Drybrook Rugby Club

Bournemouth 28pts
Drybrook R.F.C 24pts

Despite a number of set-backs Drybrook showed great spirit and tenacity to claw their way back from a fourteen-point half time deficit to almost snatch victory in this pulsating game at Bournemouth.

Drybrook kicked off and applied all the early pressure. They were unlucky not to take the lead when Ryan Chappell gathered a neat chip ahead and was tackled into touch a metre from the try-line.
Bournemouth have won all their games this season and have earned bonus points in each. They were, however, struggling against a rampant visiting team and had to rely on their outside-half’s impressive big boot to relieve the pressure.
On ten minutes that boot put the ball into the long dead ball area behind Drybrooks posts. The scrambling defence tried to clear but the kick was charged down, and after a lengthy pause, the ref adjudged the ball to have been grounded by the Bournemouth winger and against the run of play they took the lead.
Undaunted Drybrook continued to play expansive rugby, with the return of Harry Howard in the centre and Olly Moore on the wing the visitors were showing far more impetuous than in previous weeks and it was no more than they deserved when George Paul danced his way through to score their opening try. The reliable boot of Tom Treherne added the conversion and Drybrook led seven points to five with quarter of an hour played.
From the restart Drybrook were penalised for holding on and Bournemouth converted the penalty to take back the lead.
Treherne missed a difficult chance on twenty-two minutes before Bournemouth increased their lead on twenty-eight minutes with another well struck penalty.

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Kyle Frowen was competing for everything at the breakdown, but to his and all the travelling supports consternation he was twice penalised for what seemed perfectly good turn-overs.
One of these led to a catch and drive try and the other a simple kick to give the home team a rather flattering twenty-one points to seven half time lead.
The second half started with a determined Drybrook attack in an effort to reduce the deficit. With the ruck on the Bournemouth line, play was stopped due to a head injury to one of the home team players. As the players disengaged, Mitch Bourne reacted to some kind of provocation by lashing out with his fist, giving the official no other option but to show him a red card.
Down to fourteen players and up against it on the scoreboard the game could quite easily have gotten away from Drybrook, but they refused to be downhearted and instead tore into their hosts with renewed vigour.
Stand in captain Joe Tingle, replacement prop Mitch Hale and scrum-half Corrado Collombo were keeping the home team pegged back with driving runs and the backs still looked dangerous with the ball in hand.
George Paul made a terrific break and was tackled into touch five metres from the Bournemouth line. The resulting catch and drive saw Mr Reliable, Glen Nott cross for his second try of the season and with Treherne converting Drybrook were now back in the game twenty-one points to fourteen.
Joe Tingle was then forced to leave the field with what has now been confirmed as a fractured thumb and then Coraddo Colombo pulled a hamstring.
Down to thirteen players Drybrook still attacked and earned a penalty to bring the margin back to four points.

Having to totally reorganise the team Drybrook then conceded a try when Bournemouth broke away down the left-hand side, the conversion was good, and Bournemouth again had some breathing space.
Drybrook got a patched-up Tingle back on the pitch only to lose Owain Davis with a split eye. Olly Moore became Drybrooks third scrum-half of the day and Bailey Watts having tackled everything on the back-row was sent to ply his trade in the centre.
Despite all this upheaval Drybrook still continued to take the game to their opponents. Ben The Tank Casey was charging into the fray and when Mitch Hale crashed over for a try, which Treherne converted, it seemed a real upset could be on the cards.
With the minutes running down Drybrook forced a penalty and kicked to the corner.
The finale was set-up for a catch and drive and the tension was tangible around the whole of the ground.
The ball came in and for the first time that afternoon failed to hit its mark. Although they managed to retrieve the loose ball the momentum was lost and Bournemouth managed to hang on for victory.
Drybrook face Brixham at home this week and with their injury list growing ever longer it will again be a tough game to win.
That said, if they show the same level of guts and commitment as they did in this game anything is possible

Drive on Dry!

Drybrook – Tom Treherne, Olly Moore, Danny Price, Harry Howard, Ryan Chappell, George Paul, Corrado Colombo, Dean Jelf, Callan Williams, Harry Daynes, Glen Nott, Joe Tingle, Bailey Watts, Kyle Frowen, Mitch Bourne Replacements Mitch Hale, Owen Davis, Ben Large.