Sat 16 Sep 2017
Tribute South West Premier
Weston-super-Mare 25 Bournemouth 32 (ht: 17-14)
Report from Bournemouth website
The weather was fine and sunny with what wind there was from the north west. The pitch looked in excellent fettle especially in the September sunshine.
Bournemouth (Adam Davies) kicked off from left to right as viewed from the stand and to his left.
Weston countered strongly from the kickoff down their right and keeping good possession moved the ball left to openside flanker Jack Woodland who embarrassed the Bournemouth defence with his pace to finish off a very lively Weston start by scoring in the corner. Fly-half James MacKay's kick at goal from virtually on the touch line was pushed wide and was in any case short. Whatever, Weston had a 5-nil lead after just a couple of minutes play.
In reply Bournemouth seemed to have scored more or less straight from the kickoff through scrumhalf Sam Hardcastle. Bournemouth had done very well to secure the restart and came back right where inside centre Scott Chislett showing typical strength and composure in the contact was able to release Hardcastle who was 'gone'. However, for reasons not obvious to your correspondent, referee Nathan Howarth brought play back to an earlier Weston infringement and outside centre Grant Hancox was invited to kick for goal instead.
From a couple or so metres outside the Weston 10m, the left-footed Hancox uncharacteristically pulled his effort across the face of the goal for a Weston drop out. The home side were promptly penalized just inside their own 10m and Hancox was given another chance to reduce the deficit but with an almost identical result to his attempt a few moments earlier.
Weston went long with their drop out fielded by Joe Rees. The No 8 fed lock Jack Hennings who in turn was supported by Ryan Hughes. The loosehead prop charged right to feed Davies and the fly-half chipped further right for right wing Alex Everett-Bolter to chase. However the Weston fullback Ross Bennett was able to gather and clear left for a Bournemouth lineout on the Weston 22m. Bournemouth drove off the lineout moving left infield where Weston were penalized.
Bournemouth took a quick penalty but when no advantage was gained Howarth brought play back to the original offence and showed the Weston right wing Robbie MacKay a yellow card. Davies found touch to his left on the Weston 5m line.
Bournemouth lost the throwin and Weston were able to clear right. Bournemouth didn't do any better with their second chance on the Weston 22m when they knocked on in the lineout for a Weston scrum. A kick and chase resulted in a Weston knock on and a Bournemouth scrum on the Weston 10m. Offside at the scrum saw Weston take a quick penalty attacked dangerously, first left then back down the right flank where Bournemouth could consider themselves lucky not to concede a second try when Weston knocked on.
Nonetheless Weston kept up this dangerous momentum by pressuring the Bournemouth put in and winning a penalty. From a lineout on the Bournemouth 5m line, Weston completed their recovery from their own 5m line with a score by lock Mark Turton. Crucially, MacKay again wasn't able to convert but the home side led 10-nil after quarter-of-hour.
Bournemouth restarted right and fullback Alex Sutherland jumped bravely to catch the returning kick under considerable pressure from the chasers. He released the ball left to set up a Bournemouth attack but when they came back right could find no way through a sound Weston defence. However that defence did yield a penalty and Davies found touch to his right 10 metres out from the Weston line.
Good three-quarter play left saw Dan Stewart through for the left winger to score under the posts and Hancox made the score 7-10 after twenty minutes or so.
From the restart, Bournemouth were again fortunate not to concede a try when a forward pass brought a dangerous Weston attack to a less satisfactory conclusion. Bournemouth went right from a scrum on their 22m but when they came back left a pass wide didn't go to hand but Bournemouth's blushes were saved when Weston knocked on for another Bournemouth scrum this time just outside their 22m.
Going right Davies chipped and Sutherland fielded the return kick. The fullback went left but Weston were penalized for a 'head high' tackle on the Bournemouth 10m. Davies found touch to his right beyond the Weston 10m.
Hardcastle had a characteristic 'dart' at the lineout going left but when play came back right Chislett made a half break but the ball was lost on the Weston 22m for a scrum to the hosts. Under pressure from Hardcastle, Weston managed to clear left for a Bournemouth lineout. Bournemouth went left from the lineout with carries from blindside flanker Richard Sharp and Chislett broke the defensive to release Hardcastle and the scrum-half ran in from the 22m unopposed to score under the posts. To emphasise the importance of kicking your goals, Hancox made the score 14-10 after half-an-hour.
Weston restarted left and Bournemouth moved the ball left, breaking out through openside flanker Alex Bennett coming right. Working the ball further right a miss pass saw the ball bounce into touch despite the efforts of lock Pete Roberts. Director of Rugby Will Croker took the opportunity to bring Freddie Gleadowe on for Hancox. From the lineout inside their own 22m, Weston kicked to be returned by Sutherland only to be kicked back by fullback Bennett who found touch to his left for a Bournemouth lineout on the Weston 10m.
With some five minutes to go to halftime, Pat Fraser came on for Hughes and Matt Christopher for Roberts. Weston won the ball at the lineout and went right. When Bournemouth were penalized for 'going over the top', MacKay found touch to his right beyond the Bournemouth 10m. Coming left off the lineout inside centre Marcus Nel burst through the centre and scored just right of the posts. MacKay made no mistake this time and Weston had retaken the lead at 17-14 with two or three minutes left in the half.
That gave more than enough time for the home side to give the visitors a real scare. At the restart Weston knocked on for a Bournemouth scrum on the halfway line. Going left Bournemouth lose the ball enabling Weston to attack first left then back right even more dangerously. The appeared to have got in only for Howarth to pull them back for a forward pass and to blow for halftime.
For the second half, Sutherland was moved to replace Stewart on the left wing and Hancox came back to replace Sutherland at fullback.
Weston restarted left and Bournemouth knocked the ball on in trying to secure the ball. From a scrum on the Bournemouth 10m, the Weston No 8, Danny Spelman, broke right but the ball was knocked on wider out. Weston were penalized at the scrum on the Bournemouth 22m and Rees ran right.
The ball was worked to right wing Alex Everett-Bolter who broke left back infield where he found Hancox in support and the fullback scored right of posts. From 15 metres in from touch, he converted his own score and Bournemouth were back in the lead at 21-17 three minutes into the second half.
Bournemouth had a fluent attack down the right before moving it left then back right again. However a kick gave up possession and Weston set up a counter of their own going right, then left and back right again where they were awarded a scrum outside the Bournemouth 10m. Coming left from the scrum, Weston were forced into touch. Bournemouth secured the throw-in but were penalized for 'handling on the ground'.
MacKay found touch to his left on the Bournemouth 5m line. Bournemouth managed to drive Weston back but they released the ball right and scrum-half Hayden Tuttiett found his way through to score right of the posts. MacKay contrived to pull his kick to the right of the near post but his side were back in the lead at 22-21 ten minutes into the new half.
Davies restarted left and when Weston hesitated, Sutherland judged his jump perfectly to secure the ball. The ball was released right and the jinking Davies almost found his way through. However, a Weston knock on gave Bournemouth the put in at a scrum just 10 metres out and in front of the posts. Bournemouth contrived to lose the ball going right giving the opportunity for Weston to counter left.
Rees won the ball back and Weston conceded a penalty when they were caught offside some ten metres out from their own line. From left of the posts, Hancox restored the lead at 24-22 with fifteen minutes gone.
Hardcastle kicked the restart back but when Weston returned the compliment, Hancox found touch to his right inside the Weston 22m with a beautifully judged kick. Bournemouth ‘stole’ the Weston throw-in and drove infield. There was a bit of a scramble when Bournemouth were stopped but Hardcastle, who relishes these situations, took advantage of the confusion and dodged his way through to score right of the posts.
In the context of this close match, would Hancox's missed conversion prove crucial? Whatever, Bournemouth led 29-22 halfway through the half.
Weston suffered a setback on the restart when a player was 'yellow carded' and Davies found touch to his right on the halfway line but a Bournemouth knock on in the lineout gave Weston the put in at a scrum. After a scrum reset, Weston came right and Sutherland forced the dangerous Robbie MacKay into touch. From the lineout on the halfway line, Rees linked with Hennings who released right for a kick further right which led to a Bournemouth lineout on the Weston 10m. Bournemouth drove off the lineout, Weston were penalized as they tried to resist and Davies found touch to his right just ten metres out from the Weston try-line.
Bournemouth went left but a knock on in midfield gave Weston the put in at a scrum. They went right and got the ball in winger MacKay’s hands who had a run before kicking and Bournemouth found themselves defending in their 5m zone. A Weston knock on relieved the immediate pressure and Davies relieved it a little more when he found touch to his left beyond the 22m line.
Weston went left from the line-out with Howarth playing advantage. When none accrued, he brought play back to the point of the original infringement and MacKay lined up for his kick at goal. This time he was successful and he had reduced the arrears to leave the score at 25-29.
Weston kicked the restart back and Hardcastle did likewise. Bournemouth recovered the ball inside the Weston 22m and playing ‘keep ball’ drove their opponents back only to spoil a well-controlled move with a knock on when the ball went to ground. Disappointing. From the scrum, Weston kicked to be fielded by Everett-Bolter who ran it back to link with Davies and Stewart. The ball was lost and Weston cleared right for a Bournemouth line-out on the Weston 22m.
Weston stole the throw-in and went left before kicking. Everett-Bolter fielded the ball and ran it back but a knock on inside the Weston 22m conceded the put in at a scrum. However, Weston were penalized at the scrum and from right of the posts Hancox kicked his fifth goal of the afternoon to make the score 32-25 but still with nearly ten minutes left to play.
Plenty of time to win and lose this tight match. And so it proved. When Bournemouth were penalized, MacKay found a useful touch to his right inside the Bournemouth 22m to set the Bournemouth’s nerves jangling even more. The tension grew as Weston drove infield and up to the Bournemouth line and over. The referee adjudged the ball ‘held up’. Scrum 5 metres. How are the finger nails?
Bournemouth resisedt the Weston forward drive and in the frenzy of trying to get the ball away at the back of the scrum, a knock on. Bournemouth scrum. Weston penalized at the scrum. Hardcastle grabs the ball and kicks it ‘dead’. Game over. Bournemouth win 32-25.
Weston-super-Mare: Ross Bennett; Robert Mackay, Huw Morgan, Marcus Nel, Chris Young; James Mackay, Hayden Tuttiett; Samuel Coles, David Bird, Oliver Streeter, Ashley Russell, Mark Turton, Richard Bignell, Jack Woodland, Danny Spelman. Reps: Ramaz Rukhadze, Paul Morrissey, Jack Conway
Bournemouth: Alex Sutherland; Alex Everett-Bolter, Grant Hancox, Scott Chislett, Dan Stewart; Adam Davies, Sam Hardcastle; Ryan Hughes, Alan Manning, Luca Firetto, Pete Roberts, Jack Hennings, Richard Sharp, Alexander Bennett, Joe Rees. Reps: Matt Christopher, Pat Fraser, Freddie Gleadowe.
Weston-super-Mare scorers - tries: Jack Woodland, Mark Turton, Marcus Nel, Hayden Tuttiett; con: James Mackay; pen: James Mackay
Bournemouth scorers - tries: Dan Stewart, Sam Hardcastle (2), Grant Hancox; cons: Grant Hancox (3); pens: Grant Hancox (2)
