NOMADS PUT 8 TRIES PAST PEWSEY TO GO SECOND IN THE TABLE!

Pewsey Vale II 7 vs. 51 Marlborough II

With last week’s away win against Midsomer still fresh in their minds, the Nomads were looking forward to this weekend’s local derby against Pewsey Vale with eager anticipation. For the first time this season, the Captain had been confident that at least fifteen players would turn out on the Saturday morning; in fact, there were twenty! All fit and raring to go and so a strong and confident side set out on the short journey to Pewsey, leaving their 1st XV brothers preparing for a crucial game against Calne at home on the Common and in the presence of the considerable crowd attending the Club’s Vice Presidents’ and VIPs’ luncheon.

The poor weather of recent weeks gave way to some glorious sunshine and the warm up was a trifle hot! From the kick off, the Nomads piled the pressure on. The front row trio of Mathew Dopson, Eddie Edwards and Adam Whatley, shored up nicely by the ‘traditional’ second row pairing of Mike Hill and Shaun Anderson and completed by a back row of Tom Regan, Jack Lynd and Howard Wilkinson were strong as a scrum and in the line out and so there was plenty of good clean ball for scrum half James Smith and he was keen to feed the strong set of backs and open the game up!

Under pressure up front, the Pewsey pack were penalised for holding on in front of their posts and fly-half Alex Cox was accurate as ever, putting three points on the board just seven minutes in. However, Pewsey were more than up for a battle and caught the Nomads napping a few minutes later, chasing a good kick behind to score a well-deserved try. This served to energise the Nomads and, as last week, the plan came good after a few more minutes of intense rugby with, as last week, Jacob Coplestone touching down for the Nomads’ first try; Cox added the two points and the Nomads were off! Regan scored on thirty minutes, Cox again converting. Coplestone crossed again on thirty-five minutes and, although Cox was uncharacteristically wayward with the conversion attempt, the half-time score was 22-7 to the Nomads.

Some changes were made at half-time and again after about ten minutes into the second half. New signing Chris Puttick came on for Edwards and Fred Somerset came on to make his debut; Regan going off and the immensely strong Barney Hunter moving from the centres into the back row. Later in the half, Max Ansell replaced Coplestone and Graham Yates came on for Jack Lynd, although Yates went off just ten minutes later – to go to have seven stitches put into a torn ear! The second half was all Nomads – five more tries, with scores for full-back Toby May, winger James Osborne (also on his debut), Ansell and the veteran Whatley; all with no response from Pewsey. Cox’s usually fine form seemed to elude him, but he struck two conversions to take the final score to 51-7.

Eight tries and another quality win for the Nomads, now in second place in the Dorset and Wiltshire (North) Division 3. Men of the Match were Barney Hunter for consistent, hard and play-making rugby in the centres and then in the back row and Jack Lynd for strong running and his fearless approach to the game when it really counted! The 1st XV won their fixture, are undisputed champions of Division 1 and are certain of promotion to Southern Counties; so a good day all round for Marlborough! Both teams play at home on Saturday 3 April – come and support their efforts!