As the weather improved for this weekend so did The United as they fielded a team with little change from the previous week with attitude and discipline making the difference.

With a winning 1st team it still comes as a surprise that selection becomes increasingly difficult with many players vying for their opportunity. The United had a number of enforced changes, Down eye injury A Collins in and Jake Watley moved aside at the last minute for Doughty to start and allow myself to put the kit on and join the number on the bench. It was also good to see Darren Burns return this week at 9 after a good performance against Midsomer Norton the previous week.

With the first team playing on Friday evening it gave The United the opportunity to benefit from some senior guidance in the form of Steve Worrell and John Bamsey who pulled together a professional warm up that really was the starting point for this week’s performance. From my perspective I only understand about 75% of what Steve “eeee by gum” Worrell has to say and if the rest of the squad are the same then this would explain the apparent level of concentration. Equally nobody wished to upset a gruff Zumerzet translator Bamber and receive harsh criticism from that quarter. Myself and Reid stood back to admire what on the surface was a switched on squad.

Notwithstanding this, the start of the game was very scrappy and despite Withers going over on the 16th minute and Blizzard collecting the extras The United were under a lot of pressure with some significant disarray. Players to note, however at this stage were Fletcher at full back who continually plucked the high ball out of the air and counter attacked well with ball in hand or chasing his own kicks. This was one of his finest performances and although sitting back slightly in the second half with an injured shoulder certainly made the difference and kept the pressure on in the first half.

Come the 29th minute Waterman (hang on his girlfriend’s just arrived that explains it) was to cross for an unconverted try before Donny (where’s me sheleighly) scored his first of three on the 33rd minute a second on the 38th minute. The French connection Oupoh crossed on half time and Blizzard collected his second conversion of the day 30 – 0, half time.
The United were reaching their stride much to the amusement of a lively crowd who were getting into the spirit. Positive commentary was emerging for Jack Russell things could not be any better.

The second half started with The United very much in control with a couple of changes Shark Simpson in at no. 8, Board second row and Deacon rested, Young into the centre and Waterman off for a break (leave her alone).

The returning club captain Simpson provided a great impression of “ a sack of cement on a skateboard” one spectator announced with his one direction momentum allowing him to go forward only with very little versatility and much like myself changing course akin to a Vulcan Bomber. Donny opened the scoring again collecting his third try of the game on the 49th minute before Blizzard collected a brace and Withers went over for a second as again Blizzard collected the extras in each case.

Taffy Darren had a terrific game and although was pushed into playing 40 minutes I was able to grin at him nicely from the sideline as he struggled on to the 60th minute before I took the pressure off him at the moment his head, turning crimson, was about to burst. The United were to concede an individual try as the Nailsea and Backwell scrum half intercepted a pass to cross beneath the sticks but the final say went to The United captain Sprague with an excellent team performance starting with chasing down and recycling the kick off, good clean rucking by the forwards to the 22 and the ball shifted between forwards and backs hands to see Sprague cross in the corner.

An excellent afternoon for The United thank you to our guests Nailsea and Backwell. A big Thank you to Oupoh who probably plays his last game for the United this weekend as he returns to France. His great lines and balanced running will be missed by both United and 1st team, but he can his poetry, garlic crunching surrender monkey.

Players D Doughty, C Withers (2* Try), S Doneghan (3*Try), M Deacon, A Collins, D Steele, K Hobbs, S Board, D Burns, L Blizzard (2*Try, 6*Con), M Oupoh (1*Try), S Waterman(1*Try), M Burns, P Sprague (c) (1*Try), C Fletcher

Replacements Used M Matthews, G Simpson, C Young

Match report by Mark Matthews, photos HERE courtesy of Andrew Collins