Saturday 6 April 2013
Dorset & Wilts Division 1 North
Explosive Start
Minety 1st XV 65pts – Trowbridge 2nd XV 15pts
Minety caught Trowbridge off guard with an explosive start, running in eight tries before the interval.
Minety’s back line confounded the visitors with its pace and agility.
Scrumhalf Duncan Simpson got things started with a runaway try before the game was five minutes old. Winger Elis Garland soon followed suit, displaying terrific pace as he finished off a move that started with a break by skipper Tom Fitzcharles.
Centre Pete Roberts was next, taking ball on half way and beating all tacklers as he weaved his way under the posts.
Fitzcharles kicked the conversion and, after a penalty goal from the visitors, jinked in for a try of his own, which he again converted.
Flanker Ashley Windle caught Trowbridge’s restart and launched a move that ended with a try by outside centre Michael New.
Trowbridge managed to spoil Minety’s drive from an attacking lineout, but the home pack rucked the ball back to Simpson, who darted through for his second.
Fitzcharles scored his second down the left wing before an attacking move by Trowbridge ended with their spilling possession in Minety’s 22. The home team scooped it up, passed the ball around and eventually gave it to Windle, who executed a powerful final dash to the line.
The visitors spent the last 10 minutes of the half camped in Minety territory, stemming the flow of points against them but unable to score.
Minety started the second half with 14 men after a forward was yellow carded for handling in the ruck before the interval. This led to problems setting the scrum, and when Trowbridge were awarded a free kick, scrumhalf Rob Sully lost no time in zipping over for a try, which fullback Steven White converted.
Winning ball against the head at a scrum deep in the visitors’ 22, Minety spread it wide. Roberts took it at pace and dotted it down over the line.
Trowbridge’s attempt at a counter attack again foundered when the defenders dispossessed the man with the ball and flipped it to Garland. He put in a terrific 60 metre sprint and beat all comers as he ran in the try.
Fitzcharles completed a personal hat-trick of tries to add to his five conversions and Trowbridge added a late touchdown from a tap-and-go by Sully.
Minety must now win their final match away against Calne on Saturday to make sure of staying up next season.
Comments