All matches for weekend of 4th / 5th February have been cancelled due to the snow and frost.
16th January 2012
Minety through to next round of Dorset and Wilts Cup.
The Academy team travelled to Melksham for their first round encounter in the Dorset and Wiltshire Cup and came away with a very satisfying 48 - 0 win.
The Academy side scored tries from Joe Kidner, Josh Bull, Tom Windle, Alex Mirriam and Will Hinton and can now look foward nto a home tie with Wimbourne after the Dorset team overcame Chippenham in their first round match.
13th January 2012
Minety link with Gloucester!
Minety RFC Junior Section has subscribed to a link agreement with Gloucester RFC. This provides us with a number of benefits concerning coaching sessions, tickets, player visits and cash income.
The one point that may be of interest to you is around match tickets. If you intend to go to a Gloucester match this season you will be able to get a discount on your ticket price. All you need to do when buying the ticket is quote our reference number - 11068538, the name of the Club - Minety RFC and mention the 'cash back scheme'. The normal ticket hotline (08718 18781 - option 2) can be used.
This only applies to 'individual' purchases - the process for organised groups needs to be co-ordinated through our 'Liaison Officer' (Nick Wright). Please let me know if you need any further information.
This benefit is available for all Gloucester home matches (Premier, Heineken Cup, LV= Cup etc) and all tickets although the level of discount may vary depending on the match taking place.
Not only will you get reduced ticket prices but at the end of the season our Club will be given a 10% lump sum rebate for all the ticket money that have been taken through this club 'cash back' scheme.
Peter McAllister
7th January 2012
IMPORTANT. We regret to say that the fixture against Bradford on Avon, due to be played on Sunday 8th January at Minety, has had to be postponed.
An unusual level of injuries to the front row forwards in the Minety squad has meant that we are unable to fulfil the fixture. Hopefully, normal service will resume next week.
12th October
Want to see how your team is doing?
Click on this link for details of the various Dorset & Wilts Division 2 (North) fixtures, results and tables :
Dorset & Wilts Under 18 Merit Table Division Two (North)
Sunday 2nd October 2011 – Minety Playing fields.
Minety Academy overcame their Division 2 rivals Melksham in a hard fought match played under an unseasonably warm sun at home on Sunday, eventually coming through by 22 points to 12.
The Minety team made their intentions clear from the outset, driving Melksham back to their own line. After a series of forward drives fly half Elis Garland crossed for the first try in the second minute.
From the restart the Minety backs produced some wonderfully flowing rugby and Melksham were forced back on their line again. Another series of attacks lead to second row forward Josh Gainey crashing in for the home team’s second try, converted by scrum half Ben Thomas. 12 points up after just 6 minutes and it looked as if Minety would run away with their opening league match of the season.
However, a combination of Minety ill discipline and a resolute Melksham defensive performance saw the score remain the same until four minutes into the second half.
After a series of fluent moves through the back line, MInety’s scrum half Ben Thomas crossed for the third try to extend the lead to 17 points with half an hour of the match to go.
Melksham troubled Minety most when the ball was moved out along the line and it was after a series of back moves that they scored their first try after 50 minutes.
With the play being held up on a number of occasions to let players take on much needed water, Minety reasserted their superiority and increased their lead when Dellam Murray burst into the line and scored to edge Minety into a 22 – 5 lead.
The last 15 minutes of the game were played out largely in the Minety 22 as Melksham fought back, scoring with 5 minutes left and then converting the try from right out by the touchline. With the score at 22-12 the game was still open, Minety needing another try to gain a valuable bonus point whilst Melksham needed another try for a losing bonus point, however, despite threatening the Melksham line in the last minutes of the game the elusive bonus point was missed.
Changes to fixture list for the Academy Under 18 squad. Wootton Bassett on 16th October is being re-arranged; insert Walcott B on 1th December at home and 4th March away; and change of venue for the Wootton Bassett game on 5th February.
The Fixture list has been updated with these alterations.
18th September
10’s Tournament Wootton Bassett 11/9/11 Under 16’s
The Under 16’s season opener was a 10’s tournament at Wootton Bassett, on Sunday 11th September.
Four games were to be played by each team; with a duration of 9 minutes each way. Minety’s opponents were Avonvale, Melksham, Marlborough and Bassett. Minety had a limited squad of 13 maximum, which was to have an effect on results by the end of the day.
Game 1 vs Avonvale:-
A perfect start for Minety, who were totally dominant throughout, and when Ross Penland opened the scoring in the first minute, the stage was set. Minety showed some excellent passing and tackling, and Avonvale were never really to threaten a score.
Ross took a knock, and was replaced by Charlie Turner, but was to re-join later, when Cameron Goodge was injured.
By half time, Luke Evans had doubled the tally, and in the second half a further two tries came from Will Reynolds and Conor Webley who was playing his debut game.Congratulations to him. All four tries were cleanly converted by Luke for a final score of:-
MINETY 28 AVONVALE 0
Game 2 vs Melksham
A much tougher game this one . Minety opened the scoring with a try by Ryan Evett which Luke converted, but Melksham came back hard, and Minety were to be under pressure for the rest of the half. Melksham were so strong that it was almost as if they had extra players in the game. Minety’s handling became ragged under pressure, and there were a lot of unforced errors which allowed Melksham to score three converted tries by half time.
A few minutes into the second half it was noticed that Melksham were playing with 11 men, and so one player left the field. Melksham scored again, before Minety then raised their game and finished strongly with some much better play, notably a try saving tackle by James Hawkins. Time was against them though, and it was too late to affect the score which ended as:-
MINETY 7 MELKSHAM 28
Game 3 vs Marlborough
After a delay caused by the worrying arrival of the air ambulance, the third game began well. Minety opened the scoring with a try by Conor, which was equalized by half time.
In the second half Tom Ovell went over for Minety’s second, which were both converted by Luke. This was a much better performance from Minety, who were far stronger at the breakdown and particularly in the scrum.There were still some simple handling mistakes but this was a strong effort Interestingly, Marlborough did no lifting in the lineouts and perhaps Minety could have made more of their dominance here.
Robson Sutton was injured during the first half and replaced by Will Reynolds from a now depleted squad. The final score was:-
MINETY 14 MARLBOROUGH 7
GAME 4 vs Wootton Bassett
This was to be the toughest game of the day, but one which was to show the spirit and resolve of the Minety squad. Bassett possess one or two players who are immensely strong and talented, and by half time had run in three tries without too much difficulty.
Minety spent the first half, very much on the back foot, having to defend constantly. To add to Minety’s woes, a high tackle on James Hawkins at the end of the first half, left him unable to continue in the second. The Minety squad was now without reserves, and so were to play the second half with only 9 men.
Bassett ran in another 2 tries, but Minety did not allow their heads to go down, and responded with an excellent try by River Burton which was converted by Tom as the final scores of the match.
For Minety to come back when 5 scores down and with only 9 men showed great commitment and team spirit. Final score was:-
MINETY 7 W. BASSETT 35
5th September
IMPORTANT
Dear All,
Please note that Tuesday evening's Minety Academy meeting with players and parents has been cancelled. The meeting will now take place on this coming Thursday 08-Sep-11 for a 6.30pm start.
Full training will begin twice a week from tomorrow night and we look forward to seeing a full attendance from all players in preparation for Sunday's 10s tournament at Wootton Bassett.
Cheers John, Cliff, Dave and Matt.
2nd September
Academy Structure
Whilst the academy still encompasses U16 - U18, this season we'll run 2 teams, U16 & U18, and therefore we will show these separately on this page of the site.
We've added the Academy U16s (Coaches Steve Reynolds, Michael Nicholson and Dave Miller. Team Manager Chris Evans) to the header at the top of this page together with the coaches and officials for the Under 18 division.
31st August 2011
New Academy Coach announced
We now have 3 RFU qualified ‘Level 2’ coaches assisting with training for the forthcoming season. In addition to Cliff Garland and Dave Bull; we are pleased to confirm that Matt Fry has agreed to join us from the start of September. Matt is a highly talented and experienced coach, having coached South West England’s U19 squad for 5 years and Dorset & Wilts (“D&W”) and South West Ladies.
28th March
Under 18 Plate Semi Final
Bradford on Avon 27 Minety Academy 7
Minety Academy's astonishingly successful season came to an end when they were defeated by a stroing Bradford on Avon team in the semi final of the regional Under 18 Plate competition.
Playing downhill and with a significant wind behind them, Bradford established early dominance and scored freely through their pacey running backs against a patched up Minety team, suffering from numerous injuries and absences.
In the second half Minety improved their performance and scored a wonderful try through Josh Bull, brilliantly converted from the touchline by Elis Garland. In the end, the first half deficit was too much to manage and the hosts pulled away with a try in the final play of the game.
The season may have ended with defeats at Stroud and against Bradford, but that is what happens to teams who qualify for end of season regional cup matches against much larger and more powerful cloubs. The Academy squad, marvellously led by skipper Ashley Windle, has exceeded all expectations this season and, given that the majority of the squad are made up of under 17's and 16's, the future looks good for the Minety Academy.
28th February
Stothert and Pitt 5 Minety Academy 39
Minety's final fixture in this years Dorset and Wilts Division 2 (North) table was away to Bath team, Stothert and Pitt.
In a match which was held up after a serious injury to Minety centre Alex Goff, the Minety team played some expansive rugby and ran in a number of tries.
Alex was knocked unconscious in a clash of heads with fellow Minety player Alex Hawkins mid way through the first half. The referee suspended play and, when it was announced that an air ambulance had been called for, switched play to an adjoining pitch.
A full match report will follow but we are delighted to be able to report that Alex was conscious when the helicopter took off and was later discharged from the RUH with a very sore head, a massive bruise to his ear and no recollection of the game at all. Everyone wishes Alex all the best for a speedy recovery.
The final Division 2 table can be found via this link, together with a link to all of the fixtures in the division this year.
Play
Won
D
Lost
Pnts for
Pnts ag
Agg.
Bonus
Total
Adjust
Wootton Bassett UNDER 18
8
7
0
1
261
59
202
6
42
0
Minety Academy
8
7
0
1
260
65
195
5
41
0
Warminster U18s
8
3
0
5
134
218
-84
2
22
0
Stothert & Pitt U18 A
8
3
0
5
98
161
-63
1
18
-3
Supermarine U18's
8
0
0
8
42
292
-250
1
6
-3
Minety Academy 5 Swindon RFC 34
Dorset and Wilts Under 18 Cup Tie
Swindon Colts got their Dorset & Wilts U18 cup off to a flying start with an away win at Minety.With a pitch equivalent in texture to Hackney Marshes and a slope that would have made a mountain goat breathless, Captain Luke Dicks on winning the toss, sensibly elected to take the hard route for the first half by playing up the hill, the mud was for everybody to endure for both halves in every direction!
Minety predictably played the pitch conditions to maximum advantage from the kick off, pinning Swindon into their own 22 and a quagmire! Enthusiastic Minety battered the visitors line repeatedly but Swindon deciding to get their tackles in this week, held firm. Commitment to this pleasing improvement in the Swindon game was exemplified by inside centre Ben Hornby setting the standard for commitment throughout the entire match.
Against the intial run of play Swindon had a brief visit up field and came away with 3 points courtesy of Cory Lotter converting an easy penalty. Minety 0 - Swindon 3.
Then it was back down into to the corner of Swindon’s 22 for Minety to bash away at the line again.
Yet against the run of play once more, another foray up the hill saw Swindon in the money again. A determined run by Ellis Reynolds, superbly backed up by Kirstin Baddeley taking play to within 5 metres of the Minety goal line. Following the resulting ruck, Luke Dicks crashed over the line from 3 metres out. Two trips up the mountainside, two scores for Swindon. Minety 0 - Swindon 8.
Half time saw Swindon turn around and post their intent immediately from the kick off with a superbly taken individual try by scrum-half Jack Kimber, who seeing a gap open up on the fringes of the maul 10 metres out, accelerated in under the posts.
Minety 0 – Swindon 15 courtesy of Cory Lotter converting for the additional two points.
Now it was Minety’s turn to climb the hillside and despite the score line looking an even bigger mountain to climb, proceeded to do so with some ease thanks to Swindon looking and thinking scores would now be easy pickings….Not…!! It was to the home sides credit they demonstrated that lower league status was not a burden to their ability and desire to play expansive running rugby. Fierce tackling, was all that stopped Minety reducing the deficit.
Minety, not backward at coming forward once more put their guests under severe pressure in their own 22. A brief break out down field by Swindon with a jinxing and powerful run from utility back Sam Williams, saw supporting runner Greg Wilkes well tackled between the half way and the home sides 22 line, at which point tempers rather stupidly and unnecessarily boiled over into handbags and general mayhem.
Swindon for retaliation and general misdemeanours, a brace of 2 yellow cards, Minety one of their own for indulging in the same: and both Captains a lecture from the referee.
Unopposed scrums became the order of the day for the next 10 minutes, and Swindon realising their numerical disadvantage decidedly turned on the gas by playing proper rugby to score another try. Quickly rucked ball and Cory’s long pass facilitated Alex Bishop to get his pace out of his kit bag at least once on the day to out flank the opposing back line. Minety 0 – Swindon 20.
Still with unopposed scrums Minety broke back up field and earned a deserved try of their own by sucking in the, until then, solid Swindon defence, and getting numbers out wide. Minety 5 – Swindon 20.
Swindon now getting the ball down the hill towards Minety’s goal line a little more regularly achieved the most surprising try of the day, when Minety, winning their own set scrum 5 metres out from their line, picked up at number 8, only for Jack Kimber to immediately rip the ball out of the forlorn number 8’s hands and get over the try line unopposed for his second highly individual try of the afternoon.
Minety 5 – Swindon 27 as Cory again stepped up to kick a long conversion.
Minety then suffered another yellow card for a rather cynical, and unsuccessful attempt at tripping a by now rampant Kirstin Baddeley as he broke down field with a bullocking 50 metre run. The clock was now ticking, and as the referee called last play at a line out to Swindon just outside the Minety 22 line, an amazing passage of play proceeded to take place that gave the match a truly grandstand finish.
Minety determined to get back a consolation second try robbed Swindon at their own line out ( not for the first time that afternoon!).
Phase after phase of free running, passing, rucking, and amazingly several turnovers both ways commenced yet with no errors other than a penalty, the game could not be finished, Swindon not getting time to hoof the ball out thanks to the home sides pressure, and Minety obviously trying to retain the ball and run it up the pitch.
Finally with clock now well into the red, Swindon got hold of the ball well into their own half, and Cory Lotter seeing a half chance danced 60 metres through the Minety team only to be hauled up inches from the goal line. A fierce ruck ensued in the right hand corner bog of the 22 metre zone, Swindon retained possession, and out to fly-half Cory again, who looking up, saw another half chance for an inspired final score, delicately hoofed the ball parallel to the goal line across the pitch, where, to the total surprise of both his team mates and supporters alike , Swindon number 8 Ellis Reynolds,lurking on the far touch line (first off for a shower maybe..)caught the ball and fell across the goal line to get his try. Sam Wiiliams nailed the conversion to make the final score,
Minety 5 - Swindon 34.
Swindon Colts and supporters thank Minety for a brave and dogged performance from a young side, that made for an entertaining game in very poor conditions. May we wish them good luck in their next endeavour.
Match report appropriated from the Swindon web site. Many thanks to them for their very kind words about our players - we wish them the best of luck in the next round.
14th February
Minety Academy 7 Wootton Bassett 17
Minety's long unbeaten run came to an end in a bruising encounter in the mud at home when they were defeated by their Merit Table title rivals, Wootton Bassett.
7th February
Minety Academy 50 Supermarine Swindon 0
Full match report to follow.
Latest League table and results can be found through this link
24th January
Wootton Bassett 19 Minety Academy 24
Minety Academy defeated Wootton Bassett 24 - 19 in the Division 2 North clash at Ballards Ash on Sunday.
The two teams, both unbeaten in league fixtures this season, were evenly matched in the opening exchanges although the Minety line out and forward play soon began to exert pressure on the Bassett line. A series of clever, probing kicks by scrum half Ben Thomas pinned Bassett in their 22 amidst ferocious exchanges in the back lines.
A brilliant kick ahead and chase by the fleet footed Minety fly half Elis Garland saw him touch down for the opening try of the game.
The physical battle up front intensified and the home team struck back in the 20th minute when their inside centre crashed over beneath the posts for a try which was successfully converted.
Minety used their dominant pack to good effect in wearing down the home team and after a flowing back movement orchestrated by Garland again, the forwards took over and forced their way over for a try, touched down by hooker Reece Kinnett right on the stroke of half time.
Minety's half time lead, however, was short lived. Bassett punished a defensive error to score a try in the 52nd minute before yet more wizardry from Garland saw Minety recapture the initiative, the elusive fly half touching down for his second try of the match.
Bassett were not top of the table and previously undefeated for nothing; they struck back at the heart of the opposition and scored a quite brilliant try after moving the ball from one side of the pitch to the other through their backs with just 12 minutes to go, to snatch the lead 19 - 17.
But Minety struck back and in the last play of the game a series of forward thrusts brought Minety up to the Bassett line before the ball was worked out along the line, Alex Goff timing his pass to perfection to allow winger Rob Hinwood to crash over in the corner to secure the victory. Garland kicked the conversion to end a wonderful game of rugby and secure his "Man of the Match" award.
Final score: Wootton Bassett 19 Minety Academy 24
Minety Academy team: Jonnie Shepherd, Reece Kinnett, Ashley Windle, Josh Gainey, Tom Windle, James Bayes, Josh Bull, Will King, Ben Thomas, Elis Garland, Will Hinton, Sam Thomas, Alex Goff, Rob Hinwood, Kieran Evett, Joe Kidner, Harry Sharpe, Olly Thomas, Callum Harford.
Photographic gallery will be published as soon as the photos come through.
Latest League table and results can be found through this link
17th January
Swindon Supermarine 0 Minety Academy 44
Minety Academy stretched their winning run to 5 matches with a convincing 44 - 0 victory over Swindon Supermarine at the Swindon ground.
When captain Ashley Windle crashed through for a first minute try after an excellent pick up and run from the improving Will King, the result was never in doubt. Minety lost winger David Cooke to another collar bone injury but replacement Jack Cox capped an excellent display with a try of his own late in the game.
The win keeps Minety in second place in the Dorset and Wilts Division 2 table, with games in hand on the similarly unbeaten Wootton Bassett team.
The table toppers clash this coming Sunday at Bassett with the return three weeks later, in what are surely the league deciders.
10th January 2011
Warminster 5 Minety Academy 45
Minety Academy Under 18 squad kept up the pressure at the top of the U18 Division 2 (North) with a thumping 45 - 5 win at Warminster yesterday.
Three early first half tries from Ben Thomas, Eis Garland and David Cooke saw the visitors jump into a 21 - 0 lead and they kept up the pressure from there on.
In a dominant display, the Minety forwards secured massive advantage at scrums and breakdowns, whilst the backs played a far more expansive game, using the full width of the pitch to switch play.
Further tries either side of half time from Jordan Willcock and Will King (2) and a late solo effort from Tom Windle saw the score reach 44 - 0 before the Minety squad we reduced to 14 men for the second time in the match with just 9 minutes left on the clock. The home team piled on the pressure and finally crossed the line in the dying moments of a match that gained Minety an additional bonus point that maintains their unbeaten run in the competition and puts pressure on table topping Wootton Bassett, who will be the opposition twice in the next month.
Revised fixture list in view of recent cancellations due to bad weather. Please check new dates. New Academy Fixture list available here for download and printing.
LATEST : Academy Under 17s win Wilts and Dorset Bowl final, beating Swanage and Wareham by 17 - 14 in an enthralling match at Minety on Sunday. Gallery available here.
Minety Academy win the Bowl Final 17pts to 14 against Swanage & Wareham
Sunday 21st November 2010
A cold and windy day greeted the Swanage & Wareham (Swans) team who had travelled up from the south coast to hosts Minety in the D&W’s U17s Bowl Final and play their part in a closely fought match that went down to the final whistle.
Minety welcomed back a number of players from injury; Elis Garland (broken nose), Rob Hinwood (collarbone) and Tom Windle (broken thumb); they reinforced an in form squad keen to get their hands on another trophy.
Having won the toss Minety Captain, Tom Windle, chose to play up the hill in first half. Right from the kick-off it was clear that the conditions did not lend themselves to great flowing rugby, with the infamous ‘Minety Mud’ doing much to limit the expansive style of play that both teams normally play. The Minety pack quickly established the upper hand with a strong driving style that was well suited to the conditions.
A period of possession and territory, with Minety camped in the Swans ‘22’, led to the ball being ‘held-up’ over the line and the visitors having to defend with passion to keep Minety out. In the first 20 minutes Minety crossed in to the ‘22’ seven times, but were unable to create the final opening and convert this pressure into points. There was then a moment of chance with the ball falling in to Swans hands, and a series of quick interchanges down the left wing led to them, against the run of play, opening the scoring with a well taken try (converted) under the posts.
It would have been easy for Minety to react badly to this, but the team spirit is such that they gathered the restart and continued to apply pressure in the visitors ‘22’. Drive after drive created too much pressure for Swans to defend and finally Rob Hinwood was driven over in the corner by Harry Sharpe and Tom Windle. With the under foot conditions to slippery the conversion attempt from the touchline proved to be too difficult, score 5-7.
On the rare occasions the ball made it to the wings, Ollie Thomas and Jordan Willcock found little space in which to create an attacking opportunity, although both but in some mazy runs in an attempt to find a way through.
In the second half Minety continued to pile on the pressure with the forwards and scrum half Ben Thomas keeping the ball moving quickly – well as quick as was possible in the conditions – Minety flanker, James Bayes, worked tirelessly to keep Swans away from the ball at the breakdown. Swans had to resort to infringing to slow down the ball, the penalty count was mounting in Minety’s favour.
In spite of the conditions Minety kept trying to spin the ball wide, looking for a way through the stout defence. One such attack turned quickly to defence with what started as an optimistic kick ahead from their left wing turning in to the Swans second score of the game. The ball bounced, spun and stuck in the mud and evaded the best endeavours of Minety fullback Kieran Evett; an elated Swans’ player swooped on the ball and dotted it down under the posts. The conversion was good, just and the Swans now led 14 points to 5, having had little possession and no territory.
The first substitution for Minety gave Will Hinton his first run for Minety, and he interplayed well with Ben Thomas chasing down a box kick that put Swans on to the back foot, again, creating a lineout on halfway. The resulting drive led to a further penalty offence by Swans, and Garland kicked the ball cleanly to touch. Another scrum and another penalty by Swans led to the Referee losing patience and a showing a yellow card to the Swans flanker.
Eschewing the chance to take an easy penalty kick for three points, Minety kicked to the corner and with the Minety line-out, with Joe Kidner and Josh Gainey lifting Josh Bull, making life easy for hooker Reece Kinnet, the decision was a sensible one. The line-out on the 5m line was caught and driven before being released to the Backs. Solid defence by the Swans midfield kept our centre pairing of Sam Johnson and Alex Miriam at bay, but eventually the power of the Minety attack proved too much and Garland crossed the line. Minety’s second try, converted by Thomas to bring Minety to within a single score: 12-14.
Gathering the ball cleanly from the Swans restart Minety clearly had a vision, and the plan. With nothing left in his tank Bayes gave way to Alex Fraser who with fresh legs gave the Minety pack a lift and they retained the ball with a series of energy sapping drives close to the breakdown, Minety’s Forwards took it in turns to take the ball in to the heart of the Swans defence until, with only seconds on the clock Bull, standing 10 metres out from the try line and screaming for the ball, took what proved to be the deciding pass and dived headlong towards the Swans’ try line – the third Minety try putting them in front 17-14, with barely time to restart the game.
At the final whistle, a roar of celebration from the home crowd of over 100 who watched two teams give everything; they had to make a match worthy of the Final.
Minety now go on to represent the Dorset & Wilts CB in the South-West Regional Shield, the next rung on the ladder in the RFU’s National U17’s Cup Competition structure, on March 6th 2011 by which time Minety’s two other injured U17’s players, Mike New (knee ligaments) and Dave Cooke (collarbone) will be fit to play and further strengthen the Squad.
15th November
Latest results from the Dorset and Wilts Under 17 and Under 18 competitions are available as a PDF file through this link.
8th November
Minety Academy 27 Warminster 14
The Academy Under 18 team took on Warminster in the Dorset and Wilts Under 18 Merit Table clash at Minety on Sunday 7th November.
Minety, joint top of the table prior to the match, overcame numerous injury problems to beat their opponents by a convincing score of 27 - 14 on a wet pitch that made flowing rugby difficult.
A full match report will follow.
Folowing score details for the match report....
5 - 0 @ 20mins - Will King - Try
10 - 0 @ 25mins - Will Eaton - Try
10 - 7 @ 33mins - Warminster - Converted try
Half-time
15 - 7 @ 37mins - Alex Hawkins - Try
20 - 7 @ 41 mins - Josh Bull - Try
22 - 7 @ 41 mins - Will Eaton - Conversion
22 - 14 @ 55mins - Warminster - Converted try
27 - 14 @ 61mins - Jordan Willcock - Try
Full Time
The full match gallery is available here and the DVD will be available later in the week.
The results for the Under 18 North division in which we play can also be accessed through this link.
4th November
Dorset & Wilts U17 BOWL FINAL
Minety Academy
v
Swanage & Wareham
SUNDAY 21ST NOV, 2PM @ MINETY PLAYING FIELDS
Following our recent success in the semi-final of the ‘Bowl’, when we beat Supermarine 32-20, we, the Academy U17s squad, will be playing Swanage & Wareham in the Final on Sunday 21st November KO 2pm at Minety Playing Fields.The semi final was very eventful and through a huge injury list, we started with only 14 players – and finished with 13 – one of whom had a broken thumb! We scored five tries against their three and thoroughly deserved to come out victorious. There should be a special comment made on the style of play as two of our tries were scored by our wingers – one a piece – with the ball travelling all the way down the line on both occasions!
Please do come and join us on the 21st, the Bar will be open, the sun WILL shine and, with your support, hopefully we’ll lift the trophy!
A copy of a poster for the game can be downloaded here. Please print out as many as you need and distribute them accordingly.
4th November
Following our 12 point win over Supermarine last weekend, we are now in the DORSET & WILTS U17 BOWL FINAL.
With some good fortune, we have a home draw for the match and so will be hosting Swanage & Wareham on Sunday 21st November. The normal KO for the Academy games is 2pm, and all are welcome to attend - in fact the more support we can have the better.
We are also looking for volunteers to help with...
1) pitch preparation on the Saturday, as both the 1st and 2nd team are playing away.
2) catering with teas/coffees/bacon rolls before the game
3) catering for the players after the match, and
4) opening the bar for the afternoon, as we hope that there'll be a good crowd.
Please can you let John Willcock (07760 178575) know if you can help out.
Regards...Dan
----------------------
Daniel Thomas
Head Coach - Academy (U16-18s)
Minety RFC
On Sunday 31st October, the Minety Under 17 Academy squad travelled to Supermarine in Swindon for the semi final of their Cup competition.
Right from the kick off the 14 Minety players, from a squad seriously depleted by injuries, showed much more attack and aggression and, despite being a player short, put the Supermarine team under extreme pressure. The movement of ball and player positioning was much more assured than in recent weeks and that quality soon led to the first try when Alex Miriam burst through to touch down.
Minety extended their lead five minutes later when Reece Kinnett crossed for a try after a series of penalties had been awarded Minety's way deep in the Supermarine 22.
Supermarine hit back with a try of their own but Minety's lead was soon re-established when Joe Kidner pounced on a loose ball in the Supermarine in-goal area.
The home team came more into the match towards the end of the first half and deserved their second try just before half time.
The second half saw a number of attacking moves on the Supermarine line but Minety were unable to push over. Indeed, it was a Supermarine try largely against the run of play, that brough the scores level before Ben Thomas slotted home a penalty for Minety.
With just two points advantage, Minety pressed for the decisive try that would seal a win. Wave after wave of attacking play led to a ruck out on the left near the Supermarine line. Scrum half Olly Thomas fired the ball out and after a brilliant series of passes through the backs, winger David Cooke burst through to score in the right corner.
Supermarine attacked late in the game anxious to make their numerical advantage count but excellent Minety defence saw them off, albeit at a cost - David Cooke was carried from the pitch after breaking his collarbone and captain Tom Windle sustained a broken thumb. The 12 fit players held up one Supermarine effort right on the line before a Minety backs move saw winger Jordi Willcok score a break away try to seal victory 32 - 20.
We are creating a new ‘Academy Squad’ at Minety next season; this will sit at the top of our Junior Rugby section and cater for the U16, U17 and U18 age groups.
Why are we creating an Academy?
The purpose of this Squad is to provide an opportunity for players to…
Continue their development with RFU qualified coaches, experienced in working with youth players,
Have the opportunity to trial for Representative honours and
Successfully transition from youth to adult rugby in a managed and controlled way.
As a coaching team at Minety we are very aware of the challenges that Clubs and Young players face as they grow from Youth to Adult players of the great game of Rugby. We have seen other clubs/squads literally disintegrate as they haven’t managed this transition properly. So to make sure that this does not happen at Minety we have made the decision to establish ‘The Academy Squad.
What is The Academy Squad?
All players in the U16, U17 and U18 squads will be registered as part of The Academy Squad, and benefit from the quality of coaching and mentoring that ensures each player receives the support that he needs. The Academy Squad will be, as a minimum, run by RFU Level 2 qualified coaches, with support and assistance from Level 1 coaches, RFU specialist support coaching, a qualified Strength and Conditioning Coach and access to physiotherapist support.
Training
We will normally train twice during the week with matches played on Sundays.
In addition to this we will have opportunities for training on Sundays when we do not have a match, and may run classes at local gym’s or sports centres when the weather makes conditions unplayable outside.
As part of the development of both the team and the individual we will be arranging specialist or focussed training with external experts and/or resources.
Personal Development Plans
As part of The Academy Squad each player will benefit from a personal development plan. The plan will cover aspects of physical fitness, mental development and rugby skills to help make each squad member achieve their best.
We will also be encouraging players within The Academy Squad to study for IRB and RFU Coaching qualifications. These start with the online ‘Rugby Ready’ and ‘Laws’ exams and work through TAG, ‘Rugby Ready’ Practical, refereeing and Level 1 awards.
When players have achieved a formal qualification, as part of their development plan we would then find suitable opportunities, under the right mentoring and supervision, for them to coach younger players both within the Club but also at local schools. For those looking to go to University, this will help them stand out when they write their personal statement as part of the application process!
Representative Rugby
We have, as a Youth section been successful in achieving representative honours for a number of our players, we have had District and County representatives from U14-U17 and participated in the RFU School of Rugby programme. As a member of The Academy Squad you will continue to be pushed forward for any and all opportunities that we believe we help your development.
Matches and Competitions
As The Academy Squad we will be entering a number of the competitions that are organised by Dorset & Wilts as well as scheduling a number of friendly games for training and development.
Matches are typically played on a Sunday afternoon with a 2pm KO, and the organised Competitions we have entered are …
U17’s D&W’s Cup
What it is: This Cup is a traditional knockout cup with subsidiary ‘Bowl’ or ‘Plate’ competitions. When is it: There are 4 rounds in this competition played in October / November. Eligibility: To play in this competition the players must have been born after 31st August 1993 (i.e.: U17/U16).
U17/18’s Merit Table
What it is: this is the league ‘backbone’ to the season, with all Clubs in both counties participating. The Table is split into groups, and we are likely to be in Division 2 (North) with six other Clubs such as Swindon, Frome, Melksham, Warminster and Supermarine. When is it: The league involves playing the other clubs on a home and away basis during the season. Eligibility: To play in this competition the players must have been born after 31st August 1992 (i.e.: U18/U17/U16).
U18’s D&W’s Cup
What it is: This Cup is a traditional knockout cup with losers going into a ‘Bowl’ or ‘Plate’ competition. From the first round the Cup includes both Dorset and Wiltshire Clubs. When is it: There are potentially 4 rounds in this competition played in March / April. Eligibility: Again for those born after 31st August 1992 (i.e.: U18/U17/U16).
Links with the Senior Club
The coaching teams of both the senior teams and of The Academy Squad will be working together to manage your transition to senior rugby. This will involve assessment of you being ready to play adult rugby, and then at the right time an introduction to training and then playing as part of the 1st or 2nd XV’s of the Club.
All players in the U17 and U18 age groups will be registered members of The Academy Squad and as such the Head Coach of The Academy Squad will sanction their participation in adult rugby.
Subscriptions
The Subscriptions and match fees for The Academy Squad are decided by the Club Committee and they are yet to be set for the forthcoming year.
Clothing and Kit
We provide and clean ‘playing shirts’ for all of our matches and we will have available for purchase branded kit for squad members, this will include hoodies, track pants, polo shirts, t-shirt, shorts and socks for wearing on training and match days.
Sponsorship
As ever the Club, both as a whole and as The Academy Squad, is looking for any and all sponsorship that we can find. If you know anyone that might be interested in supporting us bring rugby to over 200 young people then please let a member of the coaching team know.
Contact details
Club Head Coach:
Cliff Garland, 07903 816386
The Academy Squad Head Coach:
Daniel Thomas, 07784 943000
The Academy Squad Manager:
John Willcock, 07760 178575
2009 / 2010
19th May
The Academy development is outlined and placed in the context of the club as a whole. Full details via this link.
19th May
The summer training schedule for 2010 is available via this link.
A copy of the details relating to the newly formed Academy squad together with the training schedule for the summer is available via this link.
are published and available through these links and the Gallery.
28th March
The Under 16s travelled to Wootton Bassett for a fixture.
Minety started brightly and it was no surprise when Alex Miriam brust through the home defence to open the scoring for Minety.
Despite more Minety pressure Wootton Bassett broke away and equalised with a try under the Minety posts after a good back line move. With the conversion, missed the teams were tied at 5 - 5.
Perhaps a turning point in the game came in the 17th minute when influential scrum half Ben Thomas was injured during a raid on the home 22 yard line. Carried from the field in obvious discomfort, it was good to learn later that a hospital check up had found nothing too serious
Olly Thomas came on to replace Ben at number 9 in a match against his old team.
Minety exerted massive pressure on the home line for a full 10 minutes up to the half time break but were unable to convert any pressure into points. Two efforts were held up on the line, although photographic evidence suggests at least one of them was a touch down.
Minety started the second half in similar vein - camped out on the Wootton Bassett line but a break away try for the home team in the 42nd minute took the steam out of the visitors' sails.
With the advantage of an extra player in the 45th minute after a yellow card to a home player, Minety pushed forward and it came as no surprise as Greg Palmer crashed through for a try that Elis Garland converted to push Minety into a deserved lead at 10 - 12.
But then the wheels came off the wagon. Wootton Bassett's well organised and mobile back line began to move the ball around and the Minety defence, despite some brilliant tackling from Alex Miriam, began to crumble.
Bassett regained the lead in the 58th minute with a break away try on the left and then extended their lead 5 minutes later with a converted try. A 4th try followed in the 67th minute to push the home team's advantage to 27-12 before a try far out on the right wing by their fly half ended the match at 32 - 12.
There is no doubt that Minety had a chance in this game - their forward play was good in the first half and srum and lineout ball was plentiful, but too often massive pressure bought about no reward and the more expansive second half tactic utilised by the home team saw them home in convincing fashion.
Team : Jack Wallace, Callum Harford, Greg Palmer, Josh Gainey, Tom Windle, Rob Hinwood, Joe Kidner, Josh Bull, Ben Thomas (Olly Thomas), Elis Garland, Jack Cox, Alex Miriam, Jim New (Jordi Willcock), Dave Cooke and Kieren Evett.
7th March
On a brilliantly sunny but cold morning, the Under 16s visited Old Patesians of Cheltenham for a match. On an excellent surface, Old Pats came out strongly and within 9 minutes had crossed for 2 tries (one of which they converted) anf found themselves 12 - 0 up before Minety really started to play.
However, as the match ddeveloped Minety started to dominate possession and territory in a tight but entertaining game of rugby. Coaches Dan Thomas and Gary Wallace made a number of changes throughout the game as Minety continued to probe the home defence.
Scrum half Ben Thomas reduced the arrears with an excellent break away try in the second half but Minety were unable to break through again and eventually went down 12 - 5.
A patched up Minety team visited Trowbridge for a friendly match. The 15 available players, most of whom had to play out of position, put up a brave fight before eventually going down by 22 - 14. Elis Garland and Alex Miriam scored Minety's tries either side of half time.
TOUR - Can I have the following information for Tour clothing asap...
1) Chest S/M/L; 2) Waist in Inches; 3) Initials required.
Thanks Dan
14th February
Minety hosted their final County Cup game of the season against Chippenham. After recent successes, this performance was below par and the team lost 43 to 0.
Minety travelled to Supermarine Swindon for a hastily arranged fixture and came out winners by 20 points to nil. Match Gallery here. Report .
4th February
Hi everyone, good news - we are going to play rugby this weekend! Match is now away at Supermarine, please meet at 10am for an 10.45KO. Can you confirm availability asap?
Thanks Dan
31st January
IMPORTANT : We have just been advised that the County Cup match against Chippenham has been cancelled because of the frost in the Minety pitch.
Training on Wednesday will go ahead as planned if the pitches improve. Latest details will be posted here.
We have the rearranged Cup match against Chippenham this Sunday 31st Jan. Please can you confirm availability?
Thanks Dan
24th January
The Under 16 squad completed a gruelling sponsored bike ride around the countryside near Minety to raise funds for their tour to the Channel Islands later this year. With prizes for fancy dress, the gallery recording their exploits is interesting, to say the least. Click here and all will be revealed.
16th January
Following a pitch inspection, the match on Sunday is cancelled. Have a good weekend and pray for some better weather so that we can do some training soon!
Dan
12th January
Again, and a great disappointment, training is cancelled tomorrow night. Hopefully we will be able to start doing some soon! The match on Sunday is at risk, but i'll send an update later in the week.
Dan
9th January
Hi Folks
Happy New Year
Unfortunately all rugby is off this weekend.
Whilst officially we can play on snow its the permafrost underneath that's the problem.
Will be in touch with arrangements for the following weekend
Regards
Cliff
Head Coach / Club Coaching Co-ordinator / Girls' Coach
8th January
I'm sure everyone has worked it out but the match on Sunday is cancelled. I'll let you know about training next week when we know what the weather doing!
Dan
2nd January
NO training tomorrow (Sunday) due to the frozen ground. Please make sure you are there on Wednesday so that we can prepare for the Chippenham match.
Dan
1st January 2010
Happy New Year!
IMPORTANT : Match on Sunday is CANCELLED, I'm thinking that we would benefit from a daylight training session instead but will check the ground tomorrow and confirm the details. Dan
31st December
Parents do the cruellest things. One parent has sent in this photograph but who is this member of the team alongside Martin Johnson?
Identity to be divulged next week!
Always on the look out for more potentially embarrassing photos!
30th December
Just a reminder that there is NO training tonight (Wednesday). I'll confirm details of the game on Sunday later. Dan
23rd December
Certainly the last posting before Christmas! When Greg Palmer's parents, Nick and Chris, declared that they had made a special Christmas cake for the under 16 squad we certainly weren't prepared for the amazing piece of work that they brought to the final coaching session of the year.
Sadly all that is left of the wonderful cake are some photographs that I managed to capture before the squad devoured it. Click here for the photographs.
Many thanks to Nick and Chris for their splendid cake - it was much appreciated!
Merry Christmas and here's to an even more successful new year.
21st December
Possibly the last post before Christmas. Well done to all the squad and the coaches on what has been a pretty remarkable year.
But what do some squad members get up to when they're not playing rugby? Check out this link and see how two members of the Minety squad occupy their time away from the game. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjVUsdXej0A
16th December
Hi everyone, given the weather forecast for this weekend I don't think it makes any sense to plan a training session on Sunday. So, have a great Christmas and if you need more sponsorship forms then they'll be available on the website very soon. Dan
With the Christmas break looming and it being followed quickly by mock exams at School I thought that you could all do with a little light relief, so your homework for rugby is.....
a) complete the Laws Exam at http://www.irblaws.com/EN/login/ to prove that you know the Laws of the game that we all love - you get a certificate when you've passed.
b) watch at least a couple of games of rugby, concentrate on watching those who are playing in your position.
..... I don't think that it's too hard, and it is interesting to know just how many things you know about the Laws of the game, and how many things you don't!
Regards...Dan
13th December
Minety lost 28-0 in their latest Wiltshire Cup match at Salisbury today. The home team ran in four tries (all converted) in a powerful performance against a resiliant and hard working Minety team. Match report to follow. Match gallery here.
Please can you confirm availability for Sunday (10am meet at Salisbury) for our next Cup game. We need a big turnout to make sure we cover all bases. Thanks Dan
6th December
Minety Under 16s defeat Warminster 10-0 at home in the Wiltshire County Cup. Match report here. Match gallery here.
30th November
Hi all, please can you confirm that you are available for the match this Sunday, home to Warminster in the Cup. Thanks Dan
22nd November
Minety traveled to Corsham for a County Under 16 Cup match. Despite scoring the first try, the team were well beaten by one of the favourites for the trophy. A match report will follow - a Gallery of photographs from the match is available here.
21st November
Hi everyone, just a reminder meet at CORSHAM @ 9.45 tomorrow.
Squad is: Reece, Callum, Greg, Gainey, Tom, Joe, Rob, Bully, Ben, Elis, Jordie, Joby, Dellam, Jim, Kieran, Jacko, Andy. Good luck, Dan
15th November
The Under 16s travelled to Gloucester to play Coney Hill. In a close fought match, the team went down 14 - 5 despite dominating the play for most of the game. A full gallery of the match is available through this link.
10th November
Hi everyone, following my last text about this weekend, we will now play Coney Hill AWAY with an 11KO. Meet there at 9.45.
Please confirm availability asap.
Thanks Dan
1st November
Minety travel to Supermarine (Swindon) and, in a howling gale, come out 7 - 5 winners after dominating much of the possession and territory throughout the game. Mathc report to follow. Match Gallery available here.
27th October
Hi everyone, just to confirm that the match this Sunday AWAY @ Supermarine is on. Please meet at Supermarine at 9.45 for an 11am KO. Please let me know if you can't play. Dan
25th October
Gallery of Sunday's training session with Dave Bull and Wayne Amos available here.
23rd October
Hi everyone, just a reminder that the game against Trowbridge this weekend is cancelled, instead we will have a training session to work on improving our team performance before our next match. Meet at the Club at 10.30 Dan
16th October
Hi everyone, just to confirm this weekend: there is the training session on Sat 9.30-12 and then Sunday Away to Chipping Norton, meet there at 9.45am for 11 KO.
14th October
Alan Low from the RFU coached the under 16 squad this evening. Photographs of the session are available here.
13th October
Message to all squad players from Dan : Saturday 17th Oct - as you know we have a special course on Defensive Play this Saturday (9.30-12.30) which is a coaching masterclass led by Alan Low. Please can you let me know if you can't make it? It's a really good opportunity for us to build on from the trowbridge game. Dan
11th October
In a hard fought match, the Minety Under 16s went down to a heavy defeat at the hands of Trowbridge in the first of their County Cup matches.
After our impressive victory last weekend the first of our County Cup matches takes place this weekend.
The first group stage match is against TROWBRIDGE and takes place Sunday 11th October away at Trowbridge's ground in Green Lane, Trowbridge.
We need to meet at Trowbridge at 9.45, so that we can start our warm-up at 10am promptly and then it is an 11am kick-off.
4th October
Fairford Under 16's 0 - Minety Under 16's 52.
Minety started strongly fielding many players looking for revenge after last seasons’ narrow loss. The precision from the Minety backs and the control and power from the pack gave the Minety’s half backs an easy ride.
Please meet at Farmor's School, Fairford, at 10.15 on Sunday 4th October so that we can warm-up for an 11am KO. Those with tops please make sure you bring them so we don't have the same problem as last week. Thanks Dan
The Under 16 squad played in two short practice matches against their counterparts from Old Patesians, from Cheltenham, and Evesham at the Old Pates Ground.
The Under 16s drew with the host team in a tight encounter but lost narrowly to the Evesham team. Photographs to follow.
22nd September
Match against Old Pates and Evesham . Meet at Old Pates Ground at 10.15am. Full instructions for journey - click here.
A copy of Dan's Under 16 contact detail form can be downloaded from this link. Click here.
The RFU "Youth Player Registration Form" is available for download from this link. The form should only be used for players within the club who have not previously registered with Minety or where previously provided data is out of date. Click here for the document.
The Under 16 squad, joined by several members of the Minety senior rugby team, spent an evening training with former England Under 21, Bath and Moseley forward Alan Lowe. Alan is now a Community Coach for the RFU and gave invaluable advice on training and technique for forwards. A full gallery of the session is included in the Gallery of this site and can be accessed through this link.
