Match Report and Press Release 6th March 2009
Dorset & Wilts RFU Ltd
MATCH REPORT
Oxfordshire U 20 - 13 Dorset & Wilts U 20 – 14
Dorset & Wilts began their 2009 campaign at Chipping Norton RFC against Oxfordshire. Wearing their new County strip, the result of the joint sponsorship of O'Neills International Sportswear Ltd and the Moore Scarrott Partnership, the squad took to the field in ideal playing conditions with high hopes of playing attractive rugby for the large crowd. Unfortunately, in the event, this was a match that lacked continuity in part due to inconsistent refereeing leading to many frustrations on and off the pitch.
Playing into a stiff cold wind, Dorset & Wilts struggled to gain any worthwhile possession and were regularly turned over at the breakdown. Oxfordshire kicked regularly but good positioning by the Dorset & Wilts back three of Linton, Rapson and Rowberry enabled a number of counter-attacks to be launched to great effect. The Oxfordshire defence held out well and broke up a number of promising attacks from deep within the Dorset & Wilts half.
Scrum half Jamie Mitchell was prominent throughout either making big tackles at the fringes or chasing kicks ahead, but was too often a man alone.
Oxfordshire forced a lineout from a penalty on the Dorset & Wilts twenty-two. The throw-in was so crooked that the Dorset & Wilts forwards were unable to contest the ball allowing the Oxfordshire forwards the freedom to pounce to score and kick the
conversion after 25 minutes. The larger Dorset & Wilts pack were beginning to exert more pressure and from an Oxfordshire scrum Dorset & Wilts disrupted the Oxfordshire push winning a reversal of the put-in. From the resulting scrum the Dorset & Wilts backs engineered a try by centre George Elliot with a great piece of attacking rugby. Captain Mike Pope made the half break and fed Elliot who knifed through into space and easily rounded the full back to score; Pope added the conversion to make the scores even. However within moments of the restart Dorset & Wilts were once again penalised for going over the ball and Oxfordshire added 3 further points to go in 10 – 7 up at half time.
Dorset & Wilts were quietly confident as they had the wind at their backs in the second period. Numerous attacks were initiated by the backs as Oxfordshire battled to get out of their own half but the tenacious Oxfordshire’s defence held out. In fact Oxfordshire managed to exert periods of pressure themselves and spent significant time in the Dorset & Wilts half. On one such incursion Dorset & Wilts were again penalised for hands in the ruck and conceded another 3 points.
The impressive Mitchell retired soon after half time with a hand injury to be replaced by Giles Archer who injected fresh life into the contact area. Other fresh legs were also drafted in and immediately Mike Fair at open side made an impact along with replacement winger Paul O’Brien and full back James Dazeley. O’Brian made a try saving tackle in the corner and immediately after nearly scored at the opposite end of the pitch.
As the game neared the final whistle Dorset & Wilts raised their game and applied more pressure through the impressive backs, but still could not force the try.
With only 2 minutes to go Dorset & Wilts won a line out on the Oxfordshire 22, but knocked on with the try-line at their mercy. Into the last minute and Dorset & Wilts were awarded a scrum on the Oxfordshire twenty-two. From quick ball, fly-half Pope took his opposite number on the outside to score near the posts.
Pope calmly slotted the winning conversion from the last play of the match to achieve a nerve-racking win for Dorset & Wilts.
Dorset & Wilts Head Coach Paul Ninnim said:
“We got out of gaol today. Oxfordshire were allowed to spoil our second phase possession which led to a fragmented game but we will get better as the players gel into a more cohesive unit”.
Teams:
Dorset & Wilts: Zeiss, Thompson, Farrant, Gould, Underhill, Byrne, Newsam, Sharman, Mitchell, Pope, Linton, Elliot, Higgins, Rowberry, Rapson, Dazeley, O‘Brien, Coleman, Bardwell, Knight, Fair, Archer
Oxfordshire:
DaSilva, O’Connor, Boyle, Sayce, Warriner, Stevenson, Mills, Edney, Wright, Pickett, Mercer, Cochrane, Sandy, Cook, Ducker, Barlow, Gardner, Davies, Bullmore, Heywood, Byles, Wallace.
Dorset & Wilts U20s Press Release
Dorset & Wilts are delighted to announce that their under 20s squad, which did so well last season are to be sponsored by O'Neills International Sportswear Ltd the Dublin based sports equipment suppliers and The Moore Scarrott Partnership a chartered accountancy partnership with offices in Wellington (Somerset) and Dorchester, (Dorset) specializing in business development strategies as well as traditional accounting and tax services.
The photograph is of Peter Kennedy of O’Neills and Paul Ninnim head coach flanking one of the under 20s squad Nick Farrant who is wearing the new kit that the sponsorship has provided.
Monday 2nd March
Result of yesterday's match Oxfordshire 13 - 14 Dorset & Wilts. Match report will follow.
Sunday 1st March 2009
This will be our first Championship match against Oxfordshire. The game will be played at.
Chipping Norton Rugby Club, Greystones, Burford Road,
Chipping Norton, Oxon, OX7 5UZ
Telephone 01608 643968
KO is 2.30 and the meet time for the squad is 12.15
The matchday squad selected is
Zeiss, Coleman, Thompson, Bardwell, Price, Gould, Underhill, Knight, Byrne, Newsam, Sharman, James Mitchell, Fair, Pope, Linton, Elliot, Higgins, Dazeley, Maidment, Rowberry, O'Brian, Rapson
Players please note that this is a 'number ones' match. Club or County ties please.
Roy Farrant
.
U20 Arrangements for 8th and 22nd February
About half of the list of Under 20 nominated players were seen at the match against Welsh BCRFC at Wootton Bassett. All other players plus some who didn't get sufficient game time or are required for positional reasons have been selected to play against Bournemouth University this coming Sunday, the 8th February. The full list is at the end of this email.
As the weather forecast is not very good for this week it is important that before leaving home next Sunday you check your email and our website to confirm that the match is still on. If you are unable to do this please phone me on 01380 727166 or 07886705992 In the event that we are forced to cancel I will try to rearrange the match for the following Sunday, the15th February.
On the 22nd February we will be playing our final friendly prior to the championship matches. The coaches will be selecting the squad for that match shortly after the match against Bournemouth University. Currently the match is due to be against Bath Combination at Bath RFC but the opposition and venue may change. I will keep you posted.
If you don't get selected for the match on the 22nd that doesn't necessarily mean that you are totally out of the running for the Championship squad. I will inform each player individually on where they stand with regard to the rest of this season.
PLEASE NOTE: because of the kit that went missing at Wootton Bassett all players are asked to bring their own blue shorts to the match on the 8th.
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Already seen
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Green
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Already seen
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Coleman
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Already seen
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Lock
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Already seen
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Byrne
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Already seen
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Newsam
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Already seen
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Trevitt
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Already seen
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Sharman
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Already seen
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Jamie Mitchell
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Already seen
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Loosemore
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Already seen
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Dazeley
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Already seen
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Rapson
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Already seen
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Trow
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Already seen
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Selected for 8th Feb
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Zeiss
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Selected for 8th Feb
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Bardwell
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Selected for 8th Feb
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Hooper
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Selected for 8th Feb
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Farrant
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Selected for 8th Feb
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McCaffety
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Selected for 8th Feb
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Gould
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Selected for 8th Feb
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Keith Adams
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Selected for 8th Feb
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Barron
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Selected for 8th Feb
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Mitchell Richard
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Selected for 8th Feb
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Napier
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Selected for 8th Feb
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Horne
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Selected for 8th Feb
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Joe Mitchell
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Selected for 8th Feb
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Stanton- Ketchley
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Selected for 8th Feb
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James Van Tuyl
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Selected for 8th Feb
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Archer
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Selected for 8th Feb
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Tom Blackburn
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Selected for 8th Feb
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Pope
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Selected for 8th Feb
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Collis
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Selected for 8th Feb
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Elliot
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Selected for 8th Feb
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Rowberry
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Selected for 8th Feb
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Woolford
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Selected for 8th Feb
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Linton
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Selected for 8th Feb
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O'Brian
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Selected for 8th Feb
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Dan McCarthy
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Selected for 8th Feb
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Underhill
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Selected for 8th Feb
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Knight
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Selected to try at 2nd row
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Standby for 8th Feb
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Spall
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Standby for 8th Feb await call from Roy
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Higgins
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Standby for 8th Feb await call from Roy
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Other situations
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Price
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Available 22nd Feb (Recovering from injury)
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Partridge
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Injured for 8th Feb
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Baker (injured)
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Injured for 8th Feb
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Dawes
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Injured for 8th Feb
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Matt Dickens
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Injured for season
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Strange
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No longer available for competition
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Josh Davies
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No longer available for competition
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Beldam
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Not available 8th Feb
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Mannifield
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Not available 8th Feb
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Maidment
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Not available 8th Feb
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Details for Sunday 25th January – Under 20s match v Boys Clubs Wales
As explained yesterday we are splitting the full list of all nominated players between the next two matches. Some of you will be asked to play twice, the majority only once. If you have been nominated for this Sunday’s match and are unable to be there please let me know urgently so that I can release your place in that match to another player and slot you into the match against Bournemouth University on the 8th February. Please contact me confirming your attendance for this Sunday if you are part of that squad.
Sunday 25th Jan 09 v Boys Club Wales meet at 12.00 KO 2.30 Wootten Bassett RFC (directions at http://www.bassettrfc.com/augrounddirections.php). An after match meal will be available. All playing kit will be provided other than boots. Beware parking is always limited at WBRFC. If there is any doubt about the weather or ground conditions please check your email and text messages before leaving home.
Squad
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Green (as backrow)
Pope
Trevitt
Linton
Mitchell
Trow
Newsam
Higgins
Rapson
Loosmore
Gould
Dazeley
Byrne
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Mccaffety
Zeiss (not starting)
Bardwell
Spall
Knight
Coleman
Lock
Dawes
Sharman
Underhill
Strange
Barwick
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Sunday 8th February 2009 v Bournemouth University meet at 12.00 KO 2.30 Bournemouth RFC. An after match meal will be available. All playing kit will be provided other than boots.
Zeiss Coleman
Spall Collis
Mannield Mitchell
Rowberry Rapson
Stanton Ketchley Partridge
Napier Hull (as backrow)
Archer Porter
Josh Davies Byrne
Maidment Elliot
Pope Farrant
Horne Woolford
Barron Baker
Lock
Luke Bugden, Ben Williams, Alex Penny, Lee Audis, Guy Mercer, Mike Errington, Max Clivard, Tom Blackburn, Matt Dickens, Richard Mitchell and Jack Ward please let me know if you can play in either game.
Roy
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