Saturday 25 January 2014
Dorset & Wilts Division 1 North
Minety rain supreme
Swindon 2nd XV 7pts – Minety 1st XV 24pts
In howling wind and driving rain, Minety subdued Swindon seconds with a back-to-basics display of powerful rucking and territorial domination.
Playing with the wind behind them in the first half, the visitors pinned their hosts back into their own 22.
Awarded a penalty 10 minutes into the game, Minety opted for a tap and pop pass to lock Craig Smith, who tied up the defence with a bulldozing run. Quick recycling fed the ball to flanker Steve Brown, whose nimble show-and-go outwitted the cover and allowed him to sneak in for a try under the posts.
Jack Ward successfully booted the conversion and when the game restarted, Minety once more cooped up their opponents.
For a spell, Swindon withstood the pressure, but when Minety lock Tom Windle got his hands on the ball, he made short work of the home defence as he smashed over the line for a try under the posts.
Again Ward added the extras, kicking a penalty goal before the break to give the visitors a 17-nil advantage at the interval.
Playing up the slope and against the wind in the second half, Minety’s main challenge was to contain their opponents. Hail made conditions difficult for both sides, but Minety tackled solidly and consistently outrucked the home pack to win ball on the deck.
Swindon’s frustrations boiled over with 20 minutes to go and their number 11 was red carded from the pitch.
Ward kicked another penalty goal and the score remained 0-20 until the final minute of play, when the Swindon flyhalf ran in a consolation try. The conversion was good and the game ended 7-20, though the score was later recorded as 7-24 by the RFU.