Swindon RFC skipper Adam Westall believes lack of game-time cost side against Reading

Sean Lynn’s men were back in action at Greenbridge Road for the first time since their heavy defeat on the road at Witney on February 20 and looked on course to bounce back to winning ways after leading 22-3 in the second period.

But the hosts contrived to let second-from-bottom Reading off the hook and Swindon skipper Westall reckons he and his teammates ran out of steam as they suffer from a lack of consistent game-time in recent weeks.

“We left some points out there, I think,” said Westall.

"We said in our huddle that we had a very good first half – we looked very sharp and moved them around the pitch a little bit, and I think we thought the job was done then.

“Second half, we just sat off them and relaxed, and fitness was massive there for us. We weren’t at the races second half and Reading capitalised on it with some pretty average rugby, really.

“I think the structure is there but we’ve got to come together and get some fitness work done over the next couple of weeks.

“Stop-start is not helping but everyone’s in the same boat in terms of one week on and one week off, and at the minute, we’re using our Saturday rugby as fitness, which is never going to be very successful in the long-term, so we just need to get some numbers on Tuesday and Thursdays and build from there really.

“We're an amateur club, like most at this level, and the boys see (a weekend off) as a rest and they’ll go and do their shopping with their wives or drink cups of tea on the settee, but we’re at a level where it demands more than that.”

After Reading kicked a penalty to reduce the deficit from Jordan Sheppard’s opening try, Connal Knott, Toby Eaton and Josh Jensen, whose score was converted by Westall, all crossed the line.

But the tide turned and three Reading tries, two converted, ensured the visitors took a share of the spoils.

Swindon must twiddle their thumbs once again on Saturday, as the division takes a week’s break.