NOMADS PLAY CONSISTENTLY GOOD RUGBY TO BEAT MIDSOMER NORTON 43-14

Having demolished Trowbridge 91-0 on 6 March and had to postpone the game against Westbury due to a lack of referee, the prospect of a trip to Somerset was eagerly awaited, particularly as the first leg had been won by the Nomads on 6 February – the first day of the 6 Nations championship, this match being played on the last!  The whole experience was made considerably more attractive in that a coach was laid on to transport the team there and back!  Selection was tougher than usual – there had been so many at training on Tuesday it seemed inconceivable that the Nomads would be stuck with a scant fifteen as has been the case so many times this season.  Indeed, nineteen players left Marlborough in the pouring rain for Midsomer Norton, where they were greeted by some pretty awful changing rooms and some even worse weather!

 

A quick, but effective warm up was conducted and, as the Referee was keen to get things going, the game kicked off slightly earlier than advertised, still under grey skies and a constant drizzle, which made the ground slippery.  Midsomer are a big side with some depth.  It was clear that the Nomads’ scrum, even though reinforced by Jamie Pittams and Hugh Sutcliffe, would be unlikely to win the game up front and so the plan was to ship the ball wide as soon and as often as possible so that the backs – who have been devastating against other sides – could run amok.  The plan came good after just eight minutes with Jacob Coplestone scoring a great running try under the posts; fly-half Alex Cox converted and things looked bright… certainly brighter than the weather!

 

Although there was a certain amount of close combat going on amongst the forwards, the plan came good again at the twenty minute mark with full-back Lawrence Baker (back from injury) coming into the back line at just the right moment and scoring another running try, again converted by Cox.  The Midsomer forwards tried to slow the game down, but were penalised and Cox added another three points before a long quarter-of-an-hour battle between the forwards with neither side adding anything before the half-time whistle; the Nomads leading 17-0.

 

The rain eased up slightly in the second half, but the surface was still treacherous.  To make matters worse, there was far too much scrummaging going on for the Nomads to get their game plan going again as the second half got underway.  As a result, some of the coherence and cohesion of the first half looked lost until prop Jake Biggs (floating amongst the back line!) skilfully took a super long pass and went over to score; Cox’s boot was uncharacteristically off target and he missed the conversion – his first and only miss of the day! 

 

During what seemed like another endless series of scrums, the Nomads took their eye off the ball and were made to pay – Midsomer running in a try.  Pack leader Kevin Clancy had a few choice words to say under the posts!  However, from the kick off, the game plan came back with a vengeance and winger Max Ansell was awarded with a superb try after some text-book running and side-stepping – brilliant!  Cox converted.  Some fifteen minutes later, after more and more hard work for the scrum, James McCubbin (who had replaced the returning James Roberts on the wing) scored another wonderful running try on the other wing.  Cox again accurate with the boot and it all seemed to be in the bag… and yet the Nomads gave away a needless penalty within their own 22 and, on a short pitch against a large group of angry Midsomer forwards, it proved too difficult to defend and the home team scored; more ‘encouragement’ from Clancy followed!

 

It seemed top do the trick and the Nomads went straight onto the offensive, creating the platform, supporting the ball carrier in the forwards and in the backs and Coplestone closed proceedings as he had started them with a lovely try on 80 minutes.  Cox added the two points and the final score was a creditable 43-14.  Six tries, five conversions and a penalty – just reward for 80 minutes of hard work. 

 

It was difficult to single out a Man-of-the-Match – James Smith played a blinder at scrum-half (he was particularly commended by the Referee for ignoring the sledging from his opposite number, which ranged from mild annoyance to downright foul play); Cox ran the back line well from fly-half and kicked a great game; Baker was instrumental in ensuring the backs ran clean lines and supported each other’s running, Hugh Sutcliffe at open-side flanker was identified early on as a play-maker by the opposition and, although he also came in for some sledging and taunting, he too resisted it and was singled out for high praise by Midsomer in the Clubhouse after the game!  However, when all was said and done, the Man-of-the-Match accolade went to prop Carl Lay for his commitment during 80 minutes.

 

The Nomads are now third in the table with five games to play and a very favourable points difference of 476!  The boys travel to Pewsey next week and will be looking for a win that should see them go second in the league – supporters are, as ever, extremely welcome!