Bournemouth 34pts
Drybrook 10pts
If you take a cursory glance at this score-line you would imagine that this was just a mandatory victory for the league leaders, no drama here then.
The truth however was that this was anything but a simple win for the home team, and in that fact underlies the real disappointment for a very brave and at times exhilarating performance for a Drybrook team containing nine positional changes from the previous week’s victory over Barnstaple.
The golden sands of Bournemouth stretched out before the travelling supporters, but instead of being at the beach they were in fact at the ground.
The home teams pitch had undergone some heavy toil in recent weeks and the groundsman had obviously taken some advice from our own specialist Ian Pritchard in that more sand than grass is always the answer!
The game started with Drybrook taking the ball and running it straight back at their opponents. Renton and Frowen easily brushed aside attempted tackles and the ball was swiftly moved through the hands to winger Mitch Baldwin to attack down the left-hand touchline. His opposite number came in to make the tackle and in so doing knocked the ball forward out of Baldwins grasp.
The knock-on was somehow unseen by the ref and he allowed the kick ahead and follow up try to be awarded.
Bournemouth then followed this up with another converted score and the writing on the wall looked very ominous for the much-changed visitors.
The vociferous home crowd were buoyant as their team opened a fourteen-point gap and even the loyal Drybrook supporters were a little concerned at what might happen in the next seventy minutes.
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Fear not though, for it seems that whoever dons the green this season is more than capable of denting the confidence of the most-lofty of opponents.
They started their comeback with a blistering move that involved most of the team, and when Danny Price latched on to the final pass he glided over the sand to touch down behind the Bournemouth line. Stevenson converted and a ripple of concern passed through the home support.
Drybrook then continued to play most of the rugby. Frowen, Watts and Bourne were enjoying the best of the back-row encounters and with Renton, Mitch Hale and Beatie blasting holes in the Bournemouth defence the game had turned on its head, with the home supporter’s big bass drum silenced, Drybrook posted more points through a well struck Stevenson penalty.
Just before the break Bournemouth managed to break the shackles and were awarded a penalty of their own which they kicked to give them a half time advantage of seventeen points to ten.
The second half began and it was a torrid affair as Bournemouth rang the changes in an attempt to quell the Drybrook spirit.
Drybrook though had warmed to the task and continued to press their illustrious opponents, forcing them into making numerous mistakes and giving away penalty after penalty.
The ref had warned the Bournemouth team about their frequent indiscretions and finally produced not one but two yellow cards in quick succession. It left Drybrook with a two-man advantage, a penalty in front of the posts and only a quarter of the match remaining.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing as they say and I’m sure if Drybrook were in the same position again they would take the points and force the opposition to kick the ball back to them.
In the excitement of battle though they opted for
a scrum which led to a turn-over for Bournemouth and a ten-minute spell that saw them kick another penalty and move further away from the Drybrook rebellion.
Drybrook this season have blooded a number of very promising young talent, and it was an emotional moment as Bradley Morgan came onto the pitch to join his dad Neil, who will, I am sure remember this moment with great pride in the years to come.
Tom Smith and Ethan Seville had also joined the fray, but even though they threw their all into the contest, could do little to stop the Bournemouth resurgence.
In their eagerness to thwart the attack Drybrook were reduced to twelve men after Beatie, Stevenson and Large were shown yellow cards. This left Bournemouth the easy task of adding to their score, and when the final whistle was blown it was not the home sides cheer of victory that was left in the memory, it was more the disappointment of knowing that this makeshift Drybrook outfit had rattled them to such an extent that they surely deserved more than just the obligatory hard-luck pat on the back.
Congratulations to Neil and Brad, and long may the Drybrook tradition of family rugby continue.
Next week Drybrook have a rest while Wales take on the English. The following Saturday we take on Bracknell in another must win contest.
Drive on Dry !
Drybrook Squad: – MOORE, ROBERTS, PRICE, LARGE, BALDWIN, STEVENSON, MARSH, BOURNE, FROWEN, WATTS, RENTON, N. MORGAN, HALE, JELF, BEATIE, SMITH, SEVILLE, B. MORGAN.
