DORCHESTER SELECT XV 32

SURCOUF INVITATION XV 52

A DORCHESTER select XV lost 52-32 to a Surcouf Invitation XV at their yearly Good Friday’s family fun day and annual Surcouf invitation game, which was in total contrast to last year’s being held in glorious sunshine.

With a largely young Dorchester side made up of former youth section players, along with some wise old heads, and the Surcouf XV fielding many former players and some of this season’s current crop, the age differential was in the club side’s favour.

Lloyd Surcouf kicked off the game into Dorchester’s hands but the Surcouf side were first to score, and both sides were determined to make this a very serious and competitive game.

The Surcouf XV had brothers Joe and Sam Prior making some very destructive runs deep into Dorchester territory and both chalked up tries for the team.

Joe has been one of Dorchester’s success stories this season, returning to third team rugby and moving very quickly to first team rugby and holding down a front row position well.

Current first-team player Callum King scored a brace of tries for Dorchester and Tom Bamlet went over at close range in typical front row style for the Surcouf XV.

However the Surcouf team’s secret weapon was brought on for a five-metre scrum in the second period, Lloyd Surcouf then used all of his experience to drive his pack over the line for Tom Gower to dot down over the line.

Surcouf then converted the try, in the words of referee Stewart Kilby, ‘with Wilkinson-esque precision and technique.’

In keeping with the family theme, Lloyd was joined at the start of the game by his grandsons Josh and George Foot, along with his son-in-law Tony Foot, veteran first-team centre.

Tony being Dorchester first-team’s leading try scorer and second only to Frank Dike in first-team appearances.

Other family ties on the park were all three Gower boys playing together for the Surcouf side, Tom, Dave and Jo, Lee and Callum King were both in the Dorchester XV along with veteran player Iain Adshead joining his son Matthew.

The match was watched by around 250 vocal supporters cheering both sides on in the sunshine, and in doing so raising much-needed funds for the Dorchester club.

Raffle prizes were generously donated by both Black Cow Vodka and LV insurance, both community minded companies.