Sat 11 Jan 2020
DRYBROOK 8 WESTON SUPER MARE 14
report by Chris Heath
This game played in challenging conditions proved to be as close and brutal as expected.
Weston started the stronger and after piling on pressure eventually they were rewarded when number eight Brad Talbot was on hand to touch down following a pushover from a scrum.
Fly half Dan Lomax converted and Weston were well worth their lead. However the loss of scrum half Kadin Brocks with injury soon after resulted in a reshuffle with Lomax relocating to Brocks position and George Chapman entering the fray at outside half.
Chapman didn’t last long as an accidental stray boot in a tackle meant that he suffered a fractured eye socket within ten minutes and Captain Marcus Nel became Westons third fly half in half an hour.
As a result of this open side flanker Ben Tothill spent the rest of the game at outside centre.
The disruption gave Drybrook the chance to gain momentum and shortly before half time their influential ten produced a tremendous grubba to wrong foot the Weston defence and put their left wing over.
The conversion was missed and Weston started the second half with renewed vigour. A series of scrums from penalties followed by a quick tap by Talbot eventually led after sustained pressure to Nel crossing to give Lomax a straight forward conversion.
Drybrook hit back with a penalty and with Talbot also leaving the game with a dead leg leaving replacement prop George Bamsey to slot in at blindside it was a patched up visiting side whose brave heart and incredible defence in the most trying circumstances gave them a truly heroic victory.
Once again the Weston scrum was rock solid and provided much of the go forward and Tothill coped very well in his unusual position at centre.
Special mention to Lomax whose kicking both for conversions and relieving pressure as well as one crucial tackle made a massive difference to the outcome of the game.
