Rugby - Minety 2nds (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Rugby - Minety 2nds

Minety 2nd XV 14pts - Swindon 3rd XV 8pts

Having been beaten by the Swindon Nomads only six weeks ago, Minety seconds were delighted to turn the tables in this return fixture. Solid tackling and a try in each half did the trick, extending the enthusiastic Minety second team's winning streak to five games on the trot.

Playing down the slope, Swindon opened the scoring after 10 minutes. Passing fluidly and getting men across the width of the pitch, they managed to create an overlap which they then exploited by running in a try in the bottom right-hand corner of the field.

Fielding a squad of only 15 men, Swindon were in danger of being outnumbered, however, when one of their forwards was forced to retire with an injury. Fortunately, Minety had players to spare and were able to fill the gap with the loan of Richard Swift, who had an excellent game for the Nomads as a stand-in flanker.

Minety responded to going behind with a good spell of presure and when they were awarded a penalty just outside Swindon's 22, scrumhalf Alistair Grierson took a tapped kick and popped the ball up for lock James Hazel, coming through on the charge. Hazel's momentum and determination took almost to the try line, but when he was held up short, his fellow forwards were on hand to provide support. The ball was quickly fed back to hooker Richard Pickford, who barged over for a try between the posts which Gareth Dyer then successfully converted to give his team a narrow two-point lead.

This proved short-lived, however, as Swindon soon regained the lead with a penalty goal to make it 7-8 at half-time.

Evenly matched but now enjoying the advantage of the slope, Minety spent a long period after the interval camped on the visitors' line. After some 20 minutes, their efforts were rewarded. Swindon were given the put-in at a five metre scrum and succssfully heeled their own ball, which the scrumhalf then fed back to the flyhalf, standing deep, ready to make the clearance kick. He booted the ball away, but the kick was charged down by Minety centre Mike Strong, who successfully gathered the ball and dived over the line for what proved to be the decisive try.

Dyer's conversion kick gave Minety a six-point lead which they then successfully defended despite the Nomads' sterling efforts to add to their score.

This Saturday, Minety seconds travel away to play the Fairford 2nd XV in a Bill Adams Trophy game.