Saturday 19 March 2011
Dorset & Wilts Division 1 North
Minety misfire
Trowbridge 2nd XV 40 pts – Minety 1st XV 3 pts
A strong Trowbridge XV confidently moved the ball through succeeding phases, scoring out wide at regular intervals throughout the game. For their part, Minety worked hard but repeatedly misfired in key set pieces.
Enjoying the spring sunshine and a firm playing surface, Minety started brightly and attempted to attack from the off. But although the pack held their own in the scrummage, they often struggled in the lineout, especially when they got into their opponents’ 22.
In reply, Trowbridge used a pick-and-go strategy and trundled through their phases very well. Playing a short game and recycling quick ball, they typically kept things tight until Minety’s defence was stretched and then rapidly switched the attack out wide.
Everyone in the visiting team put in a hard shift, especially in defence, but Minety’s ball retention in attack let them down, especially when they tangled with the home side’s talented back row.
Flyhalf Tom Fitzcharles kicked an early penalty goal for Minety when a Trowbridge player was penalised for being offside at a ruck, but the rest of the half belonged to the home team and the sides turned round with the score at 18-3 in Trowbridge’s favour.
The second half was a more open affair as players tired and tackles inevitably slipped. Minety’s scramble defence prevented several scores but the visitors often made life hard for themselves by allowing Trowbridge to gather speed and come at them, rather than pressing forward to close them down.
A scuffle broke out when some Minety players objected to what they saw as reckless play at the ruck, and the referee yellow carded a player from each side. Minety were then reduced to 13 men when they were penalised for preventing Trowbridge from taking a quick tap penalty.
Their miseries were completed when Fitzcharles was concussed while tackling an opponent, meaning that he will now have to miss the next the three games.
After the game, Minety coach Huw Jones congratulated his side on their effort. “I was proud of the way you stuck at it for 80 minutes and never gave up,” he told them.
This Saturday, Minety travel a short hop down the B4040 to take on neighbours Cricklade.
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To get Trowbridge’s perspective on the game, here’s the report which appeared on the This is Wiltshire website.
TROWBRIDGE pulled away in the second half to record a fine Dorset & Wilts One North victory.Paul Taylor’s penalty on 20 minutes gave them the lead, but Ryan Dowling levelled for Minety.As the Trowbridge pack gained the upper hand, Joe Knight went in for the opening try and was followed, five minutes before half time, by Justin Reid, Taylor this time adding the extras, then a penalty for an 18-3 half-time lead.Mat Dudman crashed through for the opening try of the second half and with Lee McClurg and Nick Laws dominating the lineouts, a rampaging Sam Edwards added another touchdown, Taylor with the extras.Craig Thomson scored the final try, Taylor converting and kicking a late penalty to round off victory.
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