a good drive by the ever-active lock Gavin Egan set up the opportunity for Cload to score his second. Dorliac’s conversion made it 48 points and although Stow came back with another converted try, Stuart Borthwick’s 65th-minute try completed the scoring.

Overall this was a fine attacking performance in which fly-half Scott Howell, replacing Alex Murray-Smith after the latter’s bang on the head last week, played a full part.

Reading travel to Wallingford on Saturday, February 1.