Yesterday’s concession by Warminster meant that Minety 1st XV’s season ended with a bit of a whimper but the boys entertained themselves with a game of rugby tennis and then settled back to watch the epic Gloucester Bath match on the tv’s in the club house. The 5 points gained by Minety pushed them up into 6th place but there was always a chance that Trowbridge could pip them with a big win at Calne.
In the end Calne pulled out all the stops and won a surprise victory against Trowbridge, pulling themselves up to 10th place above Pewsey Vale and ensuring that 6th place in the league was Minety’s.
Elsewhere Supermarine managed a try against Combe Down but the champions had the last laugh over the bottom club with a heavy 93-5 win. Avonvale kept up their challenge and secured their 2nd place with a thumping of Pewsey, the visitors slipping back to 11th in the league as a consequence.
9th placed Chippenham beat 8th placed Sutton Benger while Melksham and Royal Wootton Bassett finished 41 all in a match that could have seen Bassett leap frog Warminster into 4th place.
So Combe Down are the champions and will, presumably, ply their trade in the league above next season. Avonvale have proved themselves to be the second best team in the league having lost to Combe Down twice and only lost one other match all season. Melksham have consistently been the top placed Wiltshire team in the division while Warminster pip Bassett, the latter rueing their double loss to local rivals Minety during the season.
Minety’s 6th place is better than some were predicting earlier on in the season. Injuries and unavailabilities have taken their toll on the Minety side, fielding no less than 48 different players in the 1st XV over the course of the season.
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