16th November 2011

WEST DORSET RUGBY: Bament’s boot decides nailbiter

NOSTALGIA won for me on Saturday last. Although with hindsight, I would have had a more comfortable afternoon at Chard, I had to endure Honiton beating the Pirates Amateurs by no less than 58-10.

DORCHESTER 23 DEVIZES 20

This game was as close as the score suggests, with the result in doubt until the 80th minute.

The visitors', after a rather hurried preparation, started the brighter and took the lead with a converted try after some hesitation in the home defence.

Dorchester edged themselves back into the game via the boot of Bament who kicked two penalty goals, before a second converted try took Devizes a score clear.

The home side were beginning to have the edge in the tight however, especially the set scrums; but conversely were conceding far too many penalties to turn this edge into points.

They kicked two further penalties of their own however and, after an even first-half, the score stood at 12-14 at the halfway stage.

The second-half was really a mirror image of the first, with both sides having their moments. The deadlock was broken however by flanker, Miners. He peeled off a maul near halfway and had the pace to round the cover and score out wide. The try remained unconverted but gave the home side the lead for the first time at 17-14.

Devizes then came back, pounding the home line, and their persistence was finally rewarded with a penalty that they duly converted to tie things up at 17-17. They were wide with two more attempts however and with five minutes left, Bament kicked his fifth penalty of the day to edge his side in front.

More was yet to come. Dorchester took a wrong option in trying to run the ball out of defence and were caught in possession. The penalty was conceded and duly goaled to again level the scores. Dorchester launched one last attack from the restart however and, after a couple of phases, the Devizes centres were caught offside in midfield. Bament held his nerve and trusted his method and his kick bisected the poles, taking his side to a win after the closest of close run things.

If nothing else, this win demonstrated just how narrow the margin is between success and failure. Dorchester have suffered three narrow defeats in a row, and this result goes some way to restoring the balance.

It was a necessary win also; for a loss would have taken them well into the lower half of the table and, while I do not remotely think that they are a candidate for relegation, they can certainly do without getting involved in that particular dogfight.

PUDDLETOWN 13 WIMBORNE 2nd 19

The home side were caught cold by their opponents who ran in two tries during the opening exchanges to take a 10 point lead before the game was ten minutes old.

Puddletown settled however, won some possession and, although they got themselves back into the game they did not reduce the arrears until some ten minutes before the change round, when Yeatman kicked a penalty goal.

The visitors restored their 10-point lead with a penalty goal of their own within five minutes of the restart but the next few minutes belonged to Puddletown. They kicked a penalty award to touch, won the lineout and fed full back Udell, coming at pace. He got over by the posts and, with Yeatman adding the extras and kicking a subsequent penalty goal, the home side were level at 13-13 on the hour mark.

Both sides had their moments in attack during the final few minutes but, to home chagrin, it was Wimborne who made the most of their opportunities, kicking two penalties to take the result.

WESTBURY 11 WEYMOUTH 10

Weymouth would have been rather disappointed with their afternoon's work.

They fell behind to a home penalty goal after just ten minutes play, and gifted Westbury a try 10 minutes later. In fact they contributed little to a lacklustre first-half, with Westbury being the more tenacious outfit, and generally speaking looking like the side that "wanted it more".

The score remained at 8-0 at the halfway stage but Weymouth did rouse themselves, albeit only temporarily in the second half, and got a try back through McCorniche after their pack had driven the home side back at a scrum close to their line.

They could not maintain the tempo however and Westbury stretched away with a penalty goal with 10 minutes left. Weymouth did throw themselves something of a life line in the final few minutes when Will Quick got over. The try was scored out wide however, and the conversion kick, that would have given them the lead was unsuccessful.

As it was, Westbury played out time with little trouble and Weymouth ended the day frustrated. Not a good day at the office!

WEYMOUTH 2nd 4 WHEATSHEAF CABIN CREW 0

The Weymouth second side proved too good for their rather large and lumpy opponents, and had the bonus point win sewn up by the halfway stage.

After Rob Smith had opened the scoring, two tries apiece from Gordon Tye and Sam Polly settled the issue.

Andy Bowditch too got on the score sheet, as did centre pairing Tom May and Mike Robinson.

Tye kicked three conversions to complete the scoring and, with Geldard making a welcome return to the fold after injury, and both Grieg and Cowden both going well, Weymouth ended the day with a most comfortable win.

Not such good news for the Weymouth third side which came unstuck 43-0 at their Wimborne counterparts.

SWANAGE & WAREHAM 18 BRIDPORT 14

From the opening exchanges this game was a contest between the rather large home eight and the Bridport quicker outsides.

The home side certainly won the territorial battle in the first-half but could not make it count, and a penalty goal was their only reward.

Swanage & Wareham were made to sit up and take notice however when, some ten minutes after the break, out half King did a "show and go" and slid over by the posts from the twenty two. He converted his own try to give his side a 7-3 lead that was completely against the run of play.

The home side then went back to basics. They ground their way forward principally through the maul, and scored three tries, all unconverted, at regular intervals during the half.

The Bridport lighter pack, although defending stoutly, had difficulty winning useable possession but, with just five minutes left for play, the ball came to Dave Cutting in midfield.

He set off, slipping the odd tackle and being grounded but not held on occasion. He kept going however and eventually made the line.

King again converted to take his side within losing bonus point range and, although Swanage & Wareham went looking for a bonus point of their own at the last, scoring the fourth try proved to be beyond them as Bridport held on.

It may be that Bridport seconds were a little guilty of underestimating visitors Verwood, a side who have not won too many in the league this term.

In any event the final score of 20 points apiece would have been far more to the visitors' liking than to that of the home side.

PREVIEW

The big game of the of Saturday next is the one between local rivals WEYMOUTH and BRIDPORT. Now just a few weeks ago I would have come down very heavily on the side of the former.

They have home advantage, they are currently on top of the Dorset & Wilts league Division One (South) and have lost only once in the division thus far.

I watched Bridport take on Ivel Barbarians some six weeks ago. They did not have great shape to their game and they were well beaten.

I watched them on November 5th too and, although their opposition was not of the strongest, they played with a far better pattern and won with ease. The question is, have Bridport progressed sufficiently from their lack lustre start to the season to enable them to challenge Weymouth at home?

I have to say that I feel that Saturday will prove to be a game too far for the visitors, and they Weymouth will end the day as winners. It will be no cakewalk for them however.

Bridport will certainly "give them a game" always assuming that they can keep 15 bodies on the field throughout. The fact that this one is a local derby certainly makes forecasting more difficult, but I will stick with Weymouth, but not by too much!

DORCHESTER will certainly not find beating visitors, FROME, easy. Their opponents, who lie a couple of places above them in the table, have recently fought out a 19-19 draw at leaders Sherborne, who in turn had narrowly bested Dorchester at Dorchester previously.

This one will be close, although I do tend to favour the visitors, the more especially as the home side find difficulty turning pressure into points at the moment, and much will depend on the accuracy of Bamen's place kicking.

Home side EAST DORSET will certainly not provide easy pickings for PUDDLETOWN for both sides have beaten bottom club Wincanton by similar margins this season, in the only form guide available.

Having said that, while East Dorset enjoyed home advantage for their encounter, Puddletown had to travel to win. I think that this one will be close.

As to the second sides, Bridport will prove too strong for Lytchett Minster who have won only once in the league this season, while Dorchester might just make home advantage tell after a tussle with visitors, New Milton.

A win will not come easy for Weymouth at its Wimborne counterparts, while Weymouth thirds may well have a mountain to climb against top of the table Frome thirds, home advantage notwithstanding.

Fixtures 19th November:

Bridport v Weymouth (away); Bridport 2nd v Lytchett Minster 2nd; Chard v Keynsham (away); Chard 2nd v Minehead Barbarians 2nd, Chard 3rd v Minehead Barbarians 3rd; Crewkerne v Cheddar Valley; Dorchester v Frome; Dorchester 2nd v New Milton 2nd; Honiton v Plymouth Barbarians (away); Honiton 2nd v Exmouth 3rd; Puddletown v East Dorset (away); Sidmouth v Oldfield Old Boys; Sidmouth 2nd v Topsham (away); Sidmouth 3rd v Okehampton 3rd; Weymouth v Bridport; Weymouth 2nd v Wimborne 2nd (away); Weymouth 3rd v Frome 3rd.

Weymouth Youth Rugby

Weymouth U16 19 Dorchester 22

Weymouth played host to Dorchester who had been soundly beaten by the county team in the first game of the season with a very makeshift team. However this game was very different, despite some key players missing due to county commitments.

The first-half saw Weymouth conceding easy and unnecessary points, and they went in at half time 17-0 down. The second-half saw a rejuvenated home team keen on putting some points on the board, and within a few minutes they strung some phases together which was rewarded with a converted try under the posts.

They then scored another unconverted try almost from the restart, but Dorchester gathered themselves and scored what was effectively the deciding try.

However Weymouth came back again to score their third converted try to bring us within a single score, and although very much in the ascendancy, the clock was against them.

Without doubt the team had improved immeasurably to be in a position whereby they walked off being able to match their opponents on an even keel.

Weymouth U16 0 Bournemouth 45

The following week saw Weymouth play a very strong Bournemouth side in the cup competition. The weather conditions were extremely blustery with a very strong north westerly wind blowing across the pitch.

Bournemouth began in their traditional style, very powerful with strong handling getting the ball to the wings at every opportunity ensuring the Weymouth defence was stretched. This was their most fruitful area of scoring. In fact the majority of their points were scored in this way with 38 being scored in the first half.

The second half saw Weymouth holding plenty of territory and possession without troubling the Bournemouth try line who was equally as strong in defence as they were in attack, and no matter what Weymouth tried it was all to no avail, giving Bournemouth the bragging rights for this game scoring their final points in the final minute of the game.

The second-half was a much improved display of teamwork, and the mixed team of under15/16s can feel justly satisfied despite a result that somewhat flattered Bournemouth.

WEST DORSET RUGBY: Bament’s boot decides nailbiter

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