By Ian Frizzle

PUDDLETOWN 42

ELLINGHAM & RINGWOOD II 3

PUDDLETOWN continued their good run of form with a convincing win over their Hampshire visitors in Dorset &Wilts Two South.

Within five minutes their scrum dominance paid off, with number eight Pearce Mercer picking up and driving forward, before offloading to his back row partner Sam Pomeroy to go over between the sticks. But captain Sam Bailley uncharacteristically missed the conversion.

Another five minutes into the half and the home team won a scrum 20 metres out, scrum-half James Hill took the ball on and exchanged passes with Joe Malpas before he pirouetted out of the desperate Ellingham tackles and over to score an unconverted try.

The Hampshire side responded with good pressure into the Villagers' half, but the ball was turned over by the home pack and fed out to Matteo Placidi on the left wing, he showed good pace and strength to break through the Ellingham defence and pass back inside to the ever present Malpas who raced over the line from 40 metres out for another unconverted try.

Within 20 minutes Puddletown had their bonus point try after fly-half Baz Dovell had outstripped the away side’s defence with an arcing run and a nicely-weighted pass to full-back James House who went in to score another unconverted try.

Puddletown made a number of changes at half time, but the change in personnel did not hinder their dominance of the game.

From a pre-planned move at a line-out 15 metres out, Dan Udell took the ball at pace at the front and powered over into the corner to score.

On this occasion captain Bailley slotted the conversion from the touchline.

Jack Langmead, in his first game of the season, took full advantage of good phase play and he scythed through the away defence to score another unconverted try.

Shortly after, Puddletown were awarded a penalty for a ruck infringement midfield, they tapped quickly and fed the ball out to debutant Julian Dale, on as a replacement on the left wing. Dale was stopped just short of the line, but replacement scrum half Lucas Frizzle was on hand to gather the ball to score, but once again the extras went begging.

Towards the end of the game Ellingham had their best period of play, although they never threatened the try line.

However, they did break their duck with a well-worked drop goal.

Puddletown had one final push and once again were awarded a penalty in front of the sticks. They opted to take the scrum, which was duly won, and the ball went through the home side’s backs to 'man of the match' Jack Langmead, who needed two attempts to get over the line to score his second & Puddletown’s eighth try of the game.