Saturday 24 March 2012
Minety pace beats Calne provocation
Dorset & Wilts Division 1 North
Minety 1st XV 44pts – Calne 1st XV 18pts
Up against Calne’s powerful and confrontational pack, Minety resisted provocation and let loose a fast-paced running game to which their opponents had no effective answer.
Playing uphill, Minety dominated the first quarter of an hour until a kick from Calne set up a lineout deep in the home 22. Executing a perfect catch-and-drive, the visiting forwards rumbled over for a try.
Minety’s response was to pen their opponents back into their own half. Having been awarded a penalty when Calne strayed offside, skipper Jack Ward opted for a quick tap. The first runner was stopped but the ball was swiftly recycled and popped to number 8 Max Smith, who drove through two tackles for a try.
Ward had no sooner slotted the conversion and the game restarted than Minety came straight back up the slope, moving the ball adroitly down their threequarter line to winger Jonty Messer. Taking the ball on half way, he beat his marker for pace, stepped inside the fullback and then zoomed away on an angled run for a try under the posts.
Ward kicked the goal and soon added a penalty to make it 17-5.
Seeing that they could not match their hosts out wide, Calne resorted to a 10-man game and looked to set up another attacking lineout. Their first attempt at a catch and drive failed, but a second attempt a few minutes later saw their pack once more bulldoze its way to the line for a try.
At this point Calne were causing all sorts of problems for the Minety scrum, but when they attempted to move ball out to their backs, it was spilled in midfield. Ward got his hands on it and slipped it to centre Dale Langdown who took off from half way with a speed and agility that left would-be tacklers floundering in his wake. A try under the posts and another conversion from Ward made it 24-10 at half time.
The visitors’ explicitly physical game had already inspired frequent stoppages for disciplinary talks from the referee in the first half. The second half was even more of a stop-start affair and lasted 55 minutes.
Calne restarted by kicking long and when Minety were caught in possession, they were awarded a penalty and kicked a goal.
Now attacking down the slope, Minety upped the tempo and again moved the ball out to Messer on the wing. He spun through two tackles and then accelerated away for another try under the posts, giving Ward an easy opportunity to kick the extra points.
Changing tactics, Calne opted to run the ball in Minety’s 22. Quick hands whisked possession out to the wing and ensured that for once the defence was caught out of position. The winger beat his man and slipped in for a try in the corner, making it 31-18.
Minety stretched their lead with another penalty goal but an injury to lock James Stuart meant that they had to borrow Ben Parfitt from the second the second team game on a neighbouring pitch.
After the referee had finally yellow carded the visiting number 4, the game began to flow again. There was no score during his 10 minute absence, but after his return, Parfitt made an impressive break which scrumhalf Richard Fisher was able to finish off with another try for Minety.
Winger Pete Hazell, who normally plays at flanker, made a 60 metre charge down the right touchline for Minety’s sixth try of the afternoon, though he tore a hamstring in the process and missed the last five minutes of the game.
Reduced to 14 men, Minety held out against a late resurgence by the visitors, clearing to touch to complete an accomplished afternoon’s performance.
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