Norton started their first season in Southern Counties South having been forced to switch from Western Counties North last season due to geographical reasons. They faced a stiff first test as they travelled to Sherborne and, unfortunately, a combination of injuries and late unavailabilities saw them perform some way below their best.
Captain Matthew Denning led what was still a very capable side, but Norton made far too many errors, typified by at least five missed tackles, all of which resulted directly in tries for the hosts. Norton's inability to hold on to the ball for any length of time allowed Sherborne to have the lion's share of possession throughout the game and their speed out on the wings was too much for Norton to contend with.
Norton showed they have the capability to compete as they managed to keep the scoreboard ticking over when they did put together some good periods of play, with tries from flanker, Joe Button, and hooker, Gareth Williams. Full back, Tom Rideout, added two conversions and two penalties, but the positive moments were too infrequent to make a difference to the final score.
Midsomer Norton will come away from this game knowing it was far from the perfect start to the season, but also knowing that if they can tighten up their defence and reduce their error count, that they will soon turn their performance around.
Norton now face Salisbury in their first home game of the season this Saturday and with some hard midweek work on the training field, will be looking for a better performance for the home supporters.