SWANAGE & WAREHAM 96

BRIDPORT 0

WITH an understrength side due to injuries and unavailability Bridport were predictably overwhelmed 96-0 by a far superior Swanage and Wareham side in the Dorset and Wilts One South Division.

This was the team that came down a league from last season and with several of the Blues’ players playing out of position their pace, strength and ball handling skills were just too much for Bridport.

They stuck manfully to their task and had parity in the scrums but on the occasions when they did have the ball the speed of the Swanage forwards at the breakdown usually resulted in a turnover.

Bridport had one chance to put some points on the board in the first half when a penalty taken by Nathan Herbert fell agonisingly short of the posts.

The Blues’ man of the match with some solid defensive work and some weaving runs was Ellis Blackburn and captain Daragh McLoughlin playing out of position in the centre tried his best to break the Swans’ defensive line but to no avail.

The Swans ran in eight tries in the first half and seven in the second as their backs showed their speed and slick handling mainly from broken play and turnovers as the Blues competed well at the set pieces.

They will be a force in this league and will be looking to bounce straight back up to Southern Counties South.

Next up for Bridport is a home match to rivals Weymouth and Portland on Saturday when with the team restored hopefully to full strength they will be looking to bounce back.

Meanwhile, in Dorset and Wilts One South, Weymouth and Portland had a storming start to their season.

They backed up their coach’s hopes of a top-half finish with a confident 51-17 thrashing at home to Bournemouth III.

Puddletown had a tougher time of things when they endured a narrow 22-15 loss at home to Oakmeadians.

Last year’s champions of the division Dorchester had a tough start to life back in the Southern Counties South Division.

They travelled to Swindon College Old Boys but were soundly beaten 40-14.