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With important games coming up, and after all that turkey and Christmas pudding, training has rarely been more relevant… Training restarts on Tuesday evening this week. Meet at Minety Playing Fields at 7 pm. As always, newcomers are hugely welcome. Regular players: please be there.

Saturday 21 September 2013 Dorset & Wilts Division 1 Fairford teach Minety a lesson Fairford 1st XV 43pts – Minety 1st XV 10pts Fairford gave visitors Minety a painful lesson on Saturday, completely outplaying them in all phases of the game. Having done reasonably well against Melksham the week before, Minety went into this game expecting to compete. This confidence proved misplaced. Fairford were sharper, faster and more creative and were soon piling on the points. Well-worked tries from scrumhalf Duncan Simpson and fullback Robin Greenway were scant consolation for Minety, as their hosts scored freely in both halves. “It was a tough day in the office for Minety,” conceded coach Huw Jones after the game. “We found out that we’re a bit further behind the curve than we thought this time last week. We were well beaten and it hurts. A lot. Hard work beckons…”

Wednesday 25 September 2013 Skinner duo scatter skittles Rugby Club 278 – MPFA Committee 226 Rugby club won 9-6 The rugby club were as delighted as they were surprised to beat the MPFA Committee at skittles. Despite the obvious motivation, the Rugby Club proved woefully ineffectual in the beer rounds, but pulled ahead in the overall competition thanks to solid bowling from all members of the team and some inspired skittling by the father and son duo of Stacey and Gabriel Skinner. In the end, Gabriel outdid his dad, bowling a remarkable 44 to become the top scorer in the league so far this season. Josh Vaggs put in a sterling performance as both a team member and putter-upper and our club treasurer Kevin Holdway finished the evening with a storming series of seven pointers. (We’ll pass over his earlier rounds without comment.) Guest Steve Minto showed us all how to bowl consistently well, coach Huw Jones looked remarkably as if he knew what he was doing, and skipper Mark Turner sportingly turned in the lowest score of the team to save the Press Officer’s blushes. The Rugby Club’s individual scores were as follows: Steve Minto 36 Josh Vaggs 34 Stacey Skinner 39 Nigel Price 30 Kevin Holdway 33 Huw Jones 35 Gabriel Skinner 44 Mark Turner (Captain) 27 The Rugby Club’s next skittles fixture is at 8 pm on FRIDAY 11 OCTOBER at the Clubhouse. If you want to be a part of this season’s only undefeated Minety RFC team, contact: Tim Vaughan tagvaughan@icloud.com 07771-747068

Minety’s 15-29 victory against Devizes II takes them up to second place in the table, just behind Chippenham II, who visit Minety this Saturday, 7 December 2013. The Dreamers, meanwhile, were visiting Swindon thirds, whom they beat 7-12 in a bruising meat-grinder of a match. Accounts of both games are now in the Match Reports section. The Devizes report also includes Minety coach Huw Jones’ full write-up of the game. Tracey Glew’s photographs of the Dreamers’ game against Swindon thirds are now on the Minety RFC Facebook page. (I hope you don’t mind, Tracey, but I’ve borrowed one of Stacey Skinner for this page, and included some more in the match report on the game!) This Saturday, 7 December 2013, sees both Minety’s senior teams at home. There is also a Friends of Minety lunch before the games. Contact organiser Mark Wallington for further details. As already mentioned, the firsts are hosting league leaders Chippenham II, while the seconds welcome their counterparts from Westbury. Come and join us on the touch-line for what should be a great afternoon. Kick-offs are at 2.30 pm.

The firsts outplayed a determined Calne to win 30-7, while the Dreamers kept a clean sheet against Warminster seconds to win 14-nil. That’s seven tries scored by Minety. Excellent work! Reports on both games are now in the Match Reports section. There are also some excellent photographs of both matches on the Minety RFC Facebook page. The firsts make their way down to Trowbridge while the seconds visit Pewsey Vale. Kick-offs at 2.30 pm.

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.

Saturday 24 November 2012 Dorset & Wilts Division 1 North Minety pull together for a win Avonvale 1st XV 7pts – Minety 1st XV 24pts Minety combined their first and second teams to pull off a much needed win against Avonvale. With a host of players injured or unavailable, Minety had to withdraw from their second team fixture and concentrate their limited resources on the first team’s visit to Avonvale. As the main field there was underwater, the game was played on a sloping reserve pitch but gusting winds and driving rain made handling difficult and the playing surface soon cut up underfoot. Avonvale opened with a fine break and an early try was only prevented by a last-ditch tackle from Minety scrumhalf Duncan Simpson. After that, the visitors gradually began to dominate, their lightweight front five managing to hold their own in the set piece. A threatening run from Dale Langdown and a penalty attempt by Phillip Stephens narrowly failed to put points on the board, but when Simpson got good ball from an attacking scrum, the visitors were under way. Flyhalf Stephens slipped a pass to Milo Hartley and he in turn stepped his man before offloading to Robin Greenway, who sped away for a well-worked try which Andy Edwards converted. Avonvale missed a penalty goal attempt, but their bigger forwards began to get the upper hand in the final 10 minutes of the half. When scrumhalf Joe Pugh picked up from a ruck, he was able to wriggle through for a try which centre Steve Retford converted to tie the score at seven-all at the break. Edwards missed a penalty early in the second half but sustained pressure eventually enabled the visitors to move ahead as a tap penalty and two quick passes released skipper Tom Fitzcharles for a try under the posts. This time Edwards made no mistake and his conversion made it 7-14 in Minety’s favour. A penalty goal from Edwards extended the visitors’ lead and as Minety continued to press, Avonvale gave away further penalties. When lock Dave Church, normally a centre, was given the ball from a tap penalty, he piled through for a try, the successful conversion sealing Minety’s 7-24 win.

A full account of who-did-what is now in the Match Reports section. In addition to the pictures here, there is a large selection of photographs of the game on the Minety RFC Facebook page. The Dreamers, meanwhile, were left fixtureless when Pewsey Vale seconds pulled out of their scheduled game, leaving Minety with a walkover. This Saturday, 10 March 2012, Minety firsts travel away to Bradford-on-Avon while the seconds visit their counterparts at Supermarine. Kick-offs at 2.30 pm.

Minety blitz Benger Dorset & Wilts Division 1 North Sutton Benger 1st XV 0pts – Minety 1st XV 59pts Minety put on a superb first-half performance to destroy Sutton Benger with seven tries before the break. From the start, the Minety pack were in fine form, shoving Sutton Benger off their own put-in and regularly filching possession at the lineout. Gifted plentiful ball, the visiting backs ran riot, with in-form winger Dale Langdown leading the way with two tries in quick succession. Skipper Jack Ward crossed the line from a short-range penalty before flyhalf Philip Stephens scored from 15 metres after the Minety forwards had driven their opponents back off their own ball. When Benger spilled possession on their 10 metre line, flanker Ashley Windle was quick to pounce. Hacking on, he looked fair to scoop up his own kick before he was cynically tackled off the ball. The referee played advantage and Stephens was on hand to finish the move with his second try. A final try from 30 metres was converted by Ward, slotting his fifth goal of the half. Ahead by 45 points to none, Minety took their foot off the gas in the second half. They over-complicated play, with runners taking on opponents when they should have passed. The biting cold made handling increasingly difficult and there were plenty of knock-ons. Sutton Benger’s tackling improved, but although their kicking from hand was excellent throughout the game and won them useful field positions, they remained unable to breach the visitors’ defence. Breaks by the Minety centres brought two further tries, with the second one being run the entire length of the pitch. A last-ditch tackle appeared to have snuffed out the move within inches of the line, but flanker Gareth Peirce was in close support, snatching up the ball and dotting it down for a try. Ward converted both scores to give his side an impressive 59 point margin of victory. Minety will face a much sterner test this Saturday as they play hosts to league leaders Chippenham seconds.

Today’s 1st XV game away against Trowbridge has been called off and will need to be rescheduled some time in the new year. The 2nd XV fixture away against Supermarine seconds is still going ahead. Kick-off: 2.15 pm. Come down and support the Dream Team!

Dorset & Wilts Division 1 North Minety wind-chill winners Sutton Benger 1st XV 3 pts – Minety 1st XV 19 pts In a bruising game on a bitterly cold day, Minety took their scoring chances and defended with enough passion and organisation to prevent Sutton Benger taking theirs. An early penalty goal provided Sutton Benger’s only points in the game. Minety got under way thanks to a driving assault by the pack, who mauled their way over their opponents’ line so that hooker Wes Clamp could land a try. After that, the game ebbed and flowed, with neither side able to break through within the narrow confines of the Sutton Benger pitch until Minety centre Dale Langdown took the ball on half-way. Setting off hot-foot for the try line, he jinked and dummied his way through the defence, evading all attempts at a tackle as he sped in for the score. The first half fizzled out with a brace of yellow cards and time-outs for injuries. The home team had a player sin-binned for foul play and the visitors lost one for not rolling away in the tackle. Sutton Benger started the second half boldly, pressing deep into Minety’s 22, but when the visitors turned over possession, Dowling set off with the ball from his own try line. Closely pursued the whole length of the pitch, he managed to stay ahead of his pursuers to run in a spectacular solo try at the other end of the field. After that, the game slowly degenerated into a sequence of stoppages for injuries and sendings off for players from both sides. Minety came near to landing a fourth try and claiming a bonus point but never quite pulled it off, while Sutton Benger never really looked like breaching their opponents’ determined defence. This was the first leg of a two match mini-series between these teams. They play the second leg at Minety this Saturday. Kick-off: 2.30 pm.

Dorset & Wilts Division 1 North Minety’s New Year “nearly” Minety 1st XV 24 pts – Pewsey Vale 1st XV 29 pts Pewsey Vale came from behind with a late try to steal victory from Minety in a closely fought encounter. After several weeks’ layoff, both sides looked a little rusty but Pewsey Vale’s passing and support play were better than Minety’s. For their part, the home team looked more composed than in their last few games, but were repeatedly let down by poor tackling and some bad decision making. Frustratingly, they also lost three more players to injury during the game. Robin Greenway left the field with a groin strain, Ben Parfitt dislocated his shoulder and Ben Scott needed attention after he was knocked out. Playing down the hill, Minety took the lead early in the second half thanks to a storming try from lock Matt Hooper. For a long while after that, Pewsey hogged possession, and though their hosts on occasion tried to clear their lines with long kicks downfield, the visitors kept on running the ball back. Passing well despite the chilly conditions, Pewsey worked a gap and Haynes burst through for a try just to the left of the posts, regaining the lead for his side and then extending it with a well struck conversion. That tied the game, but Edwards’ confident conversion gave the hosts a narrow two-point lead. With the clock ticking down, Minety seemed to have done enough, but Pewsey stuck to what they were best at, running and passing the ball. Beating a series of soft tackles, Williams scampered over for his third try of the game before Haynes capped the victory with a final conversion. Minety had to be content with two bonus points, one for scoring four tries and another for losing by seven points or fewer. Next Saturday, they play away against Fairford.