WEYMOUTH & PORTLAND 71 BRIDPORT 15

A LACK of front row specialists meant Bridport had to concede this Dorset & Wilts Two South fixture, but the game still went ahead as a friendly after the hosts gave the visitors a helping hand.

Weymouth & Portland picked up five points for the walkover, however, the Blues were not docked any as they did turn up for the encounter at Monmouth Avenue.

In the end, it proved to be a very one-sided game that the home side won comfortably, with their try count running into double figures.

Joel Wilson, Joe Gibson and Ryan Lewendon all crossed the whitewash more than once for Weymouth & Portland, while Bridport did score a couple of their own as well.

“It was a bit of an anti-climax and we couldn’t really take anything from it,” said home coach Paul Harding. “People lost interest in the result as it didn’t really matter.

“We loaned them a couple of players and that made the scrums competitive. We were a lot stronger and I thought hooker Billy Haine was outstanding.”

Harding’s men will go into 2016 second in the league, two points behind leaders Yeovil.

And the Weymouth & Portland chief has been pleased with the season so far, particularly the number of youngsters who have come into the first XV.

“I have to say we have played well,” he added. “We have improved as the season has gone on.

“We’ve put ourselves in a good position going into the new year and hopefully we’ll be there or thereabouts come the end of the season.

“It’s good that we’ve had a lot of young players like Tom Drummond, Josh Cameron and Bryn Llewellyn come in and do well.”