Blues Rue Their Mistakes!

Playing into the wind for the first half Newbury looked bright and pressed from the start. 7 minutes in to the game fly-half Richard west kicked across field to the right wing and after two neat passes Toby Thorne leapt over the line to score in the corner. The conversion kick missed, but 5-0 into a 15pt wind was a good start.

Devizes were not out of the game, and displayed good individual and team skills. An outrageous dummy by their scrum half Tom Collins caught everyone out, including his own players, and Newbury were fortunate that he knocked on in contact having run out of support. The visitors also started making use of the wind to get deep into the Newbury half and after 10 minutes Toby Seward needed 2 grabs at the ball and was taken down by the chasing Devizes players. The penalty for not releasing the ball was a simple 3pts for Andy Thompson.

Newbury were wise to try and keep the ball in or moving through hands and made several promising forays into the Devizes 22, but could not complete. One weaving run by full back Seward looked to have opened up the defence, but an inside pass by West went to ankles for another knock-on and Devizes were able to clear to halfway. This was a pattern for the play, Newbury keeping Devizes pinned in their own half, but making mistakes that gave them the chance to regain the ball and relieve the pressure.

After 24 minutes Devizes were able to develop play into the Newbury half, and after a try-line rumble lock James Gaiger was able to touch down just left of the posts, leaving Thompson an easy conversion for 5-10.

The Newbury scrum was more than coping with the Devizes pack. Nathan Thomas replaced Paul Sayers at loose head and the good shoves continued. Too often, though, Newbury were not able to take advantage of the hard work. Pushing forward in a good position the pack went to ground and were penalised for hands on the ball, allowing Devizes off the hook again. That led to Devizes working their way forward and winning a penalty for offside 15metres. The kick hit both posts before dropping over the line for 5-13. Mr Thompson was having a good day.

From the restart Newbury put Devizes under pressure again, winning a penalty in front of their posts. Electing the scrum the ball went out to the right wing where Devizes were caught offside again. A fine drive for the line ended with the ball held up and from the resultant scrum Newbury were penalised allowing another escape for the visitors. Newbury kept pushing forward, and west drove a penalty into the right corner. Devizes won the lineout but West followed up and charged down the kick for touch. Unluckily he couldn’t control the ball to touch it down.

The story of the first half was a Newbury side creating lots, but letting Devizes off and even gifting them points. The wind held up for the second half, giving Newbury the chance to take advantage. Very soon after the re-start a good passing move led to Dan Thorne breaking through 15 metres out, but he could not hold the final pass and Devizes were again let off.

10 minutes in to the second half Devizes had lock Will Paviour sin-binned for slowing the ball down, and soon after Dan Thorne burst through the defence again, this time holding on to score to make it 12-13. However, just a couple of minutes later Newbury were caught feeding at the scrum for the second time. Devizes took full advantage to score another try, with Thompson again using the post to help his kick over the bar to restore the margin at 12-20.

Newbury went back at Devizes and soon were awarded a penalty 25 metres out on the right which west knocked between the posts for 15-20 with 20 minutes to go. The Newbury habit of giving Devizes the chances remained, so Thompson happily took the points – without use of the posts – when Newbury transgressed in front of goal to move the score on to 15-23.

Jack Muggridge came on for West at 10 but had to defend as Devizes created an enormous overlap on their left wing but ‘did a Newbury’ and passed forward at the critical moment. However, Newbury had been caught offside and Devizes rumbled forward to the try-line, inly to copy their hosts again by knocking on at the line. Now it was Newbury being let off including a missed penalty by Thompson with only 5 minutes to go.

Muggridge was pushing Newbury forward, and Newbury were unlucky with the final pass again when the ball slipped into touch just short of the try line. The pressure was maintained and after a couple of quick penalties in the Devizes 22 Tom Erskine got the ball down for 20-23, but Muggridge pushed the conversion wide.

In stoppage time Newbury won the ball and tried their very best to keep it alive for the final points to draw or even win, but the eventual knock-on was par for the course, enabling Devizes to celebrate.

For Newbury it was a definite ‘if only’ game. But for the errors – the ones that the spectators never suffer from – the score would have been well in Blues’ favour, but the scoreboard is all that matters.

Report courtesy of Bill Sandles.