Sat 1 Feb 2020
MATCH REPORT – NORTH DORSET RFC 1ST XV AT GROVE RFC – 1 FEBRUARY 2020
If medals were awarded for commitment then all 18 North Dorset players would have been awarded one for their efforts against Grove on Saturday. Grove are top of the Southern Counties South table looking to return to the level from which they came in 2018. North Dorset are at the other end of the table with their 15 year sojourn at Level 7 likely to come to an end unless they win a few of their remaining 6 matches, having won only two so far this season. Selection for the match had been limited by the unavailability of the Captain and several senior players attending an important off field event - the celebrations of the impending nuptials of club stalwart and second row Tom Barfoot. The situation had been eased overnight by the concession by Dorchester of the 2nd XV fixture. The coach himself, Saul Kelleher, put on his boots and took his place in the back row he last graced over a decade ago. Another star performer of more recent seasons, Mindas Kazlauskas, was available at the last moment to play his first game of the season and squeezed his big frame onto the bench. The overnight rain had been driven away by a very strong wind blowing across the pitch as North Dorset kicked off and chased hard. However chase and tackle was what they had to do unremittingly for the next 80 minutes. The large, fit and forceful Grove team played excellent rugby which was a delight to watch. The young and light North Dorset three quarters put their bodies on the line attempting to bring their man down assisted by determined but overmatched forwards. They managed to bring many bullocking runs to an end but there were so many talented players coming at them that a penetrating break or a driving maul ended in a try on a regular basis. Grove were 41-Nil up at half time and scored 7 tries in each half. The wind prevented all but 5 conversions with the ball being blown back while hovering over the cross bar or bouncing off the posts. A number of Grove knock-ons in the second half limited the final score to 80 points without reply. North Dorset as a club can be proud of the performance, they turned up, they gave their all, their attitude and their spirit was excellent throughout a testing game.
