A tough game but positives are shown

Sat 5th Feb. Dorset & Wilts Division 1 North Minety 57 – 7 Westbury

AS the season progresses, the problems for Westbury Rugby Club seem to get worse.  What with a lengthening injury list and unavailable players due to work commitments, coach Gareth Vaughan is finding it difficult to put out a settled side each week. 

The side to face Minety had several players not in their usual positions, and from the first scrum of the game the forwards knew it was going to be a long afternoon, when the big Minety pack shunted them off the ball at a rate of knots. 

Westbury held the hosts out for the first ten minutes but were soon a converted try down, after once again being shunted off their own scrum ball, allowing Minety to score.  Ten minutes later, Minety scored an unconverted try in almost a mirrored version of the first one. 

To their credit Westbury fought back hard and on 27 minutes, Jamie Dixon, playing at full back, was able to touch down in the corner for what was to be Westbury’s only try.  Mathew Inseal converting. 

Minety finished the half with another converted try.  Westbury were 19 – 7 down at the end of the half and with the second period to come, where they would be playing up the famous Minety slope with the wind in their faces, life was not getting easier. 

So, it proved to be, with the elements in their favour Minety used the conditions well and by the end of the game had scored six more tries against a battered and bruised Westbury defence. 

To pick some positives from the game might seem to be difficult but there were some good points to be seen.  New scrum half, Lloyd Penny, showed some good skills at the back of a retreating scrum, managing to get the ball away to his backs; also new prop, Josh Ford, was prominent with his ball carrying.  It would be good to mention young Sam Walker, making his first start in senior rugby, although a youngster Sam stood his ground and put in some great tackles against some very big players. 

Report by Paul Couzens