BOURNEMOUTH V ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT

Team Selection: A familiar look to last season but we welcome Harry Warr and Stanley Vincent to the side with the hope they enjoy their rugby with us.

The weather was bright with a noticeable Westerly breeze, that blew straight down the pitch. Underfoot, the pitch was in very good shape after the programme of watering throughout this exceptionally dry summer.

Bournemouth eventually prevail against their spirited opposition

RWB kicked off into the aforesaid wind from right to left as viewed from the stand and to their left.

Bournemouth got off to a flying start when with the first move of the match they ran the ball back straight from the kick-off. In a move that was to prove to be the hallmark of the afternoon’s play, the ball was quickly through the hands going left; Jack Young had too much pace for the defence and the inside centre was over wide out on the left. Full-back Ryan Morrell opened his account with a finely judged kick. All of which amounted to a similar start to the same game back in April but a tad quicker.

2m: Bournemouth 7-0 Royal Wootton Bassett

Bournemouth applied considerable pressure with much of the play deep in RWB’s half but the defence held firm. Although they were able to releve the pressure when Bournemouth were penalized it was a penalty as result of Bournemouth pressure gave Morrell the chance to add to his tally from outside the RWB 22m.

17m: Bournemouth 10-7 Royal Wootton Bassett.

After a strong run by Man of the Match openside flanker Ciaran Smyth Bournemouth almost scored but the RWB defence was rewarded with the put-in at a scrum. From a line-out a promising Bournemouth attack going right broke down wide out. From the resulting scrum RWB kicked right and the chasers regathered the ball, but a good tackle dispossessed them. Bournemouth countered dangerously going right and it was an illegal deliberate knock-on by full-back Dan Hale broke up the move. Referee Dan Evans’s yellow card indicated he had to spend the next ten minutes enjoying the game from the sidelines. Bournemouth found touch to their right but when they attacked left the move broke down for a RWB scrum inside their own 22m. Despite a good Bournemouth shove, RWB managed to clear right. The ball was kicked back regathered, and Morrell was over in the corner for his first try. With his only kicking blemish of the afternoon, he failed to convert his own try but, nonetheless, it was a 3-score lead with 30 or so minutes gone.

32m: Bournemouth 15-0 Royal Wootton Bassett

RWB were penalized right at the restart and Morrell found touch to his left outside the RWB 22m. RWB were penalized at the line-out. Quickly taken the ball was worked right and Morrell was over for hos second try. He kicked the goal and Bournemouth, agin taking advantage of the man short, were beginning to stretch away at 22-0.

38m: Bournemouth 22-0 Royal Wootton Bassett

Dale was restored but he was welcomed back by another Morrell penalty.

40m: Bournemouth 25-0 Royal Wootton Bassett

At the restart, RWB attacked promisingly down the right but a poor pass saw the ball in to touch rather than a player’s hands. Bournemouth attacked right of the line-out but when the move broke down Evans saw that is time for thw half-time oranges.

40+7m: Bournemouth 25-0 Royal Wootton Bassett – Half-time

RWB got off the worse possible start for the second half when they were immediately penalized and, from outside the RWB 22m, Morrell kicked fifth goal of the afternoon and increased the lead to 28 points.

41m: Bournemouth 28-0 Royal Wootton Bassett

Despite the formidable task facing them, RWB remained stubbornly defiant, and it was only good Bournemouth defence that kept them out. They were unlucky at a 5m line-out after Bournemouth had been penalized twice but were penalized in turn for Bournemouth to clear left

59m: Bournemouth 28-0 Royal Wootton Bassett

Mike Pope replaced Harry Warr and Tom Napier replace Henry Turner

Both sides showed a willingness to run the ball but both defences were equal to the task. No 8 Jake Guilford had a strong 50+m run from within his own half but was eventually hauled down short of the line. With perhaps some of us wondering whether Bournemouth would ever get an apparently elusive try-scoring bonus point, the deadlock was broken more than half-an-hour into the half. Bournemouth turned the ball over at an RWB line-out and the home side through their threes attacked strongly, first left then back right. RWB were penalized in their efforts to stem the flow. A quickly taken penalty almost caught the RWB defence off guard but they managed to keep Bournemouth out. What they couldn’t stop was Bournemouth being able to keep possession and they swept right for outside centre Jordan Wayman to go over in the corner. Morrell kicked the goal and Bournemouth lead 35-0.

75m: Bournemouth 35-0 Royal Wootton Bassett

Undeterred, RWB struck almost immediately with sweeping attacks off a line-out, first right then back left. Bournemouth were penalized and RWB found touch to their left on the Bournemouth 5m. Despite their best defensive efforts, RWB weren’t to be denied and the went over in the corner. A fine kick from the touchline secured the two extra points.

80+2m: Bournemouth 35-7 Royal Wootton Bassett

Bournemouth recovered their own restart but Stanley Vincent who had obly come on was injured and had to be replaced. Bournemouth had a scrum on the RWB 22m. Attacking right they were almost in but retaining possession and showing good patience the forwards drove replacement Tom Napier over under the posts for his try. Morrell added the two points.

80+10m: Bournemouth 42-7 Royal Wootton Bassett

To round it off, left wing Joshua Wickens picked up a loose ball after and exchange of kicks and, from the half-way line, wove his way through a perhaps tired defence to score under the posts. When Morrell’s kick went over, referee Daniel Evans decided he had seen enough and blew for no time.

80+17m: Bournemouth 49-7 Royal Wootton Bassett – Full Time

An entertaing match with some excellent three-quarter moves by both sides to excite the crowd. Clearly under the cosh from early on, witness that first Bournemouth score, RWB played with great spirit to to take the game to Bournemouth. Look how long an apparently dominant Bournemouth took to score a try in the second half. In addition, a couple of tries in an extended extra time perhaps unflatteringly boosted the difference.

Bournemouth’s next match is next week (September 10) away to Oxford Harlequins, KO 3.00PM. Check the KO time before travelling. Ed

Doug Warren

Scribe, Bournemouth RFC.