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Saturday 17 October 2009 Dorset & Wilts Division 2 North Colerne collar Minety youngsters Colerne 24pts – Minety 2nd XV 5pts A depleted Minety second XV battled hard at Colerne but were repeatedly punished by the home team for their mistakes. Missing eight players from last week thanks to injuries, unavailability and call-ups to the firsts, Minety seconds were grateful for their reserve of capable young volunteers. Despite some ferocious tackling, however, especially by fearless fullback Michael Scott, their more experienced hosts scored two tries in each half. All too often, after a period of sustained pressure in which they camped in the home team’s 22, Minety would spill the ball, allowing Colerne to pounce on it and launch a counterattack. Minety’s points came from a first half try by lightning quick winger Luke Smith, latching on to ball initially driven forward by the pack.

The Minety 2nd XV (aka “The Dream Team”) found that they had their hands full when they took on Stroud Nomads in the first round of this year’s Stroud & District Combination Junior Cup. The Nomads were faster and stronger but the Dreamers never gave up… Full details of the game are in Match Reports. There was no game for the firsts today, but next Saturday, 13 November 2010, both senior Minety teams have home fixtures in the league. The 1st XV play against Chippenham seconds, while the Dream Team play hosts to the Pewsey Vale 2nd XV. Kick-offs at 2.30 pm.

Dorset & Wilts Division 1 North Frustrated! Minety 1st XV 14pts – Devizes 2nd XV 7pts Fine first-half tries from Jack Ward and Tom Fitzcharles gave Minety victory over Devizes seconds in their last home game of the season but were not enough to secure a bonus point as dropped ball and opposition spoiling prevented their making further scores. Sunshine and a dry pitch promised free-flowing rugby, but though Minety started positively, their ambitions were largely thwarted by their opponents adopting a damage-limitation policy of slowing possession and killing the ball whenever possible. Highly experienced Minety forwards Martin Coe, Andy Hurley and Craig Smith are all due to retire at the end of the season, but they each made their presence strongly felt in this, their last appearance on home turf. Their storming runs, bustling tackles and committed rucking kept their opponents continually on the back foot and their contributions will be sorely missed next season. Smith was forced to retire injured after 30 minutes, but though Devizes attempted to disrupt the set piece, consistently wheeling the scrum, it was to no avail as Minety launched from the base just outside the visitors’ 22. Fitzcharles slipped through two tackles to score under the posts, and Ward slotted the kick to make it 14-nil at the half. With the wind and slope against them and the sun in their eyes in the second half, Minety struggled to add the two tries needed to secure a bonus point. Scrumhalf Ben Thomas created havoc for the tired Devizes pack and forwards Tom Windle and Max Smith both put in good runs. The backs continued to look lively but vital passes went astray and the home team failed to trouble the scoreboard again. In the end it was Devizes who managed a consolation score, breaking from deep in their own 22 and creating an overlap to put away their speedy flanker for a long run in for the try. Still second in the league and with a tight finish to the season guaranteed, Minety travel away this Saturday to take on Chippenham seconds. –0-0– The club press officer, who didn’t see the game, wrote the above report based on details provided by one of the players who took part. Club coach Huw Jones, who did see the game (and took notes!), remembers things slightly differently… Minety started strongly with the wind at their backs and opened the scoring after 7 minutes. Devizes failed to make touch following a clearance kick from their 22. The ball was fielded by winger Duncan Simpson. A side step, swerve and acceleration put him into space. The cover defence managed to haul him down, from the quick ruck that followed Minety’s backs put it through the hands. Tom Fitzcharles’ majestic side step catching the Devizes defence flat footed and he glided under the sticks for the score. Minety skipper Jack Ward kicked the conversion for a 7 – 0 lead. Despite plenty of pressure, a combination of poor ball retention and by the home side and some disruptive tactics from the visitors kept the score line unchanged until the 37th minute. With Devizes penalised for killing the ball Minety upped the tempo. A quick tap by scrum half Ben Thomas going left put Ward into space. With the line at his mercy he powered over, taking 4 tacklers with him. The conversation added by Ward to make it 14 – 0 at half time. With the visitors enjoying the wind and slope in the second half a fourteen point cushion didn’t look enough for Minety. However Devizes didn’t change their negative tactics until it was too late in the second half. With only 7 minutes remaining Minety lost the ball deep in the Devizes half. This time the visitors chose adventure and unleashed their rugby ability for the first time. Crisp inter-passing set the Devizes open side in space on his own 22. Scintillating footwork and searing pace saw him outstrip the entire Minety defence for an 80m score under the posts. With the conversion a formality the score was 14 – 7 and a tense final 5 minutes ensued. Ultimately it was too little too late for the visitors and Minety hung on for a deserved victory and four valuable points in their quest for league glory. Devizes being forced to settle for a losing bonus point as their season fizzles out. Had Devizes deployed their rugby talent throughout the whole game the result may well have been quite different.

Saturday 8 October 2011 Dorset & Wilts Division 3 North First defeat for Dreamers Combe Down 2nd XV 10pts – Minety 2nd XV 3pts Combe Down’s strength up front and pace out wide proved too much for Minety seconds in this top-of-the-table clash. Minety have been strong in the set pieces this season, but on Saturday it was Combe Down who won the majority of lineouts and scrums, ensuring plenty of ball for their fleet-footed backs. The visitors still proved dominant in the loose, though, rucking well and stealing their opponents’ ball on several occasions. The home side’s first try came from a lineout at which they snatched Minety’s throw. Setting up a rolling maul, the Combe Down pack trundled over for the score. Having been initially held up over the Minety line, the two packs squared up for a five metre scrum. The home forwards’ superior weight and strength told and they drove over for a second try. The visitors did their best to get back into the game in the second half and dominated for periods, but a penalty goal from Andy Edwards was their only reward. Minety threatened to score in the dying minutes of the game, but a try-saving tackle by the Combe Down fullback kept them out. Minety’s Man of the Match was Keiran Evertt, making his senior debut on loan from the Academy and playing a fine game at number 15. He caught everything and set up some strong attacking runs. This Saturday, Minety seconds play a cup game away against the Swindon College Old Boys second team.

A 79th minute try by Elis Garland away at Calne this afternoon sealed a vital win for Minety firsts as they oh-so-narrowly overcame their feisty opponents 10-11 in cold and drenchingly wet conditions. The victory secures Minety an almost respectable ninth place in the table of 12 teams in Dorset & Wilts Division 1 North and should ensure that we avoid the drop this season. The Dreamers weren’t so lucky, however, and went down 22-5 away against Swindon thirds. A report on the first team game, with photographs, is now in the Match Reports section. Further photographs are being posted on the Minety RFC Facebook page. A brief report on the second team game has now been added. News just in… The Minety RFC Annual Dinner is going to be held on Friday 10 May. Have a look at the new Annual Dinner page for details. Next week is the Minety 7s. Full details on the Minety 7s page. Be there, it should be bigger and better than ever this year!

Dorset & Wilts 2nd XV Shield Quarter Final Fitness tells Minety 2nd XV 7pts – Royal Wootton Bassett 2nd XV 17pts Despite dominating up front, Minety Dreamers found themselves coming off second best against their counterparts from Royal Wootton Bassett. The visitors’ superior pace and fitness made the difference and helped secure this quarter final of the Dorset & Wilts 2nd XV Shield by three tries to one. Then the deadlock broke, and a well executed passing move saw Bassett piling over the line for their opening try. With Minety visibly tiring as half-time approached, Bassett scored a break-away try that, with one conversion from two attempts, gave them a 12-point lead at the break. Minety had the advantage of the slope in the second half, but although they continued to enjoy the upper hand in the forward encounters, they lacked the legs to get back on terms. Stout defence held Bassett for 20 minutes but could not prevent them scoring their third and final try up the slope. Watching from the touchline, Minety’s injured second team captain Ben Scott commented, “I take a lot of encouragement from today’s performance against a side who play a league above us, but ultimately a lack of fitness let us down.”

Saturday 26 October 2013 Dorset & Wilts Division 3 Minety overwhelm Melksham Melksham 3rd XV 0pts – Minety 2nd XV 45pts Minety seconds ran in seven tries without reply as they completely outplayed their hosts, Melksham thirds, on Saturday. Starting strongly, the visitors piled on 33 points before the break. Melksham managed to slow them only slightly in the second half, but were unable to get on the board themselves. Minety’s haul included a brace of tries for Dellam Murray and one for veteran scrummager Stacey Skinner. Tim Vaughan kicked four conversions and Steve Murray successfully slotted a fifth. Minety’s man-of-the-match was Academy player Mark Glew, who put in an outstanding performance.

A report on the game is now in the Match Reports section. Minety’s two senior teams play their next games on Saturday 5 January when the firsts welcome Chippenham seconds and the Dreamers play hosts to Devizes thirds. Kick-offs at 2.30 pm. Meanwhile, Minety Rugby Club wishes all its friends, supporters and opponents a very happy Christmas and a peaceful, and prosperous New Year. Here’s to Minety winning some more games in 2013…

Minety have been given a new set of Sport Reach team kit courtesy of local specialist Land Rover dealers T H White. Twelve Minety players attended “An Evening with Richard Hill” at T H White. At the end of the evening, Hill, the former Bath and England scrumhalf and currently chief coach at Worcester Warriors, presented the players with the new free kit bearing the sponsor’s logo. A big thanks to T H White for their generous support for our club, and to  Dave Church and Charlie Gawthropp for arranging this evening. We also have a spare new shirt which will be auctioned at the annual dinner. Shirts in the new Minety strip are now available for sale at £25 each. Contact Jack Ward for further details.

Looking much more together than last week, Minety firsts put on a terrific performance away against Calne today only to lose by a mere two points in the dying minutes of the game. The final score was 24-22 which meant Minety secured two bonus points, one for scoring four tries or more and the other for losing by fewer than seven points. Luke Radcliffe scored two scorching first half tries for Minety and is pictured here on the way to scoring his second. The Dreamers, meanwhile, had a tough time down at Devizes, going down 39-0. Details of these games are now in the Match Reports section along with photographs of the Calne fixture. Further pictures of this game can found on the Minety RFC Facebook page. Next Saturday, 17 December, our senior teams play at home in their final games before Christmas. The firsts welcome Swindon seconds to Minety while the Dreamers play hosts to Colerne. Kick-offs: 2.15 pm.

Saturday 17 September 2011 Dorset & Wilts Division 3 North Young Bull on the charge Warminster 2nd XV 19pts – Minety 2nd XV 29pts Minety seconds held their nerve and kicked their goals to win away at Warminster. Young Minety Academy player Josh Bull made his mark as flanker for the seconds on Saturday. His first-half try was converted by Andy Edwards who also kicked a penalty goal to make it 7-10 in Minety’s favour at the break. Lock Ralph Wells scored Minety’s second after the break, but the home side came back strongly with two tries of their own. Three more penalty goals from Edwards kept Minety’s noses just in front but, with two minutes to go and the score at 19-24, Warminster were pressing hard on their opponents’ line and seemed poised to score. Then the ball went loose and before the home side could react, Brendon Rice had scooped it up and was charging upfield. He got as far as half way, but when he was brought down, Bull was on hand to take the pass and clinch the win with a try for Minety.

NEWS FLASH: Minety RFC 40th Anniversary Summer Ball announced – Friday 13 May 2011 – see event page for full details –0-0– Saturday 22 January 2011: Minety flanker Kuldeep Singh (right) shows how it’s done, bringing down his man as the firsts win their second away game on the trot, beating Sutton Benger 3-19. The seconds lost to the Westbury 2nd XV 18-22, but it was a cracking game. Details now in the Match Reports section. Full photo selection for the Sutton Benger game to follow. There should be good photos of Minety games in the local press this weekend. The Wilts and Glos Standard have some great photos of the Dreamers’ game against Westbury (see the match report for previews) and there should be some interesting professional shots from the Sutton Benger game in some of the papers too. Next Saturday, 29 January 2011: both Minety’s senior teams play at home and there’s a Friends of Minety RFC lunch (see Ken Judd for details). The firsts take on Sutton Benger again while the Dream Team play hosts to Warminster seconds. Kick offs: 2.30 pm.