MIDSOMER NORTON 27 OLD BRISTOLIANS 24
Midsomer Norton welcomed Old Bristolians to a soggy Norton down after a week of melting snow and rain for their Tribute Western Counties South clash.
Playing with the wind and the slope, Norton started confidently, only to be hampered by handling errors and lapses in concentration. Old Bristolians scored two tries in the first half through incisive running and intelligent support play, and Norton’s only reply was a penalty, until they had a lineout on their own ten-metre line.
What followed was one for the ages. A precise throw and clean catch initiated an incredible maul, marshalled by Adam Sinden and controlled brilliantly by the Norton pack. Rolling carefully left, then right, whilst avoiding attempts to bring it down, the ball moved inevitably to the line, where it was finally scored by Joe Button.
The whole pack deserves credit for this wonderful effort, but Button’s performance warranted a try because he was simply immense in defence for the full eighty minutes. Button and David Sawkins in particular tackled low relentlessly, making it impossible for Bristolians to break the gainline effectively, whilst also creating turnover opportunities.
Towards the end of the half, after some sustained pressure, the ball was thrown wide, which seemed unwise at the time in the conditions, but Mitchard was able to somehow elude the clutches of two defenders and then tip-toe in at the corner. Norton held a small lead at half-time (15-12), which, considering the wind, looked very fragile indeed.
The performance in this second period against the elements was outstanding, however, with the scrum dominating, coupled with tireless work to keep the ball and win the collision/gainline battle. The back three also covered the space well and were safe under the high ball, which nullified the advantage of the conditions somewhat.
Jamie Rose scored after some relentless work once again from the pack to increase the lead. This was expertly converted by Taylor, who continues to impress off the tee. Abbott, who controlled the game tactically throughout, put a perfectly-judged kick across to Jeffery, who caught it in his stride and beat a couple of defenders, before finding Mitchard who broke into the 22.
Possession was recycled quickly, and Mitch Rose fed Murphy to go over in the corner. There has been a big improvement in support play, meaning that Norton are now taking advantage of such breaks and scoring regularly.
Old Bristolians remained dangerous and scored from an interception and through some of their own grunt work, to make the final minutes as nerve-wracking as ever. When the final whistle blew, both sides knew they had been in a tough game, battling against each other and the elements. The Norton swamp-monsters came out on top due to set-piece work, Mendip grit, fitness and no shortage of skill.