PUDDLETOWN 34

DINTON 12

WITH their last competitive game over a month ago, Puddletown needed this game to blow away the cobwebs from the Christmas period.

They started in the same way that they left off, with Pearce Mercer catching from the kick off and returning the ball into the Dinton half.

The ball was recycled across the pitch and the scrambling defence made a high tackle, from the resulting penalty the home pack caught and drove the line-out, fly-half Tom Yeatman receiving the ball and going over to score the first try of the game. Converted by Sam Bailey.

Things then did not go according to plan for the home team, within five minutes the visitors had driven through some poor Puddletown tackling to score an unconverted try.

It was end-to-end stuff and after a couple of minutes the home side scored their second try with right wing John Moise making a break and neatly feeding the ball back inside to Yeatman who went over for his second try of the game.

From a 22 metre line-out, the men in red quickly fed the ball across the pitch, with Mercer again making ground and off-loading to left wing James House who went over to score in the corner.

Once again, the Wiltshire side showed their Barbarian spirit and even down to 14 men after a yellow card, they broke from their own half to score a converted try to make the score 17-12 at half-time.

Into the second half, the Villagers continued to pressure the Dinton line, a quick tap penalty by replacement hooker Toby Boatswain saw the ball spun across the pitch, with captain Sam Bailey crashing through the flailing defence to score, however, he missed the conversion.

Another tap penalty from the home side provided winger House with quick ball and he went over for his second try.

Within minutes, House was once again the beneficiary after a break from replacement Dan Udell, who broke through from his own half and offloaded to House who went over to score his third and the last try of the game, this one converted by Bailey to make the final score 34-12.

Plenty to work on for the Puddletown coaches, but another bonus point victory in the bank.