Blues are still without several players due to injury and this list is added two with both Ryan Davis and Josh Bartlett out after picking up injuries in last weeks match, Will Carlisle unavailable.
Toby and Dan Thorne are both back and Tom Bass comes in for his first game of the season after several good games for the Stags

Bassett kick off the game on a misty damp Saturday afternoon, Blue gather and try running before kicking deep into Bassett’s half, Bassett catch and run the ball but a great Josh Winfield tackle forces the knock on, Blues play the advantage but the ref brings play back. Blues win the scrum and spread the ball out through the backs allowing Jamie Futcher to run the touchline getting to the 5m mark before he is tackled, Bassett intercept the pass but get tackled into touch.
Blues win the lineout and put the Bassett defence under pressure for a sustained period, Blues win a pen which is kicked to touch, lineout won Blues again pressurise the Bassett defence which is holding firm and keeping Blues out, eventually the pressure tells and Bassett concede a penalty in front of the posts which Nick Wackwitz converts 0-3 5 mins

Bassett’s restart kick is returned to touch on halfway by Blues, Bassett win their lineout but soon get penalised allowing Blues to kick to touch, lineout won Blues attack with the forwards Alex Millar, James Macauley, Oliver Spanswick, Josh Winfield and Graham Stewart making ground, the ball is released to the backs Josh Love, Tom Bass and Jamie Futcher, some great tackling by Bassett keep the Blues out and is rewarded with a penalty which they kick to touch.
Bassett win the lineout and get up to halfway but lose the ball allowing Blues to set off on another attack, the ball is spread wide through the backs allowing Mike Walker to make ground but he is tackled into touch, Blues steal the lineout and put more pressure on Bassett’s defence, the ref obstructs play so a scrum to the Blues.
Scrum won Blues again put pressure on Bassett’s defence and although they are camped in Bassett’s 22 are unable to break through the good Bassett tackling, the partial break through comes when Blues are awarded a penalty which Nick Wackwitz kicks 0-6 16 mins

Bassett take the restart kick and manage to regain possession they attack getting up to Blues 22 for the first time and with a inside pass to the oncoming player who cuts a great line to open the Blues defence to score close to the posts and convert, 7-6 18 mins

Blues restart is not 10 giving Bassett a scrum on halfway, from the scrum Bassett kick into Blues 22, Blues take and run back at Bassett Oliver Spanswick, Tom Bass, Toby Thorne and Jamie Futcher taking play into Bassett’s half, Blues are held up in the tackle giving Bassett a penalty scrum. Bassett run the ball from the base of the scrum then kick into Blues half Blues return the kick, Bassett catch and clear to touch.
Blues win their lineout and run at Bassett making some ground but again they cannot break the Bassett defence, Blues creep into Bassett’s 22 and win a scrum at the tackle.

Ben Hicks on Dylan Stewart off 26 mins

Blues win the scrum and attck the Bassett defence but a knock on halts their progress, scrum won Bassett clear to touch and are rewarded further when the ball slips through Blues hands and rolls into touch on halfway.
Bassett attack from the lineout but lose the ball in the tackle, Josh Winfield charges up field making good meters before he is tackled on Bassett’s 22, Blues support is right there and get a penalty and Bassett a harsh yellow card. Blues kick to touch, lineout won Blues forwards Ollie Spanswick, Alex Millar, Rob Drysdale Jon Bastable and Ben Hicks take play up to the try line but are held up and win a penalty scrum, Bassett earning another yellow card.

Dylan Stewart on Ben Hicks off

Blues push to early giving Bassett a free kick which they tap and go quickly but don’t get far before Blues manage to steal the ball, the backs are off Toby Thorne on to Jamie Futcher who releases Mike Walker to make the final yards and score a good try the long conversion from Nick Wackwitz hits the uprights 7-11 36 min’s

Bassett’s restart kick is returned by Blues, Bassett gather and kick to touch, Blues win their lineout and spin the ball through hands across the pitch then back, Bassett’s good defence infringes giving Blues a penalty which is kicked to touch in Bassett’s 22, Lineout won Blues keep play in Bassett’s 22 getting up to the try line forwards Jon Bastable Ollie Spanswick making ground but again Bassett hold them out giving Blues a 5m penalty scrum and Bassett another some what harsh yellow card.
Scrum won Joe Pigott quickly feeds the ball out allowing Blues to keep up the pressure and they are rewarded when a neat pass to the charging Mike Walker who is running a great line opens the Bassett defence and he touches down close to the posts, Nick Wackwitz converts 7-18 half time

******

Dan Thorne on Tom Bass off

Blues kick off the second half Bassett try running but get ushered into touch by the Blues defence, Blues throw is not straight giving Bassett a scrum, Bassett kick from the scrum, Blues gather and run Mike Walker making good ground, Blues spread the ball wide but cough up possession at the tackle, Bassett kick clear. Blues Jamie Futcher take’s and sets off the ball is kept live at the tackle with the Blues forwards picking and driving up the pitch, the ball is released to the backs getting into Bassett’s 22 before a pass to Toby Thorne lets him weave his way around the defenders to score close to the posts, Nick Wackwitz converts 7-25 47 mins

George Robinson-Slater on James Macauley off

Bassett restart, Blues catch cleanly and kick to touch, Bassett win their lineout and try running but a knock on halts their progress, scrum won Blues run the ball Dan Thorne making a clean break but play is brought back for crossing, Bassett win the scrum and run at Blues spreading the ball wide Blues defence keeps them from progressing so the kick up field, Toby Thorne takes and a good run takes play well into Bassett’s half before a knock on halts their progress.
Bassett win the scrum and this time they make good progress and win another scrum, again they make good progress from the scrum getting into Blues 22 before Blues defence holds them up, Bassett win a penalty, play is halted for an injury time out, Bassett kick to touch.
Lineout won Bassett attack with their forwards picking and driving getting closer to the try line through several phase’s, eventually they make the break through and score wide out the conversion just wide 12-25 60 min’s

Toby Thorne off Tom Bass on, Ben Hicks on Graham Stewart off

Blues restart kick is gathered by Bassett, Blues chase is rewarded with a penalty at the tackle which is kicked to touch on Bassett’s 22, Blues win the lineout but concede a penalty scrum, Bassett try running out of defence but knock on. Blues win the scrum and the forwards drive forwards but again a knock on hands over possession, Bassett kick to touch from the scrum.
Blues win the lineout then a penalty which is kicked to touch 8m out, lineout won Blues again put pressure on Bassett’s defence Josh Winfield making ground then Alex Millar getting up to the line, the ball is kept live and fed out to the backs allowing Josh Love to crash through the defence to score Nick Wackwitz converts 12-32 70 mins

Bassett restart and manage to keep possession, Blues put them under pressure at the tackle and win a penalty, Blues penalty kick doesn’t make touch which allows Bassett to kick to touch just in Blues half, Blues win the lineout and make good ground with some attacking play Ben Hicks carrying into Bassett’s 22 but they concede a penalty allowing Bassett to clear and kick to touch.
Bassett win the lineout and spread the ball wide but are not making much ground so they kick, Tom Bass catches and returns the kick, for the next few minutes both teams have attacking chances but mistakes hand over possession.
Blues on one attack get into the 22 but a loose pass rolls into touch, Bassett win the lineout and run the ball winning a penalty and Blues get a yellow card. Bassett kick to touch and from the lineout attack, Blues steal the ball but give away a penalty allowing Bassett to kick to touch and launch another attack but spill the ball allowing Jamie Futcher and Josh Winfield to run out of defence and over halfway, Blues are penalised at the tackle, Bassett kick to touch, lineout won they keep up the pressure and manage to get over with two Blues tacklers hanging on but unable to stop the try, the conversion is just wide 17-32 full time
For some reason it all kicks off and all the players get involved in a big Xmas cuddle, the ref joins in and finishes handing out his Christmas cards with reds to add to the 4 yellow, this seems a high card count for what had been a keenly but fairly fought match
Not the right end to this Xmas game

Forwards MOM goes to Ollie Spanswick
Backs MOM goes to Josh Love

Thanks to Royal Wootton Bassett for hosting us we wish you all a Happy Xmas and all the best for 2017 and hopefully look forward to playing you in the near future

Thanks to the great Blues support Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year

Blues Squad
Graham Stewart, Rob Drysdale, James Macauley, Jon Bastable, Josh Winfield, Ollie Spanswick
Dylan Stewart, Alex Millar, Joe Pigott, Nick Wackwitz, Jamie Futcher, Tom Bass, Josh Love,
Mike Walker, Toby Thorne, George Robinson-Slater, Ben Hicks, Dan Thorne

Blues start off 2017 on 7th Jan at home against Swindon

Match details

Match date

Sat 17 Dec 2016

Kickoff

14:30

Location

Royal Wootton Bassett RFC

Competition

South West 1 East

League position

Newbury Blues

Royal Wootton Bassett

Team overview

Blues Royal win