Yes, it’s back (collective groans), after frequent requests for its return (cheers Tom), for another meander through statistics, odd facts and oddments.
On Saturday 7 new players donned the 1st XV shirt in the 2017-2018 season.
That means that 45 players have played for the 1st XV over the 19 matches in D&W1N this season (that’s 3 complete teams!)
John Blair, Joe Kidner, Gareth Peirce, Andy Ward, Ben Kingston, Phil Ward and Ken Wright join the list of 1st XV players in 2017-2018.
11 players have appeared just once for the 1st XV this season.
Top appearances: Tom Claxton, with 18 out of 19 (95%). 2nd top, Garin Garland with 17 from 19 (90%).
With 5 penalties on Saturday Garin has passed the 200 point mark for the season.
Garin’s 203 points represent 48.8% of the 416 points scored by the team this season.
Dave Cooke still sits in 2nd place in the scoring charts with Matt Roberts and Jack Ward tied for 3rd.
18 different players have scored points for the 1st XV this season.
Ben Sellick’s rather unfortunate yellow card against Melksham was the team’s 17th in 19 games.
Ben joins 9 others on the “naughty step”.
The Scottish tradition was maintained, despite Colin French still being injured and Duncan Simpson being somewhere in the Far East. Del Murray, he of the kilt at a recent social, played in the centre on Saturday.
The losing bonus point on Saturday assures Minety of at least 5th place in the league, with a slim chance at 4th still open.
4th placed Warminster’s HWO over Pewsey put them 9 points ahead; Minety have two games in hand.
Minety’s bench totalled 164 years on Saturday, almost certainly a club record for a 1st XV league match.
Now, 164 years ago, we find ourselves in 1854.
Disraeli, who is still nursing a niggling injury, was 50.
Victoria was on the throne.
George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen, was Prime Minister.
Cheltenham Ladies’ College opened.
The Crimean War started.
An epidemic of cholera killed 10,000 people in London.
Charles Dickens published “Hard Times”.
Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote “The Charge of the Light Brigade”
Oscar Wilde was born.
Whilst on the other side of the “pond”, Franklin Pierce (not Peirce (weird but true)) was Prseident and the 1st Souix War began after the Gratton Massacre.
As Diraeli famously said after the defeat at Melksham, Nurture your minds with great thoughts. To believe in the heroic makes heroes.
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