Saturday 5 October 2013
Dorset & Wilts Division 1
Six-try Minety see off Supermarine
Supermarine 1st XV 5pts – Minety 1st XV 38pts
A rapid hat-trick of tries from winger Elis Garland got Minety off to a flying start as they set about a comprehensive demolition of hosts Supermarine.
It was a dream start for the visitors. Forwards and backs combined to win ball and feed it down the threequarter line to Garland. Taking ball just inside the opposition half, each time he beat two or three men as he sped in for a try, landing the first two before the game was six minutes old.
His third try came later in the half. Under pressure from Minety’s tackling, Supermarine spilled ball in the centres on half way. Hacking it on, the visitors streamed forward and it was Garland who snatched up the bobbling ball on the 22 and sped in to complete his hat-trick.
Three tries down, Supermarine came back strongly after the break. Led by their forwards, they rumbled over for a try 10 minutes into the half, but that proved to be all that they could manage.
Getting back on top, Minety responded with a try from number 8 Jack Ward, taking a quick tap penalty from short range.
Try number five came from a scrum just outside Supermarine’s 22. Minety won the ball and moved it wide. Passing out of the tackle, outside centre Tim Vaughan created an overlap for Dale Langdown, who sprinted the final 10 metres to cross the line before the drifting defenders could reach him.
Minety’s victory was built on a powerful performance by their pack, who outscrummaged their opponents throughout the game, often winning ball against the head. It was their efforts which set up Minety’s final try, driving deep into Supermarine’s 22 before releasing it to the backs, where flyhalf Phil Stephens finished the job with a touchdown despite the close attentions of a trio of tacklers.
Kicker Luke Radcliffe finished the afternoon with four conversions for Minety. The hosts did their best to get back into the game in the last 20 minutes but the visitors’ first-up tackles repeatedly snuffed out their moves behind the gain line, bringing all Supermarine’s attacking efforts to naught.