Sat 9 Oct 2021, 15:00
Unfortunately, Barry D is still repairing his notebook from last week, so you are stuck with old bowlegs this week.
North travelled to East Dorset Dockers for the first-ever encounter between the clubs. It was a beautiful day down on the Dorset coast. However, the pitch the less said, the better...as a club we should be aware of how fortunate and be incredibly proud of our facilities and Ivan and his team’s efforts.
North made a few changes from last weekend. One change in the pack, Gavin Weeks steps in for Rob Morris who is away with birthday celebrations. Few more changes in the backs, wingers Kurt Murray and Jake Cannings are replaced by Henry Lunn and last weekend outside centre Jonathan Hooper. Luke Spicer returns, taking Hoopers 13 shirt.
On the bench, Both Robbie Sampson and Freddie Eggleton return to the fold after a run out for the Badgers last weekend.
Dockers kicked off, and North started their phase play pretty well. However, they weren’t making many inroads into the Docker defence and found themselves playing in the wrong areas. Dockers forced North into mistakes, and off a scrum, the Dockers centre crashed through to score under the sticks, 7 - 0.
The following 10 minutes followed a similar pattern, North struggling to clear their lines, but their defence being firm. Thanks to big hits coming from Brandon Ward, Luke Spicer and Henry Barron. North had the edge in the scrum with the front row of Bettesworth, Biggs and Weeks, making their mark known on the Dockers pack. North was controlling the lineouts as well, with Ward and Jobling controlling the air. However, despite this set-piece dominance, things weren’t clicking for North in their attack. Add in some poor discipline, and North found territory hard to come by.
Dockers kicking game was finding ground behind and making matters worse, North lost Tom Judd to injury. Sampson came on at nine, and Tom Bridger-Chilvers moved to 15. Bridger-Chilvers immediately impacted the game from his new position, taking a catch above his head (chest height for the average-sized adult human). He stepped the rushing defence and broke clear, only being snagged by the cover defence. A phase or two later, skipper Adam Trevis was tip tackled, and the Dockers player was lucky to receive a yellow for his efforts.
North at last found some field position, but the Dockers defence was more than a match for Norths attack. They were repeatedly stopping mauls just short of the line and picking off isolated runners. Then, nearing the end of the sin bin, dockers broke. North scrabble defence did superbly, Jonathan Hooper, Henry Lunn and Sean Perry all doing sterling work. However, Norths defence was too narrow, and a cross-field kick caught them out, and Dockers crashed over for their second meat pie, 12 - 0 with 30 gone.
North came back at Dockers, now finding themselves in better positions on the pitch and Dockers discipline letting them down. Norths lineout and maul were now really clicking, and with Gavin Bain, Henry Lunn, and Jamie Bettesworth making solid runs, it felt like a try was coming. But as much as North tried, they couldn’t find the breakthrough. However, the last play of the half saw Bettesworth smash through, stretch and grab a five-pointer, fly-half Sam Jones added the extras, 12 - 7 halftime.
North needed that score. Suddenly Michael ‘taff’ Bamsey team talk took a different tone. Jones and Sampson swapped, Jones now at nine and Sampson at 10. Eggleton entered the game for Weeks.
North kicked off and immediately put pressure on Dockers. The first couple of attacks only fell short from over-enthusiastic offloads. Eventually, Dockers buckled under the pressure, and Bettesworth scored his second meat pie in 5 minutes, 12 - 12. Now Norths tails were up, and with Sampsons educated boot directing them around the pitch, it was only a matter of time before North scored their next points. It was a five-pointer, and it came through Adam Trevis. North on the Dockers 10-meter line, the ball found its way to Trevis after a couple of phases. Standing up two defenders, then cutting inside, Trevis found himself free and accelerated away, ran over the fullback and carried a Docker or two over the line with him. 12 - 17.
From the kick-off, Dockers attempted to put pressure on North, but ill-discipline let Dockers down once again. From a lineout, North span the ball wide in a well-worked move, ending up with Tom Rose smashing through his opposite number and grabbing Norths 4th try of the day, earning them a bonus point. Jones added the extras 12 - 24.
Dockers came at North and started to get themselves back into the game. North lost a couple of forwards to injury. Suddenly the solid lineout and scrum started to creak ever so slightly. However, Norths defence was firm, repelling everything Dockers threw at them. If Dockers tried to go through the middle, they were smashed back. If they went wide, Dockers were thwarted—great hits from Luke Biggs, Sean Perry and Henry Barron and in Gavin Bains moment of the match, Hooper held up a Dockers attacker. A maul was formed, with no way out; it was North Dorset ball.
Dockers huffed and puffed for 15 minutes, but they couldn’t break down the green wall. North then won 2 quick penalties, the second kickable, and Jones added the three-pointer, taking the score to 12 - 27. With that, Referee Packer blew his whistle, and North was victorious.
North Dorset player of the match Charles Jobling
Wally of the Week Sean Perry
Baker of the Week Jonathan Hooper with a Chocolate Guinness Cake. Which was especially enjoyed by Barron.
This weekend North Dorset entertain Puddletown in the first round of the Dorset & Wilts Vase, 2:30 pm kick-off.
