Saturday 28 January 2012
Minety blitz Benger
Dorset & Wilts Division 1 North
Sutton Benger 1st XV 0pts – Minety 1st XV 59pts
Minety put on a superb first-half performance to destroy Sutton Benger with seven tries before the break.
From the start, the Minety pack were in fine form, shoving Sutton Benger off their own put-in and regularly filching possession at the lineout.
Gifted plentiful ball, the visiting backs ran riot, with in-form winger Dale Langdown leading the way with two tries in quick succession. Skipper Jack Ward crossed the line from a short-range penalty before flyhalf Philip Stephens scored from 15 metres after the Minety forwards had driven their opponents back off their own ball.
Running from his own half, Langdown completed a hat-trick with opponents grasping ineffectually at his shadow as he sped past.
When Benger spilled possession on their 10 metre line, flanker Ashley Windle was quick to pounce. Hacking on, he looked fair to scoop up his own kick before he was cynically tackled off the ball. The referee played advantage and Stephens was on hand to finish the move with his second try.
A final try from 30 metres was converted by Ward, slotting his fifth goal of the half.
Ahead by 45 points to none, Minety took their foot off the gas in the second half. They over-complicated play, with runners taking on opponents when they should have passed. The biting cold made handling increasingly difficult and there were plenty of knock-ons.
Sutton Benger’s tackling improved, but although their kicking from hand was excellent throughout the game and won them useful field positions, they remained unable to breach the visitors’ defence.
Minety brought on two young Academy players in the last 20 minutes. Lock Tom Windle joined his brother in the scrum while David Cooke made a promising debut on the wing.
Breaks by the Minety centres brought two further tries, with the second one being run the entire length of the pitch. A last-ditch tackle appeared to have snuffed out the move within inches of the line, but flanker Gareth Peirce was in close support, snatching up the ball and dotting it down for a try. Ward converted both scores to give his side an impressive 59 point margin of victory.
Minety will face a much sterner test this Saturday as they play hosts to league leaders Chippenham seconds.
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