THATCHAM 50

DORCHESTER 20

DORCHESTER, missing several senior players, fell to yet another heavy Wadworth 6X Southern Counties South defeat at fellow strugglers Thatcham.

The visitors started well, retaining possession and putting the hosts under pressure.

James Baker missed an early penalty attempt before putting over an easier kick to open the scoring.

Thatcham then began to play to their strengths, dominating at both scrum and line-out, starving the Dorchester back line of any meaningful possession.

The county town side defended bravely but the hosts crossed for five tries, four of which were converted, in the first half.

Dorchester’s problems at the scrum were accentuated by the loss of both Josh Ovey and Liam Kershaw to neck injuries.

However, the second half was much more even.

Thatcham scored first but Dorchester hit back with tries from debutant Jack Chatfield and Jamie Morgan. The hosts added a seventh try before Morgan was on the end of George Foot’s cross-field kick for his second try of the day. The hosts had the final word with yet another try but Dorchester had improbably drawn the second 40 minutes.

The county town side sit one away from the foot of the table in the relegation spot seven points below the side above them, North Dorset.

Dorchester A XV however, had a far better day at the office and recorded a bonus point win against rivals Swanage & Wareham 33-5 in Dorset & Wilts Two South.

Rob Parker’s men yet again playing controlled rugby as a team and coming out worthy winners.

The team sit on top of the table still, nine points clear of Lytchett Minster

The combined Dorchester Weymouth & Portland Ladies team also had a fantastic win against Swanage & Wareham 29-24.

The ladies picked up their second win of the season in a nail-biting game with the winning score coming in the final minute.

In a superb game for those who turned out to watch, the bottom two teams in the league were both determined to pick up the points for the win.

The Swans started well scoring the first try of the game.

However, tries were then exchanged between both teams, Meg Roper, Sara Morgan and Tania Adams all scoring for the home side.

Swanage were ahead in the final quarter of the game when Dorchester Weymouth & Portland were awarded a penalty try and, then in a breathtaking moment in the last minute, scrum-half Tania Adams made a superb jinxing run to score under the posts. Kasia Skorma stepped up to convert the try giving the home side a well deserved win.

After the match, coach and manager Sam Wilson said: “This was a an amazing fight for the win.

“There were some tense moments in there and I struggled to keep calm at times.”

Wilson said the win was a greatly deserved team victory and a testament to the team spirit in the squad and how proud she was of the whole squad and the improvements they are clearly making.

The ladies’ next game is home to second-in-the-table Basingstoke on Sunday, February 3.

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