Bournemouth v drybrook

Team Selection: Again, there were changes to the starting line-up of the previous week. Fly-half Ben Meaden was preferred at full-back and Alex Sutherland was moved to the bench. Alex Peel took over as fly-half, Jack Young taking his place at inside centre. Freddie Gleadowe, who did so well coming on in the second half at Camborne, retained his place at outside centre. In the forwards, Henry Taylor, who made his debut last weekend, replacing tight-head prop Luca Firetto, made his full debut this week in the same position. Luca is recovering from an Achilles injury. For Connor Scott, I had to go back to 18 April 2015 to find his last appearance for the ones which was against Oxford Harlequins and was beginning to wonder whether I had lost his records. Six years? Where does my young life go? Connor joined Jake Guildford at lock in place of Robbie Heath who is away. In the back row, Joe Rees took over from Joe Desmond at No. 8, the latter having got concussed in a robust training session Tuesday and Ben Kimber moved from open-side flanker to take Joe’s place at blindside. Ben Russell came off the bench to take his preferred place at open-side in place of his namesake. The returning Ciaran Smyth joined Tom Napier and Sutherland on the bench.

The weather was fine but overcast with very little wind, if any. Underfoot, still very firm.

Drybrook kicked off right to left as viewed from the stand and to their left.

Joe Rees fielded the kick-off and fed scrum-half Grant Hancox who kicked right. Drybrook ran the ball back going right and gained further ground with a kick in behind the defence. An awkward bounce saw the ball go into touch for a Drybrook throw-in on the half-way line. Showing very early signs of their aggressive approach to the game, Drybrook broke deep into the Bournemouth 22m, the defence struggling to contain the threat. Coming back right, they kicked further right for a Bournemouth line-out on the 5m line. It all amounted to a clear statement of intent by the visitors and Bournemouth would have to be fully alert to what was in front of them.

Bournemouth secured the line-out and cleared their lines with a kick left, finding touch on the half-way line. Off the line-out, Drybrook ran strongly into the contact, where the Bournemouth defence was up to the task and Drybrook gained no ground but when they released the ball, going further left, there was a knock-on wide out and Bournemouth had the relief of the put-in at a scrum inside the Drybrook 10m. Bournemouth showed early dominance in the scrum, certainly one positive feature of the afternoon from a Bournemouth perspective, enabling Hancox to pick up and break right. The scrum-half took play to their 22m, where Drybrook were penalised in trying to defend the threat and fly-half, Alex Peel, found touch to his right for an attacking line-out on the 5m line. Bournemouth contrived to lose their own ball but the Drybrook clearance kick was charged down and Bournemouth made up for the poor line-out when inside centre Jack Young was quickest to the loose ball to touch down for his first score of the season. The left-footed Hancox, uncharacteristically, pulled a relatively straightforward kick, if I am allowed to say such a thing, to the right of the near post to leave the score at 5-nil after eight minutes play, a lead, that could be said, to be against the run of play.

Drybrook restarted left, the ball fielded by Hancox who kicked long. A good chase put Drybrook under pressure but the chasers were penalised and Drybrook found touch to their left on the Bournemouth 10m. Going right, Drybrook initially made no headway in the face of a determined Bournemouth defence but they did manage to get the ball out wide for them to make a penetrating run which Bournemouth found hard to defend. Looking so dangerous with ball in hand, Drybrook came back left and forced their way into the Bournemouth 22m where they were awarded a scrum just 10m out from the Bournemouth line. Initially going right, fly-half George Paul cut back inside against the flow and scored a well-worked try. Full-back Tom Treherne kicked the goal and Drybrook took a not undeserved lead at 7-5, 14 minutes into the game.

Bournemouth struck back almost immediately after the restart when Drybrook were penalised just 30 metres out. From more or less in front of the posts, Hancox duly restored Bournemouth’s advantage, albeit reduced to just one point, at 8-7 just one minute later. Drybrook restarted left and determined forwards brushed aside any attempt by the Bournemouth forwards to catch the ball by knocking it back to set up a three-quarter attack to the right. Bournemouth were under some stress to contain this latest foray and, with good ball retention Drybrook came back left but the Bournemouth defence managed to wrestle the ball off their tormentors but at the expense of a Drybrook line-out on the 22m. The ball was secured at the back but as it was worked right it was lost forward in the face of the defensive tackling and Bournemouth had a scrum but still in the danger area, inside their own 22m. Drybrook drove the scrum back and were rewarded with a penalty but Treherne wasn’t able to take advantage and the score remained at 8-7 to Bournemouth after 20 minutes play.

With the kick at goal going ‘dead’ Bournemouth had a 22m drop-out which Peel kicked long and to his left. Drybrook countered coming back at Bournemouth to their left. A grubber kick through was fielded by Ben Meaden and the full-back immediately swung the ball inside to Peel who unceremoniously kicked the ball further left to the much safer territory of the Drybrook 22m for a Drybrook line-out. Drybrook’s scrum-half Colombo’s kick clear prompted an exchange of kicks with Peel having the final say by finding touch to his left back where all this started on the Drybrook 22m. Thrown long to the back, the Drybrook forwards do well driving forward but when the ball was released left, Drybrook were penalised in the contact. Peel again pinned them back but this time to his right for a Bournemouth line-out just outside the Drybrook 22m. Rees secured the ball but Drybrook were awarded a scrum. Bournemouth retrieved the situation by winning the put-in and, to add to Drybrook’s woes, the visitors were penalised. Hancox, from just right of the posts and just outside the Drybrook 22m, kicked the goal to extend Bournemouth’s lead and make the score 11-7 after 25 minutes play.

Drybrook were, let us mere observers say, obviously offside at the restart and Bournemouth opted for a scrum at the point of the kick-off. Rees broke off the back to set up a promising move going left but the ball was was dropped wide out for a Drybrook scrum. The crowd’s disappointment was palpable. The forwards made up for that by driving their opposite numbers off the ball and referee Simpson deemed to reward their efforts by awarding a penalty. Peel, with another fine kick, found touch to his left inside the Drybrook 22m. Openside Ben Russell secured the ball at the front of the line-out but Drybrook were again penalised in their efforts to prevent Bournemouth gaining any advantage. Peel duly found touch to his left but this time on the Drybrook 22m. Off the line-out, Bournemouth drove for the line then released right. In the shadow of the posts, Drybrook were again penalised . Blindside flanker Ben Kimber quickly took the penalty and forced his way over to score his second try of the season. Hancox kicked the goal and Bournemouth were two scores in front at 18-7 after 33 minutes play.

Right-wing Ryan Morrell fielded the restart and almost broke out. The ball was released left but when the ball was worked back right Drybrook were again penalised and Peel found touch to his right for a Bourenmouth line-out just 10 metres out from the Drybrook line.. Bournemouth drove off the line-out but Drybrook were awarded a scrum. Drybrook struggled to contain the Bournemouth shove but recovered sufficiently to kick left for the ball to be fielded by Morrell. The winger swung the ball back inside to Pell who kicked right were the ball was ‘marked’ for a Drybrook drop-out. The ball was fielded by Meaden who found Ollie Grainger-Williams. The winger was stopped rather abruptly midfield but when Bournemouth went left Drybrook earned themselves the throw-in at a line-out outside the Bournemouth 10m. Attacking left off the line-out, Drybrook were penalised midfield for being ‘off their feet’ in the contact and Peel kicked left to find touch outside the Drybrook 10m. Going right, inside centre Jack Young made progress with a dummy but the ball got lost only for Drybrook to be penalised. From outside the Drybrook Hancox kicked another fine goal to make the score 21-7. A minute later the same player, fielding the restart kicked the ball into touch on the half-way line for Simpson, after playing three minutes of injury time, blew his whistle for the players to troop off for their well-earned half-time oranges.

Bournemouth, now playing right to left, restarted with Peel kicking left and Drybrook responded by attacking left through their threes. Bournemouth were penalised in defending the move and Drybrook found touch further left on he half-way line. Attacking first to their right off the line-out, Drybrook came back left where Bournemouth were again penalised. Drybrook found touch to their left on the Bournemouth 22m. Driving off the line-out, the ball was released to Colombo and the scrum-half was almost ‘in’. Maintaining the momentum, Drybrook swung the ball wide and again seemed almost in wide out on the right but remarkably Grainger-Williams came up with the ball, don’t ask me how he did it, to save the situation. Crucially the Drybrook No. 8, M Bourne was ‘red carded’ for punching and after just five minutes into this second half, Drybrook were down to 14 men. A hammer blow for the visitors. In the same incident, Meaden was forced to retire with a badly cut head to be replaced by Alex Sutherland. Another fine kick by Peel found touch to his left on the half-way line. Drybrook were penalised at the line-out but this time Peel sliced his kick and the ball went ‘dead’ for a Drybrook 22m drop-out. Kimber fielded the ball and charged into the contact but Drybrook ‘turned the ball over’ and countered, swinging the ball left. Strong-running backs with good ball retention took the ball deep into the Bournemouth 22m where, with the help of the forwards, drove over the line for lock Glen Nott to score. Treherne kicked the goal and suddenly Bournemouth’s lead looked very fragile at 21-14, nine minutes into the half.

George Paul, the Drybrook fly-half, restarted by kicking left and Bournemouth returned by kicking left to find touch deep inside the Drybrook. Astonishingly, the Drybrook player retrieved the ball, threw it to himself to set off on an ambitious counter-attack. It rather went pear-shaped when the clearance kick was charged down and went bouncing into the dead-ball area where Drybrook won the frantic race to touch the ball down, just, for a 22m drop-out. Kimber fielded the ball but again Bournemouth were penalised when they took the ball into contact. Grainger-Williams fielded the penalty kick and had a run, linking with Hancox. The scrum-half kicked and Drybrook, with typical aggressive running, took the ball back into contact where again the Bournemouth defence was penalised, this time for a high tackle.

Paul found touch to his right for a Drybrook line-out outside the Bournemouth 22m. Drybrook attacked left off the line-out but couldn’t get beyond the gain line. Yet again the Bournemouth defence was penalised, prompting Simpson to have a ‘quiet’ word with captain Alan Manning. Treherne exacted the appropriate sanction and these 14 men from the Forest of Dean had dragged themselves back to within four points of Bournemouth at 17-21, 16 minutes into the half.

Peel restarted by kicking left and the chasing Russell did well to recover the ball for Bournemouth to release the ball right but a knock-on midfield rather undid a promising move and Drybrook had a scrum instead. Simpson awarded Bournemouth a free kick quickly taken by Hancox. He went right on a strong run before the ball came back inside. Peel chose to kick long to his right to find touch just 10 metres out from The Drybrook line. Drybrook kicked left off the line-out to find touch beyond their 22m. Bournemouth attacked left off the line-out and, wide out, Sutherland, coming into the line, managed to evade the would-be tacklers with a typical strong for the replacement full-back to score wide of the left upright. Hancox kicked the goal and vitally Bournemouth had restored a ‘two-score’ lead at 28-17, after 25 minutes play of the second half. Tom Napier replaced tightwad prop Henry Taylor at this juncture.

Drybrook restarted left and Hancox kicked long in return. Drybrook ran the ball back but the Bournemouth defence ‘won’ a scrum inside the Bournemouth 10m. The drive by the forwards was penalised and Drybrook found touch to their left outside the Bournemouth 22m. Bournemouth were penalised at the line-out and the referee had a word with the players. Drybrook found touch to their left just five metres out from the Bournemouth line. Bournemouth countered the Drybrook drive but were penalised again but this time Joe Rees was shown a yellow card and a rather disconsolate No. 8 left the field of play for ten minutes. Drybrook repeated the aforesaid process and this time Bournemouth couldn’t resist the drive and Drybrook scored in the corner. Treherne hit a fine goal and Drybrook were back with-in a ‘score’ at 24-27 with 32 minutes of the half gone. Crucially, though, the sides were now 14 players a-piece.

Bournemouth did well to recover the restart and attacked right winning a scrum on the Drybrook 22m. Drybrook resisted the Bournemouth shove and were rewarded with the put-in at a scrum. They themselves came under pressure from the Bournemouth forwards but still managed to swing the ball right where a Bournemouth knock-on in the contact gave Drybrook another scrum outside their own 10m. Bournemouth were caught offside at the scrum and Drybrook found touch to their right inside the Bournemouth 10m. Drybrook initially drove the ball before releasing it left but a, perhaps over ambitious, pass wide went into touch for a Bournemouth line-out. The Bournemouth forwards drove the ball before releasing left and Peel kicked to find touch on the half-way line for a Drybrook throw-in. A Bournemouth knock-on at he line-out gave Drybrook the put-in at a scrum but the Bournemouth shove was rewarded with a penalty. Sutherland maximised the reward by finding touch to his left for a Bournemouth line-out on the Drybrook 22m. This gain was nullified when Bournemouth were penalised at the line-out and Drybrook were able to relieve the pressure by finding touch to their right on the Bournemouth 10m. One good thing though, three minutes into injury time, Rees was ‘restored’.

Bournemouth were penalised for ‘handling on the ground and found themselves back outside their own 22m defending an attacking line-out, a reverse of their own position just a few moments before. Drybrook drove off the line-out but were penalised inside the Bournemouth 22m. Sutherland found touch to his left. Rees secured the throw-in at the front of the line-out and Hancox swung the ball right. Bournemouth’s attack faltered in the face of some determined Drybrook defence and the visitors had the put-in at a scrum as reward for their efforts outside the Bournemouth 22m. Perhaps reeling under this constant 14-man pressure, Bournemouth were penalised at the scrum and Drybrook gave themselves a chance of winning this match, a try would do, by finding touch to their right just 10 metres from the Bournemouth line. Their hopes weren’t to be when Bournemouth ‘turned the ball over’ at the line-out and, with some collective relief, unceremoniously kicked the ball off the park to safety for Simpson, having played seven minutes of injury time, to blow for ‘no time’ leaving Bournemouth with a somewhat fortunate win at 28-24.

Whether it was 15 or 14 men didn’t seem to matter to Drybrook in an astonishing display, especially in that second half and Bournemouth struggled to contain their ambition. That quick throw-in to himself by the Drybrook player deep inside his own 22m, although it might have ended in disaster, was typical of their ambition and the determination to take the fight to the enemy. It remains a mystery to your correspondent at least as to why Drybrook are second bottom having not won a game and earned just four points (one of them today) for their efforts.

‘Well done’ to Ben Kimber on being the Bournemouth Man of the Match for the second time in just four matches. I repeat last week’s sentiments, typical of our newcomers’ outstanding contribution to their new club’s cause.

The win means we remain second in the table, although we are now tying with Hornets on 19 points but with a superior match-points difference. With top-placed Exeter University on 20 points, we are the only three unbeaten sides, the only other unbeaten side, Exmouth, lost away to Old Redcliffians today. As a result, Old Redcliffians leapfrogged their visitors to take fourth place.

The return match against Drybrook is away on January 15th. Next week we are away to Exeter University, KO 3pm assuming we have enough fuel to get down there.

Doug Warren