With last weekend being the Easter Bank Holiday, Norton found themselves with only enough players to field one side, but were due to play two games on Saturday.

The powers that be were insisting that the re-arranged second team league game against Gordano was to be played, ignoring the fact that both clubs did not want this. The club decided to take a weakened side to play the Bath Combination Cup fixture, rather than taking an unfairly strong side to Gordano.

Norton started the game playing into a strong wind and faced probably the largest pack of forwards it has come up against in recent years – that said, the Norton pack controlled the set piece.

The team had five young players making this season’s First Team debut, plus veteran player, Richard Slater. Fly half, Slater, belied his age at 51, as he kicked into the strong wind and caused the opposition problems with the ball in hand. During one attack, he skipped through the defence, beating three players and looked to be in the clear, but was hauled down by the quicker opposition backs.

Chippenham went into half-time with a 19–0 lead, with their strong backs leading scoring and their third try right on the forty minute mark.

Now with the wind at their backs, Norton looked forward to gaining some territory advantage, with Chippenham defending resolutely to prevent the visitors making the most of this territory.

The referee made his mark on the game as he brandished yellow cards at will and awarded Norton their only score of the game, a penalty try following numerous scrum penalties.

The young players did well against the higher league opposition, especially Jack Johnson, the second team scrum half who accounted for himself well. Had Norton fielded a full team, the score would have been closer, with the forwards easily matching the higher league opposition.

Chippenham added further scores through their strong backs and ended the game with a 31–7 victory. 

This weekend the team is back to league rugby, with Wimbourne visiting Norton Down, but before that game the Junior section play hosts to Beccechamians RFC.