Sat. 12th Oct. Dorset & Wilts Senior Plate Amesbury 6 Westbury 27.
Westbury travelled to Amesbury expecting a tough encounter and were met by a side that were determined to reverse the result of the earlier league fixture, when Westbury overpowered them.
Amesbury started well and for the first 5 or 6 minutes, most of the game was played in the Westbury half. The visitors were seemingly unable to settle down, missing some tackles and poor passing and desperately trying to defend the try line. Amesbury were awarded a penalty when Westbury players were caught offside. The penalty was kicked and Westbury were 3 – 0 down.
With hard work and grim determination, Westbury forced their way back into the match and after an Amesbury lineout in their own half, where lock forward Tom Redman stole the ball for scrum half, James Catley-Day, who spun it wide to his backs, they then with good handling skills moved the ball to winger, Alex Down. Down had plenty to do, but with a show of pace, beat the defenders to score in the corner. Aaron Vaughan then kicked the conversion.
Amesbury then put Westbury under pressure and from an attack out wide, were rewarded with a penalty. The conversion left Westbury with a slender one point lead.
The game seesawed to and fro, with both sides offering good attacking moves, but both defences holding firm. On the half hour after a Westbury line out, the ball was passed out to inside centre, Dan Heatley, who carried deep into Amesbury territory and off loaded to outside centre Mathew Inseal, for him to score. Vaughan, once more added the extras. The final try of the half was scored from a ruck inside Amesbury’s 22 metre area with Tom Redman crashing over the try line. The conversion was missed but Westbury were 19 – 6 in front.
The second half started well for Westbury as after 10 minutes of concerted effort and with Amesbury penalised for going over the top of a ruck, Vaughan kept the score board ticking over with another 3 points. 5 minutes later flanker, Ryan Knight, stole the ball from the Amesbury lineout and passed to left wing Jamie Dixon, who tore up the touch line to score. Vaughan missed the conversion.
Westbury finished as the victors, but only some great defending stopped Amesbury from scoring. Special mention must go to blindside flanker, Ferran Adams, who worked hard all game to give a Man of the Match performance with his tackling and ball carrying.
Westbury progress into the semi-finals where they will meet East Dorset Rugby Club at their Bournemouth Ground on 2nd November.
