Midsomer Norton 29 Aylesbury 22

Storm clouds and heavy rain greeted the visiting team, Aylesbury, to Norton Down last Saturday, but the weather dried up just in time for the kick-off of the much anticipated winner takes all Southern Counties play-off game.

Playing up the hill and into the wind Norton started quickly and although the opposition pack was larger, man for man, the home pack dominated from the outset. From an early penalty, Taylor kicked to the corner, setting up a line-out five metres from the line. The ball was won cleanly and the backs set loose, but the initial attack was held up over the line. The home side’s powerful pack won the scrummage, nudging Aylesbury backwards. Using the momentum as a springboard, number eight, Denning, picked up the ball and drove over the line for the first score of the day.

The team’s second score followed quickly, with the line-out working with precision, scrum half, Ben Moon, sniped around the side of the maul to score in the corner on the fifteen-minute mark.

Aylesbury started to find the form that had got them to this final and put pressure on the Norton line. A Norton player knocked the ball on and a scrummage was awarded to Aylesbury. Norton’s dominate scrum won the ball against the head and Denning carried the ball twenty metres up the pitch. Having gained confidence from the early scores, the team tried to continue the attack from deep in their own half, unfortunately, a pass was intercepted. The Aylesbury fly half gratefully collected the loose pass and scored under the posts and with the conversion completed, the visitors were back in the game.

The front row of Edgell, Fuller and Jenner again provided good ball from the scrummage, giving Denning the easiest of rides in the back row. Picking and going he fed the ball to centre, Mitchard, on the twenty-two line who stormed through the remaining defence to score, Taylor adding the conversion.

Aylesbury closed the gap back to ten points when the referee adjudged Norton’s defence to be offside and the opposition centre slotted the penalty. The visitors were finishing the half very strongly, gaining territory and possession causing the home defence problems. Winning a line-out, the Aylesbury scrum-half moved the ball quickly to his backs. The powerful number twelve committed the home defence before off-loading the ball to his winger, who scored their second try in corner. The extra points were added when the number twelve landed a difficult kick to bring the scores level 17–17 at half-time.

Now with the wind and slope on their side, the pack tried to take control and squeeze their opposition. After a period of intense pressure, Norton were awarded a penalty. Gimson took a quick tap, was stopped short but awarded another penalty. This time the ball was kicked into corner, winning the line-out Gimson was driven over the line to score, but Taylor could not convert from the touch line.

Aylesbury fought back, kicking for territory, but a lack of precision in the line-out and Button and Sawkins turning the ball over in the breakdown they were kept at bay for most of the half.

Halfway through the second period Aylesbury won a line-out near the Norton 5m line and moved the ball away from the home forwards to their dangerous number twelve. He again slipped a pass to his winger to score in corner, the wind kept the kick short, bringing the scores level again at 22–22.

A series of penalty offences by Aylesbury allowed Norton to kick yet again into the corner, with the confidence that they would win the line-out. Gimson duly won the ball and after one phase of play, Fear took a crash ball to score, Taylor again added the conversion taking the score to 29–22.

Having regained the lead, the team intended to close out the remaining fifteen minutes of the game playing in the Aylesbury half, keeping the ball in the forwards and continue with the strong defence. The outside backs, Holmwood, Verden, Blackmore and Rowles had not seen much of the ball in attack, but had worked hard in defence.

Strangely, having been in total control of the scrummage all game the referee decided to yellow card prop, Edgell, for driving up and the team had to play the rest of the game with fourteen players. Sawkins had to make way for Swift to make up the numbers in the front row.

Aylesbury, having the numerical advantage now, threw everything into their attack, but the home side’s defence held and won a turn over, deep into injury time to win the game.

We must feel for Luke Murphy, who although named in the original squad, failed a pre-game fitness test and had to watch the game from the side line, along with the couple of hundred home supporters who had gathered at Norton Down to cheer on their club.

The club will now be playing in South West One, the highest level it has played since the inception of the league system. Congratulations, lads!