29th September 2011

WEST DORSET RUGBY: Bridport still a work in progress

by Keith Jenkin

STRANGE to say but, of the eight clubs I cover, only one, Dorchester had a home game on Saturday last. As I had watched them just two weeks ago I did not feel that I could inflict my presence on them twice in such a short space of time, and therefore decided to make the short journey to Yeovil, and to take in Bridport's game at Ivel.

IVEL BARBARIANS 24 BRIDPORT 10

There was a considerable breeze blowing down the Ivel Barbarians' ground and the home side chose to play with it at their backs in the first-half.

The first ten minutes really belonged to them and they had a chance to cross the whitewash, only for the final pass to be knocked on.

They won a penalty in the Bridport twenty two also and perhaps should have done a little better with the place kick. They were awarded a second penalty after 10 minutes' play, only to see their kick rebound from an upright and, although Bridport were living a little dangerously at this stage, the first ten minutes remained scoreless.

Bridport did get into the game after 15 minutes. Their opponents were giving away rather too many penalties at this stage, and the visitors prospered accordingly and could well have scored around the end of the first quarter. They conceded a penalty of their own close to the line however and Ivel used the elements to kick clear.

The home side's rather large and lumpy pack was having the better of the set scrums and, from a five metre scrummage on the half-hour they sent the ball to the narrow side and one of their midfield took the outside curve and got over some five yards in from touch. Their kicker seemed to have an abiding affection for the woodwork and his conversion kick again rebounded.

Bridport got back on terms in short order when, from a position in midfield they sent the ball left and, as the move looked to be going nowhere, winger Smith showed considerable pace, ran round the cover and touched down halfway out. The try remained unconverted but Bridport were now level at 5-5 after 35 minutes' play.

They received a setback just before the break however when flanker Edwards was sent to the bin for persistent offending.

In his absence Ivel pushed the visitors off their own ball in their twenty two and went down the narrow side where one of their midfield got over five yards in from touch. The place kick was accurate this time and the home side led 12-5 at the break.

At this stage I felt that, although behind, Bridport were far from out of it for they would have the wind in the second half. They fell further behind in Edwards' absence when, early in the second period, they failed to clear their lines after taking the ball into contact in the twenty two.

The turnover came and Ivel took advantage of the gap in the defence close to the breakdown and got over. Again their place kick rebounded but, with the score now standing at 17-5, Bridport had much to do.

They threw themselves a lifeline with 25 minutes left however. From rather scrappy possession in their opponents' twenty two, centre Clark made a good break and had the strength to get over close to the posts.

The kick from in front was pulled wide however and, try as they might in the final quarter, they could not break the shackles that the home pack had imposed, especially in the set scrums and Ivel scored a final try in the last 10 minutes, converted this time, to pull clear.

In spite of having some individual thrust evident amongst their backs, Bridport will know that their rebuilding is far from complete. It is difficult to compensate for the fact that your pack is going backwards at the set scrums. The sin binning did not help much either.

DORCHESTER 15 TROWBRIDGE 5

The late withdrawal of vice-captain Mitchell disrupted Dorchester initially and was perhaps, responsible in part for their slow start, with the visitors forcing them on to the defensive for much of the first quarter.

They defended well however and, having sent Trowbridge empty away, went upfield and took the lead with a try by Newsam, converted by Bament.

It was Newsam again some ten minutes later, but this time in the role of provider. His good work created a chance for Idris Croft. The centre scored in the corner and Dorchester would have been satisfied with their 12-0 interval lead.

It was the home side who pressed early in the second-half and could well have made the result secure during this period. Chances were missed however and a period of Trowbridge pressure then ensued.

Again the home defence coped and, with 15 minutes left for play, Bament kicked a penalty, thus taking his side more than two scores clear.

They fell foul of authority subsequently however and, with just 14 men on the field, play took place for the most part in their twenty two during the final few minutes.

Finally Trowbridge's persistence was rewarded when they got over for a consolation try, with the missed conversion being the last kick of the game.

NORTH DORSET 2nd 21pts, WEYMOUTH 47pts

The Weymouth first side had to come from behind in this Dorset & Wilts league Division One (South) encounter, but finally stretched away to win decisively.

They were caught cold in classic fashion as the home side nipped in for a converted try, touched down by the posts, before the game was a couple of minutes old. They settled however and came back with a converted effort of their own after speedy winger, Will Quick had cut a good line and touched down for Max Boudoir to convert.

North Dorset were most certainly still in the game at this stage and regained the lead with a penalty after Weymouth had infringed, but a second Quick try, again converted by Boudoir after 20 minutes, gave the visitors a lead that they were never to relinquish.

A second home penalty did narrow the gap, only for a try by hooker Reece-Kimble, after he had eluded his would-be tackler, and again converted by Boudoir, saw Weymouth stretch away.

They scored again before the break. Vallance hacked on and Boudoir won the touchdown race. He converted his own score to give his side a 28-13 lead at the change round.

More was to come in the second period and, after North Dorset had again narrowed the gap with a penalty goal, Quick scampered in for his hat trick try to seal the win at 16-35.

Boudoir was having a good day with the boot but he could not add the extras to the next score, touched down by Wilson after the centre had run in from the home 10-yard line. He made ample amends soon after however when he converted Weymouth's final try touched down by skipper Julian Quick.

The visitors were out of sight now and, although North Dorset got over for an unconverted try late on, it was little more than a consolation score.

Both the Weymouth second and third sides took to the field, with the seconds running out 17-0 winners over New Milton, while the thirds went down at Poole.

PUDDLETOWN 19 SWANAGE & WAREHAM 4th 10

Puddletown, keen to build on the successful start to their league season, entertained Swanage & Wareham fourths in a friendly game.

The home side started well and took the lead with a try by Marcus House who was first to react after a relieving kick out of the visitors' defence had been charged down.

Skipper Yeatman added the extras but was unable to convert a subsequent touchdown by hooker, Michael-Beale. The visitors were by no means done however and reduced the arrears with an unconverted effort just before the break, leaving the half-time scoreline at 12-5.

Home fitness levels began to tell in the second period however and Puddletown stretched away with a Martin Spicer try, scored from close range after good work by his colleagues in the eight.

Yeatman again converted to take his side clear and, although the visitors did impose some pressure later in the game, an unconverted try, scored after a breakaway, was their sole reward as Puddletown held on for the win.

On Sunday 9th October the PUDDLETOWN club host the fifth annual "Piddle Dash", a 6km sponsored run for men and boys in aid of Prostate Action and the locally based Weldmar Hospice Trust. So far the event has raised £25,000 and the hopes are that that the total can be pushed beyond £30,000 this year.

The event starts at 10.30am and includes a barbeque, a licensed bar and, new this year, a men only cake competition.

Entry is free and further details, together with Registration and Sponsorship forms can be found on the club's website at www.puddletownrfc.org.uk.

PREVIEW

The leagues have a Saturday off next week and local cup competitions come to the forefront.

DORCHESTER have a first round bye and are therefore, without a fixture. Their seconds however have a nice juicy encounter when they entertain Weymouth seconds.

WEYMOUTH firsts too are on the road and will travel with some confidence to CALNE who reside in the Northern section of the Dorset & Wilts first division and who have not enjoyed nearly as pleasing a start to their campaign as Weymouth.

BRIDPORT, likewise play away from home, and they too have a game that they should win, for their opponents VERWOOD lie in the division below.

PUDDLETOWN travel to POOLE for the second time this season. On the previous occasion they returned having won by a single point. They will have to be at their best if they are to repeat that performance.

Bridport seconds should travel to Colerne; but their opponents might not be able to play host, and the venue therefore is at present undecided.

FIXTURES October 1st

Bridport v Verwood (away); Bridport 2nd v Colerne; Chard v Barton Hill; Chard 2nd v Martock (away); Crewkerne v Somerton; Dorchester 2nd v Weymouth 2nd; Honiton v Falmouth; Honiton 2nd v Tavistock 2nd; Puddletown v Poole (away); Sidmouth v Penryn; Sidmouth 2nd v Exmouth 2nd (away); Sidmouth 3rd v Exmouth 3rd; Weymouth v Calne (away); Weymouth 2nd v Dorchester 2nd (away).

Dorchester U17 12 Bridport 26

The local bragging rights returned to Bridport as they avenged their earlier loss away to Dorchester with two sparkling tries and a fine exhibition of goal kicking.

It was a win built on a solid performance from the forwards who dominated the set-pieces and were made to work hard in defence, with the backs exploiting many of their opportunities.

Indeed cooler heads and better communication would have given the blues at least two or three more tries.

However, Bridport exerted good pressure right from the start and went ahead when Bob Lester-Card kicked a penalty from wide out for offside.

They immediately increased their advantage when the visiting pack won possession against the head and James Hansford broke to set up Will Haggerty to run from halfway and score under the posts, Lester-Card converting.

However Dorchester hit back to cause panic in the Bridport defence and they drove a maul from a line-out and having dragged in the defenders, put the ball wide and scored in the corner.

An impressive penalty by Lester-Card from the 10m line completed the first-half scoring.

The hosts reduced the arrears soon after the restart when Bridport missed a tackle on the winger, allowing him round under the posts, easing the conversion.

From there on Dorchester exerted a lot of pressure but tremendous efforts by the forwards in the scrum and line-out, where they won many off the opposition throw, kept the home side at bay.

Lester-Card, kicking into the breeze, made it look all too easy as he kicked another penalty form the 10m line, before Bridport scored their second try from another breakout, with Haggerty releasing Dylan White as the full-back committed to the tackle, for an easy try and straight forward conversion.

Lester-Card completed the scoring with a penalty after Dorchester were penalised for a deliberate knock-on for a well earned Bridport victory.

Weymouth II 17 New Milton II 0

A GOOD team performance produced a good victory in this friendly which sprung to life in the second half after the first period had finished 0-0; a good run down the wing from Simon Comben who stormed through the New Milton to touch down in the corner opening the scoring

Weymouth continued to pressurise the New Milton defence and after New Milton had grounded had grounded in their own try area number 8 Tom Beech flew off the base and offloaded to scrum-half Gordon Tye who crossed in the corner to extend the lead to 10-0.

As the game wore on, Weymouth dominated more and more and it was Andy Bowditch that stormed over to score the last try of the game, with new fly half Nick Sheppard adding the extras.

Second team Captain Kevin Leatham said:"Well done to all of the players, we played well today and the score line I believe reflected the game. Most of all I was really impressed with our defence"

If anybody would like to come along and play rugby, training is on a Tuesday and Thursday night at the club (Monmouth Avenue) from 6.30pm to 8pm.

PICTURE: CAUGHT YOU | Weymouth Veterans’ Dave Stone is tackled in midfield in the recent match with Poole.

Despite the 7-27 score line, Weymouth put in some good work in the scrum particularly from John Beare, Andy Dewell and Ian Tibble, in defence by David Stone and Nathan Parker and by scrum half Ean Cameron around the scrum. Weymouth’s try was scored by Tibble and converted by Nathan Parker.

WEST DORSET RUGBY: Bridport still a work in progress

Comments

Add new comment