Minety 1st XV returned to winning ways with a convincing 37 – 0 win at Trowbridge in today’s Dorset and Wilts Division 1 North clash.
After torrential rain throughout the morning, the clearing skies and a beautifully prepared pitch allowed both sides to play attacking rugby from the kick off. With a swirling breeze behind them the Minety forwards soon exerted control and their domination was converted into points in the 17th minute when scrum half Garin Garland kicked a penalty. Despite dominating most of the open play it took Minety until the 35th minute to register their first try, centre Max Sparrow dummying the defence and allowing flanker Steve Brown to score. With Garland converting, and then slotting another penalty, the visitors reached half time 13 points up.
The league points were settled early on in the second half when skipper Wallace Hibberd raced through the Trowbridge line to score under the posts. Garland converted to stretch the lead to 20 points. In the 52nd minute Garland stormed through for a try of his own, which he duly converted, before outside centre Luke Ratcliffe was on the end of a flowing backs’ move for Minety’s 4th try of the game, again converted by Garland.
A penalty from Garland three minutes from time capped a brilliant individual performance from the young scrum half.
After the game, which saw Minety move up to third place in the Dorset & Wilts 1 North division, coach Andy Ward said, “We stepped up two levels today and put the last two defeats well behind us. Our set pieces worked well and we hardly lost any ball from either scrum or lineout. To win at Trowbridge is a real feather in our caps; to win that convincingly, shutting out the opposition in the process, was just brilliant.”
Captain Wallace Hibberd was delighted with his team’s performance. “The scrum worked really well but it was a whole squad performance today. Our defences held tight and we put in some great tackles at crucial moments. I felt that, possibly for the first time this season, our forwards and backs worked really well together. If we can maintain this level of performance we will take some stopping.
Man of the Match: Garin Garland (1 try, 4 conversions (100%) and 3 penalties (100%))
Date: Saturday 7th November 2015. Kick off 2.30pm
Venue: Trowbridge Rugby Club.
Weather conditions: No rain but very wet under foot. Swirling winds.
Competition: Dorset and Wilts Division 1 North
Wallace scores Minety’s 2nd try
Garin kicks a penalty
Luke Ratcliffe scores Minety’s 4th try
Caption Contest?