10/03/17 MIDSOMER NORTON 28 CHEW VALLEY 24
11/03/17 MIDSOMER NORTON 27 BATH UNI 22
With no rugby at Norton Down last week due to the snow, it was good to see the pitch back in playable condition. Two home games resulted in two spectacular wins for the local side, more than making up for last week’s lack of action.
First up, Chew Valley visited Norton Down on Saturday. Both sides seemed a bit rusty after the enforced break, making mistakes and giving away penalties.
Rideout was the first to benefit from a mistake, when he kicked an early penalty to open the score. The heavier Norton forwards used the slope well, gaining ground setting up driving mauls from line-outs and carrying well with Clarke, Button and Rose leading the way. Schuster kept the momentum up, mixing the play well.
After twenty minutes, the visitors scored their first points when pressure from a lineout allowed a Chew centre to pick a good line to carry the ball over the try line, taking the lead. Ten minutes later, the visitors scored their second try, when they reacted the quicker of the teams, following a Norton clearance kick that was charged down. The conversion gave Chew Valley a 3-12 lead.
Chew Valley repeatedly tried to carry the ball out of defence but, on one occasion, Rideout read the pass. He collected the interception and sprinted over the line to score unopposed. When the extra points were added with the help of the post, the half ended with Chew Valley having a slim two-point lead, 10-12.
Early in the second half, Taylor slotted a penalty to take a one-point lead. Playing up the slope into the breeze, Norton put together their best period of play, carrying the ball deep into the Chew Valley territory and putting the visitors defence under pressure.
This lead to an infringement, allowing Taylor another penalty goal. Herrin, who had repeatedly tried to run the ball out of defence, finally got his rewards when he scored in the corner. Again, the extra points were added by Taylor, 23-12.
Chew now sustained a period of pressure, and eventually the home side’s defence cracked, when they scrum half dummied over from a five-metre scrum. One of Chew’s front row took the conversion, adding the extra points, keeping Chew in the hunt.
With the game coming to a close, Chew Valley scored a try to take a one-point lead. With only two minutes left on the clock, they thought this would be the final nail in Norton’s coffin, but the home side had different ideas.
Having been gifted possession by a Chew Valley loose-kick, they now put together an attack gradually gaining field position. Norton now knew they had to keep the ball alive or the final whistle would end the game.
With the clock deep into the red zone, fly half Abbott, with the knowledge the ref was playing advantage, put in a cross-field kick. Jeffery contested for the ball with the Chew Valley winger, but neither could collect cleanly. The ball had been knocked backwards, allowing the supporting Herrin to pick up and score easily in the corner.
This took the score to 28-24 giving Norton their first well deserved victory over Chew Valley in many years.
The University started the brighter of the two teams, as Norton were trying to run the fatigue out of their legs. Bath Uni used this advantage to take an early lead though a try scored out wide. They soon scored a second converted try before Norton opened their account with a penalty from Taylor. With the weather worsening, the home pack started to take control of the possession and the game.
Hooker, Sawkins, scored Norton’s first try of the day, and with the conversion slotted, they only trailed by two points. The University repeatedly kicked for territory but not touch, this allowed Norton’s back three of Murphy, Herrin and Jeffery to carry the ball back up the slope and into their defence.
Once the ball was in front of them, the home pack took the ball on through their strong runners of Clark, Denning and Gimson. The pack’s dominance allowed Denning to score and Norton to take the lead with the score board reading 15-12 at the break.
Now playing down the hill Norton continued to dominate keeping the University on the back foot and in their own half. A change in the front row made no difference to the scrummage and they continued to collect penalties as the University could not cope with the pressure.
Fly half Abbott scored from a simple 8, 9, 10 move off of the dominant scrum, and flanker, Clarke, scored his second in two days, sitting on the back of a driving maul.
Norton now had a twelve-point lead going into the final minutes of the game. The students now threw everything into a do-or-die effort, and launched an attack from deep in their own half.
While the home side’s forwards were otherwise engaged, the students scored under the posts to bring the score to 27-22, but had no time left on the clock to win.