Drybrook Rugby Club

North Petherton 27
Drybrook 33

With a number of changes from last week’s team, a thundery gloom casting it’s shadow over the M5 heading South and a visit to a club where Drybrook have historically not had the best of things, you could have been forgiven for thinking that it would be no surprise for the men in green to have come back to the Forest with little to show from their first away trip of the season. O ye, of little faith!
It may be down to the confidence instilled by a third place finish last season, or perhaps a number of new recruits to the squad, but this Drybrook animal is a different breed to the one that has taken to the field in past seasons.
In truth the game did not begin well. North Petherton kicked off with the advantage of a blustery wind and slight slope in their favour, and in front of a home crowd also celebrating their 125th season like Drybrook, their big forwards were straight onto the attack.
From the first lineout just inside the Drybrook twenty two, the home team started a powerful driving maul that Drybrook were forced to bring down just short of the try line.
The referee had no qualms about awarding a penalty try, and with the new rules stating that no conversion kick is needed, Pethy were seven points up within the first three minutes.
As if things were not bad enough from the restart Drybrook lost their big ball carrier Mitch Hale after an accidental clash of heads caused him to go off to hospital with a nasty cut to his eye.
Was this the beginning of a long afternoon for the away team? Not a bit of it.
Beattie came on to replace Hale in the front row and the Drybrook scrum, with Boon and Guest making up the rest of the threesome up front is looking stronger than it has for a long time.
From good set piece ball Mitch Bourne picked up and drove into the home defence, the ball was recycled and quickly moved amongst the backline to create space for Ben George, who played one of his best games in a Drybrook shirt, to race away for his team’s first try on eleven minutes. The extra two points were

added by the educated boot of Tom Treherne and the scores were tied at seven apiece.
The home team decided their best chance of victory lay in the hands of their big forwards, and a series of pick and drives led to penalties being awarded for discrepancies at the ruck and on twenty seven minutes the home team were leading the game by a margin of six points. The champagne in the pitch side bar, from which the female contingent of North Petherton were celebrating Ladies Day, was in full flow. Drybrook, however were not going to lie down in this one. With Stevenson and Large playing exceptional games, and the back row beginning to outplay their counterparts at the breakdown, the away team were starting to gain the ascendancy. George took a quick tap penalty and found Peaper in support, to round off a try that had looked in the offing for some time. Treherne easily put the ball between the posts for the extra two points.
On the touchline the Drybrook supporters would have happily settled for the one point advantage at the half time break. Happily this was not in the thoughts of the players on the pitch. From the Petherton kick off Stevenson and Large combined well to make inroads into the home defence, good work at the breakdown led to a penalty against Petherton for failing to roll away at the ruck. Stevenson stroked the ball into touch just outside the opposition’s five meter area. With the lineout in the safe hands of Will Greenway the driving maul was set and on its merry way to the line, before a stray Petherton forward illegally pulled it to the ground.
An agonised cry was heard from the champagne tent, as the referee had no problem in awarding her second penalty try of the afternoon. The Drybrook supporter’s half time cup of tea needed no sugar as their team had provided a sweet enough first period to see them lead by twenty one points to thirteen.
The first ten minutes of the second half saw both sides playing fast open rugby and with strong defence in evidence, it was going to take

something special to trouble the scoreboard.
This was provided when a lovely miss move in midfield, again involving the Stevenson, Large combination, brought the dangerous looking Mitch Baldwin into play. The soft hands of Stevenson placed the ball in space for Baldwin to race onto and outpace the cover to score the best try of the game on fifty minutes. Treherne was again successful with the conversion and it looked as though the away team were breezing their way to a comfortable bonus point win.
Treherne just missed with an ambitious penalty attempt after the home team had digressed from the restart. This seemed to spur the Petherton team to produce a good period of play which was rewarded with a converted try and echoes of the Newent game began to sound in the ears of the away supporters.
Their fears were allayed however when Peaper stole in at the back of a driven maul and although Treherne missed the difficult conversion Drybrook held a thirteen point advantage going into the final five minutes of the game.
Not to be outdone the final try of the game went to Petherton. Their forwards set up good ball to allow their winger to cross the line and earn them a deserved bonus point of their own. They added the conversion and an exceptional game ended in a deserved thirty three points to twenty seven victory for Drybrook.
There were a number of notable performers in green, but special mention must go to Lenny Mulhane who came into the backrow at short notice and gave a solid performance to back up what he shown in the pre-season trials.
With young Regan Marsh coming on at scrum half for his league debut it was pleasing afternoon for the away team to reflect on as they made their way North back up the sunny M5.

Drybrook 1st XV: T.Treherne, M.Baldwin, H.Howard, B.Large, L.Roberts, T.Stevenson, B.George, M.Hale, C.Guest, L.Boon, W.Greenway, G.Nott, L.Mullhane, S.Peaper,M.Bourne.
Replacements: M.Cowles, R.Marsh, E.Beattie