Minety Rugby Football Club
2007-08 season Home + Fixtures + Directions + Players + Gallery + Events + Youth
Dorset & Wilts 1st XV Vase
Two for Tom (and three more for Martin!)
Westbury 1st XV 15pts - Minety 1st XV 36pts
Minety
opened their campaign in this year’s Dorset and Wilts 1st XV Vase
with an away win against Westbury. A solid team performance was capped
with a brace of tries by scrumhalf Tom Fitzcharles and a hat-trick by
skipper Martin Coe.
The game opened with Minety continuing in their recent bad habit
of giving away kickable penalties in the first five minutes. Westbury
were quick to seize the opportunity and having slotted the goal
extended their lead to eight points thanks to a try from their inside
centre who waltzed up the left flank through a series of ineptly
attempted tackles.
At this point, the visitors finally got themselves sorted out and took
control of the game. Forcing their way to the try line, the forwards
recycled ruck ball which Fitzcharles snapped out to Ryan Dowling with
an impressively long pass. Dowling fed it on to Coe at outside centre
and he finished the move with a try by the corner flag.
Dowling was soon in action again, chipping over the defence and chasing
the ball as it bobbled its way under the posts. He was unable to
gather it, but Fitzcharles was following up and managed to ground the
ball for the try.
A successful conversion made it 8-12 but Fitzcharles still found time
for another try before the break. Taking ball from the base of a scrum
on Westbury’s 22, he weaved through the home defence for a try
under the posts which was once more converted, making it 8-19 at the
turn around.
Minety started the second half with a bang. The forwards gathered the
restart kick and the ball was expedited, via Tim Vaughan and Dave
Church, out to captain Coe. He stepped between Westbury's outside
centre and winger and no one could catch him as he plunged on upfield
for a try.
Having slotted the conversion, Dowling chipped in later in the half
with a penalty goal before Coe completed his hat-trick by running in
Minety’s fifth try of the afternoon. Fed quick lineout ball,
Vaughan rounded two men before putting his skipper away.
Dowling’s successful conversion brought the visitors’ tally
to 36 points.
As their opponents made the mistake of easing off, Westbury took the
opportunity to score a consolation try but it was too late to affect
the result of the tie.
Minety made Tom Fitzcharles their man
of match and now face Southern Counties South side Dorchester in the
second round on 8 December. This Saturday, though, they return to
league action with a home game against Calne.