Midsomer Norton Rugby's First Team travelled to Matson in Gloucester for their second away game of the season intending to put right last week's loss to Keynsham. The side was strengthened by the return of prop, Dan Jenner and second row, Jamie Gimson. They started confidently, controlling parts of the game but throughout the first half made too many mistakes. This allowed the home side's lively backs, who were always a threat, to pounce on any loose ball and score four first half tries.
Norton responded well but were playing catch-up for the majority of the first period. The lineout took a while to settle, but was soon functioning perfectly and provided the first scoring opportunity for prop, Matthew Edgell. A lineout won near the Matson line was followed by three rucks and some quick hands to allow Edgell to crash over for Norton's first try.
The visitor's second try also came from the lineout, and a well-rehearsed move. This saw Captain, Matthew Denning, just able to hang on to the back of a driving maul as it sprinted over the line. He just had to fall on the ball to score.
Norton's pack were now dominant, consistently driving the home team off of the ball in the scrums and making yards with driving mauls. From one of these scrums, Norton expertly drove infield to allow number eight, Ben Parker, to pick up at the base and charge over unopposed to leave the half time score 15–24.
Norton were down but very much in the hunt. Their forward dominance grew as the game wore on and it was no surprise when they clawed their way back into the game. Almost from the restart, Captain Denning gave them a great start to the second half when he scored his second try of the game from a repeat of the earlier successful lineout move.
Parker was relishing his first start in the back row this season and he soon also collected his second try from a pick up and drive from a scrum taken against the head. Taylor added the conversion to put Norton into the lead.
Centre, Alex Mitchard, crowned a fine game in defence and attack with a try in the second half which was again converted to pull Norton clear. Taylor increased the lead with a well struck penalty.
Matson pulled a try back when centre, Jack Rowles, earned himself a ten minute rest, sin binned when the referee adjudged him of killing the ball in a tackle to stop a Matson attack. From the resulting lineout, their fly-half stepped inside the stretched defence to score.
Even with the pack now down to seven, having had to drop a player out to cover the resting Rowles, Captain Denning was still confident with his forwards' strength. So when awarded a free kick he was still able to select the scrummage as his best attacking option. This set up field position and when a Matson player infringed Taylor, who had another fine game in defence and attack, he was on hand to seal the game with a further penalty.
All in all, it was a very impressive performance from the travelling Norton side, with winger, Ian Day, playing well on his debut and veteran scrum-half, Ian Tiley, being his normal abrasive self. This win should give Norton renewed confidence when they host Chosen Hill Former Pupils this coming Saturday at Norton Down. Kick-off is at 3 p.m.