DINTON 12

PUDDLETOWN 41

AFTER last week’s disappointment of Dorchester Seconds conceding the game, Puddletown travelled away to newly-promoted Dinton and bagged a fine victory.

The Villagers started the game playing up the considerable slope of the Dinton pitch.

Within six minutes, Puddletown showed their dominance in the scrum, the visiting pack pushing the home side backwards off the ball and number eight Pierce Mercer picking up from the base and powering over in the corner for an unconverted try.

The home side kept the Puddletown attack at bay until halfway through the half, when the pressure told and the home side’s backs were caught offside at a ruck directly in front of the posts.

Puddletown captain Sam Bailey slotted the ball between the posts to make the score 8-0.

Dinton were still having problems in the scrum and Puddletown won another against the head on the home 22 metre line, openside Joe Malpas made a good break through the middle and fed the ball out to John Moise on the right wing to go over in the corner. Captain Bailey added the extras to make it 15-0.

Dinton didn’t give up the fight and on the half hour ran back a missed clearance kick to score an unconverted try in the corner.

The first half finished much the same as it started with Puddletown winning a scrum against the head and Mercer once again picking up and driving forward, on this occasion offloading to Bailey who went over to score in the corner.

Bailey added the extras to make it 22-5 at the break.

In the second half, Puddletown were playing down the slope, but didn’t have it all their own way.

Dinton changed some personnel and started to put the pressure on, but a neat interception worthy of Semesa Rokoduguni by Moise well inside his own half, saw him sprint 65 metres to score.

Bailey again added the extras.

The changes by the home side didn’t upset the Puddletown scrummage and having taken the five-metre scrum option for a penalty, the men in red marched the home side back over their own line with blind side Sam Pomeroy gathering the ball and dotting it down for an unconverted try.

The visitors continued to attack strongly, but managed to squander a number of chances until once again Mercer picked up a ball in open play in the midfield, he drove forward through the heart of the home side’s defence powered over to score. Bailey added the conversion.

Dinton finished the game strongly and after winning a scrum on the Puddletown 10 metre line, they passed the ball well through their backs for the winger to round the defence and score a converted try under the posts.