By Geoff Puryer

POOLE 7 PUDDLETOWN 63

POOLE’S Turlin Moor has proved to be a happy hunting ground for Puddletown in recent seasons and this first round Dorset & Wilts Plate clash was no different as they cruised to an emphatic victory over their old rivals.

The visitors were quick to settle and after just five minutes fly-half Tom Yeatman nipped through a gap to open the scoring with skipper Sam Bailey adding the extras.

The hosts drew level 10 minutes later, taking advantage of a mix-up in the Puddletown defence, but straight from the restart Dan Udell at outside centre restored the lead.

Bailey again converted, before he himself crossed the line to score.

Further tries from full-back James House, man-of-the-match Pierce Mercer, and winger Will Foot gave the Villagers a 36-7 lead at half-time.

Poole, at no time short on endeavour, seemed to find another gear after the break and enjoyed a decent period in the ascendancy, but the visiting defence was in no mood to make any further errors and, having stuck to its task, quickly wrested back control of the game.

Yeatman and House both ran in their second tries, either side of one from winger James Hill, while Bailey added two more conversions.

Flanker Sam Pomeroy then burst through to add his name to the score-sheet before replacement Matt Watts celebrated his return to the squad with the final try five minutes from time.

Puddletown can now look forward to a home tie on Saturday, October 14 when their opponents in the quarter-final of the competition will be Dinton.