RUGBY: Minety prove second best to Devizes (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Minety rally at Devizes but it is too little, too late

11:14am Tuesday 30th October 2012 in Sport

Dorset & Wilts Div 1 North.

Devizes II 24 Minety 12.

HAVING started slowly, missed too many tackles and struggled to turn territorial advantage into points, Minety could only come second best against their lively hosts in Devizes.

In blustery conditions, Devizes were the first to score, winning quick ruck ball on the left flank 25 minutes into the game and shipping it smartly down the line to winger James Last on the right touchline. He ran in the try and Matthew Holloran kicked the conversion.

Not to be outdone, Chris Barter soon added a try on the opposite wing, making it 12-0 at the break, despite some late pressure from Minety, who finally seemed to be getting into the game.

The visitors continued to press after the interval but failed to cross the whitewash until midway through the half. Awarded a penalty five metres out, Sam Miller took tapped ball and piled over for a score.

The home team responded with two tries of their own which settled the result and gained them a bonus point as well.

The first came as Devizes retained the ball through a series of phases, recycling quick ruck ball to set Last away for his second score of the game.

After Holloran had added the extras, the second try came from a rolling maul set up from a line-out on the visitors’ 22. Devizes rumbled forward and then the man with the ball broke away from the formation, popping a pass to Gavin Curnow, who powered over for the score.

Dale Langdown added a late consolation try for the visitors, beating three defenders on his way to the line, but though a good conversion kick added a little respectability to the score-line, it was too-little-too-late from Minety.