Malmesbury RFC suffer a nasty jolt to title hopes (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Malmesbury RFC suffer a nasty jolt to title hopes

MALMESBURY RFC suffered a nasty jolt to their championship hopes when losing by three penalty goals to two against local rivals Wootton Bassett III in Saturday's league match at The Worthies.

Both sides played a game which wavered between stout defence of their own line and spirited attack into their opponents' 22 metre area.

The final score rested on their goal kickers with Lee Davies kicking three out of four for the visitors and Kristian Arens making only two of his three attempts for the hosts.

Bassett arrived with a very experienced pack who took ball after ball from both lineout put-ins.

It was only when Steve Organ put the ball right over the line to Huw Jones and Craig Sillars that anything was gained.

Wootton Bassett set pieces were heavy as well, pushing Malmesbury off their own scrum ball on several occasions, but they could not break the hosts' try line.

Malmesbury's back row tackled themselves out of trouble on many occasions and Justin King's fielding and running out of defence should have been more fruitful.

The game got off to a favourable start for the visitors with a penalty goal for Davies after eight minutes.

The home side were shaken when Davies missed a sitter of a dropped goal and the Bassett pack followed a rush over the Malmesbury line.

This was repulsed and Malmesbury woke up to the need to attack.

Kris Arens equalled the score with a penalty goal after 30 minutes, following an injury to Will Davies, who came back on after five minutes.

The hosts attacked and, having two scrums within ten metres of the Bassett line, carried the ball over. Unfortunately the try was not given, so the half-time score remained three points apiece.

Malmesbury took the lead early in the second half with a penalty from an off-side infringement. At this point, Will Davies came off and was replaced by Duncan Pudney.

The Bassett lineout forwards juggled their numbers at each put-in so that their prime jumper was always at the point where his hooker threw it and so gave Tom Neal very little chance.

Arens had a chance of increasing the home side's lead after an offside infringement, but his kick went wide.

Lee Davies put the final score together for the visitors with two penalty kicks towards the end of the match for which Malmesbury had no answer. The game finished nine points to six in favour of the visitors.