Saturday 12 January 2013
Dorset & Wilts Division 1 North
Minety endure a cold Bath
Combe Down 1st XV 21pts – Minety 1st XV 5pts
Minety put in a good team performance but were let down by poor tackling as they conceded three tries away against Bath side Combe Down in freezing conditions.
In the first half, loose ball from a collapsing scrum gave Combe Down an opportunity to score. Hacking ahead, they wrong-footed their opponents who failed to gather the bobbling ball. Following up, Combe Down dotted down the try and soon added the conversion.
Defying sleet and snow, the visitors did their best to get back on terms. Minety’s Gareth Peirce jumped well at the lineout, providing his team with a steady supply of ball from both their own and their opponents’ throw-ins. Tom Fitzcharles and Duncan Simpson made some excellent breaks, and there was some sterling work up front by props Craig Smith and Andy Hurley and from flanker Steve Brown.
The home side made further inroads after the break, running through some high and ineffectual tackling to score two further tries.
Minety’s points came from a try by Piers Dixon.
Having no replacements available, the visitors were forced to enlist their coach, Huw Jones, when Pete Hazell retired with an injury after 60 minutes. But Hazell himself had to return to the fray 10 minutes later when Simpson was forced to bow out with a shoulder injury. Minety speedster Dale Langdown damaged his hamstring but limped on until the end of the game.
Defeated but not down, Minety’s players remained buoyant after the match. As Hazell commented, “Despite the result and the weather, all of the lads said that was one of the more enjoyable games of the season!”
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