Round-up of the grassroots rugby action – Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th April.
Victory here at North Bristol Ladies 2nd XV on Sunday 26th April handed Bath Ladies United the Women’s NC 1 South West (East) title | Photo © Richard Briggs
Walcot suffered a heavy home defeat to bottom side Marlborough 2nd XV in what was a dead rubber in Counties 1 Tribute Ale Southern South on Saturday 25th April.
With the men from Albert Field already assured of runners-up spot behind champions Sherborne, and Marlborough consigned to the basement, the relegated visitors’ 66-40 success made little impact on the league table.
The Black & Whites finished with 83 points from their 22 matches, 17 of which were won.
They concluded the campaign 14 points adrift of the Dorset All Blacks but two points ahead of third-placed Devizes.
All in all, the season was one to savour for Walcot, who did the double over Swanage & Wareham when the Bestwall outfit were right in the running for a tilt at the title.
A torrid opening 15 minutes in the Walcot-Marlborough clash saw the home side lose openside flanker Harry Williams to a head injury and fly-half Cam Hamer to a dislocated knee.
Marlborough soon scored two length-of-the-field tries, both converted, to go 14-0 up, having taken advantage of loose hands and fragile tackling.
But after 20 minutes, the Lansdown-based outfit appeared to have pulled themselves together. They scored a try from a quick tap and go by captain Ed Harris, Alex Barnsley adding the extras from out wide.
The home scrum was a bit hit and miss, with debut tighthead prop Ross Garty having to learn the trade pretty quickly. But he grew in confidence as the game progressed and acquitted himself well, helping to shunt the away scrum around the pitch.
Marlborough responded quickly to the home team’s opening score by bagging a well-ordered try off a scrum – and they soon recorded a fourth touchdown to take a 24-7 lead.
Another converted try by the guests at last sparked the home side into life.
Walcot put together a good passage of play that resulted in scrum-half Jonah Edwards scoring. This came after he delighted the home support with a splendid reverse pass following Sam Powell taking a clean line-out and fly-half replacement Barnsley making huge inroads into the heart of the away team’s defence. The score was converted.
Within a minute, Sam Firth crashed over after a line-out following a pinpoint kick from Edwards to the far corner. This try was also converted and the Black & Whites were only 10 points, 31-21, behind.
But Marlborough crossed again right at the start of the second half, the conversion restoring their 17-point cushion.
Harris then touched down, Walcot adding the extras, to trim the travellers’ advantage to 38-28.
However, Marlborough then took hold of the game and pulled 52-28 ahead.
Isolated moments of Walcot brilliance did occur, with Sam Powell – playing out of position on the wing – scoring his maiden try for the 1st XV, the conversion making the score 59-35 to Marlborough.
Walcot’s second-row pairing of Mark McAlonan and Ethan McLellan worked tirelessly all afternoon and almost got scores of their own. They came up against some desperate defence by the away team.
A spokesman for Walcot said: “One player on the pitch who stood head and shoulders above everyone today and for probably the season was captain Ed Harris.
“No-one encapsulates the spirit of Walcot more than him.
“Inspiring his team-mates both physically and verbally, it was appropriate that he scored the final points of our fantastic season by running in unchallenged after claiming a line-out on the 22-metre line [to make the score 66-40 to Marlborough].”
Avon were missing 10 regular 1st XV players for their Counties 2 Tribute Ale Somerset match at Chew Valley 2nd XV, who needed to win to avoid the drop. And Chew recorded a 38-17 victory on 25th April to achieve their target.
Until the final quarter, the sides were fairly evenly matched at Lobbingtons. But the visitors proved their own worst enemies by conceding two interception tries and a score from a charge down to settle the result.
After making a good start with a series of concerted plays, Avon opened the scoring when Rhys van den Handel collected a cut-out pass to cross in the corner.
Chew soon struck back, scoring a converted try after several close-quarter drives.
With the guests’ Ian Burnell and Dave Attwood making several significant charges up front and Zak Harwood and Stu Dilloway threatening in midfield, the position was created for scrum-half Kiddie Sheikh to demonstrate his power and force his way over the try line under the posts. Matt Thresher booted the extra points.
Then, from the last play of the first half, successive forward drives eventually saw Chew add another converted try to take a 14-12 lead into the interval.
As Avon were building momentum inside the home half during the second period, an interception allowed Chew to ease the pressure with a converted try.
Again Avon responded with a flowing movement as Chris Mutlow made inroads before suffering a spear tackle, which resulted in a yellow card for the offender.
The ball had been moved wide, where 46-year-old Damien Sawyer showed a clean pair of heels to touch down in the corner.
With the gap reduced to four points at 21-17, the key moment of the game occurred as Avon spilled a try-scoring pass near the home line and Chew took advantage to score another converted touchdown.
Several lengthy attacking forays from Arnie Jarvis allowed Avon to build pressure.
But they failed to capitalise on two close-range line-outs and had a pair of potential tries ruled out, the first when Thresher was deemed to be held up over the line and the second when Burnell was denied for an earlier infringement.
With time running out, Chew grabbed a try following an Avon mistake and then scored from another interception.
An Avon spokesman said: “On the occasion of his 300th 1st XV appearance, Ian Burnell proved a popular recipient of the man-of-the-match award after an outstanding performance in attack and defence.”
Combe Down completed their title-winning campaign in Counties 2 Tribute Ale Dorset & Wilts North by thrashing hosts Amesbury 57-7 on 25th April.
The victory means that Combe clocked up 100 points in the league this season as they ensured an immediate return to Level 7 following relegation last year.
The Black & Amber won 21 of their 22 matches, secured a four-try bonus point on 13 occasions and finished 21 points clear of runners-up Westbury.
Reflecting on the campaign, champs’ head coach Jimmy Rees said: “It’s been an exciting first season for me at Combe Down.
“There’ve been many challenges that we’ve overcome, with some tough weeks and some great weeks, but that’s all part of rugby.
“I think our biggest achievement has been the consistency of putting out two sides every week, alongside the number of new players who’ve joined the club and developed throughout the season.
“It’s also been fantastic to see the 2nd XV becoming younger, which is a great sign for the future.
“That consistency was reflected in the 1st XV results, as they won the league by a comfortable margin and, in the final game of the season, secured an impressive 100 league points.
“Next season will bring new challenges, which l’m sure we’ll be well prepared for. But for now, it’s important to celebrate our successes.
“We achieved the targets we set ourselves, including the most important one of not conceding a single game.
“I’d like to thank everyone connected with Combe Down for a great first season. The support has been fantastic – and I can’t wait for us to go again next year.”
Avonvale, Bath Saracens and Combe Down 2nd XV finished fifth, sixth and seventh respectively in the nine-team Counties 3 Tribute Ale Dorset & Wilts Central.
And Old Sulians posted a runners-up finish in Counties 3 Tribute Ale Somerset North. The Lansdown-based side finished 12 points behind champions Yatton.
Bath Ladies United are champions of Women’s NC 1 South West (East) – thanks to a tremendous 15-7 victory at North Bristol Ladies 2nd XV in the table-top tie on Sunday 26th April, Molly Daniel reaching 200 league points for the season in the process.
With North having completed their fixtures, the Blue, Black & White sit two points clear of the second-placed Almondsbury-based club. And Bath can extend that lead to seven points as they have one match to go, away to Hampshire outfit Ellingham & Ringwood Ladies on Sunday 3rd May.
Bath have won 14 of their 15 league fixtures so far and have a points difference of 569 – almost double that of North, who have the second-best points difference in the division.
The champs’ only defeat came at home to Ellingham & Ringwood in October.
Local results for Saturday 25th April:
Counties 1 Tribute Ale Southern South: Walcot 40 Marlborough 2nd XV 66.
Counties 2 Tribute Ale Somerset: Chew Valley 2nd XV 38 Avon 17, Oldfield Old Boys 38 Imperial 24.
Counties 2 Tribute Ale Dorset & Wilts North: Amesbury 7 Combe Down 57.
Counties 3 Tribute Ale Dorset & Wilts Central: Combe Down 2nd XV 5 Frome 2nd XV 45, North Dorset 2nd XV 74 Avonvale 19.
Counties 3 Tribute Ale Somerset North: Old Sulians 55 Yatton 33.
Counties 4 Tribute Ale Somerset North: Imperial 2nd XV 31 Oldfield Old Boys 2nd XV 59, Midsomer Norton 3rd XV 31 Walcot 2nd XV 41.
Local result for Sunday 26th April:
Women’s NC 1 South West (East): North Bristol 2nd XV 7 Bath United 15.
Local fixture for Saturday 2nd May:
Counties 2 Tribute Ale Somerset: Keynsham 2nd XV v Avon.
Local fixture for Sunday 3rd May:
Women’s NC 1 South West (East): Ellingham & Ringwood v Bath United.
