Winning the toss, Norton chose to play up the slope and set about controlling possession and territory. Fear and Gimson ruled the line out and the pack drove Dorset Dockers back in the scrummage. So much so, the home crowd could not understand how Norton’s dominating scrum was not awarded penalties by the referee.

The first try of the day came when prop, Jenner, broke free and the attack was taken on by Moon and Denning before the ball was fed to the other prop, Edgell. He went on a rampaging run, outstripping the defence to score, Moon added the conversion. The next quarter of the game was scrappy, with both sides giving away penalties, Moon slotted two, but Dockers missed all of theirs.

An uncharacteristic mistake from number eight, Denning, who dropped the ball at the back of a scrummage, allowed Dockers their best attacking chance of the half. This attack was quickly snuffed out by the home defence and their line held fast. The half finished 13–0 in Norton’s favour.

The visitors started the second half brightly and used the stiff breeze blowing up the hill to good effect. This allowed them some good field position and their two strong running centres caused problems for the home side, allowing the visitors to score two converted tries.

The home forwards were still giving the team a good platform to play off and from one set piece, Denning ran off the base of a scrummage, allowing Murphy to pick a great line and gain twenty yards before being downed in a tackle, unfortunately he had to be removed from the field of play, after suffering an injury in the tackle. Tom Fear added the side’s second score when he continued a forward drive and crashed over from some quick second phase ball. The lead was extended with a try from Captain, Denning.

Overall, this was a relatively poor performance by the team’s high standards, but they won the game and gained the try bonus point with a last minute try by the second row, Gimson. In the end, it was a comfortable 31–14 win.

Next week, the team visit Chippenham to play in the Quarter-Final of the Bath Combination Cup.