Minety 50

Supermarine 0

Sam Hughes scored a hat-trick as Minety made it back-to-back wins in 2019 with a thumping win over Supermarine at Minety Fields on Saturday writes Graham Cooke.

Coach Andy Grayson was forced into making five changes from last week’s team through injury but used the opportunity to welcome back flanker Kieran Tillotson and full back Matt Roberts, the latter after a long term back injury.

Minety started the match in seventh place in Dorset and Wiltshire Division 1 whilst Supermarine found themselves at the bottom, without a league win all season.

The home team kicked off, playing up the slope, and immediately began playing some of their hallmark rugby, moving the ball swiftly through their mobile forwards to their pacey backs.

It took the home side just two minutes to register their first try. Scrum half Garin Garland fired the ball to fly half Hughes. The ball went swiftly on, via centre Jack Ward, to Roberts whose pace split the defence wide open allowing winger Chris Rule to score wide on the right.

Another marvellous run from Roberts almost set up Hughes and then a break from Number eight

Andrew Hibbard and second row Ben Collins faltered close to the line.

Supermarine bellied their league position with some excellent tackling and rucking but were always on the back foot.

Minety’s second try came in the 11th minute. A clever chip by Simpson panicked the defence and from the ensuing scrum Garland found Hughes who sided stepped his way under the posts for the first of his three tries. Garland converted and Minety were 12 – 0 up.

The third try came straight from the re-start. Prop Mark Glew caught the ball and then a play involving half of the Minety side saw them up to the Supermarine line.

When second row Ben Scott was tackled metres from the line, Garland found captain Tom Claxton who set up a ruck and it was Collins who reacted first to pick up and score his second try of the season. Garland’s conversion took Minety to 19 points.

Both Rule and centre Jack Howse probably should have scored before half time but the speed and complexity of the moves led to the ball being lost at the crucial moment with the line beckoning.

When Supermarine did break out of their own half they looked dangerous but superb tackling from Garland, Simpson and Roberts kept them out.

The visitors mounted a concerted assault on the Minety line in the closing minutes of the first half but were met with a steely resolve from the home team.

Minety lost combative flanker Jay Thompson to a yellow card early in the second half and then Glew was forced off with a thigh injury, Morgan Aubrey coming on for his 3rd appearance of the season.

Supermarine were reduced to 14 men when their full back saw red after an off the ball incident halted a superb Minety move involving Roberts, Aubrey, Ward and Garland.

Minety’s fourth, and bonus point winning try, came in the 54th minute. After a move broke down in midfield it was Ward who reacted quickest to a loose ball to run in and score under the posts, Garland converted and the home team now in complete control 26-0 up.

It was Howse who scored the fifth three minutes later, ending a move across the pitch and beating three defenders to score out wide on the left.

In the last ten minutes Minety scored three tries. In the 72nd Ward and Aubrey combined to tackle and win the ball on the half way line and when Garland fed Howse, his flick pass to Simpson saw the winger streak clear to run half the length of the pitch and score beneath the posts.

Hughes added Minety’s seventh, and his second, try in the 76th minute, on hand to collect a pass and scythe through to score near the posts, Garland converted.

In stoppage time the impressive Hughes collected his hat trick. Garland’s tap penalty on the half way line was taken on by Hibbard who passed to Hughes 35 metres out. The young fly half beat four defenders to score and cap an excellent individual performance.

Pictures by Terry Parker