Another Blue day for the Blues

Newbury with a couple of new faces in the squad, kick off up the slope and are immediately put under pressure as Devizes take and put several phases of play together getting well into the Newbury half, a grubber kick through the Newbury defence forces a Newbury lineout 10 m from the try line. Newbury win the lineout but the clearance kick doesn’t find touch allowing Devizes to get back into the Blues half before the ball is lost and Newbury clear their lines, again Devizes run back at the Newbury defence forcing a pen which is kicked into touch. Lineout won Devizes again attack the Blues defence but a knock on gives the Blues a chance to clear their lines, the Devizes forwards have other ideas and force a penalty from the scrum allowing the Devizes 10 to slot through the posts 3-0, 4 min’s
Newbury concede a scrum from the kick off allowing Devizes to keep up the pressure, only a last ditch tackle from Tommy Martin saves the try, Devizes have the upper hand and after another period of sustained pressure score the try close to the posts 10-0, 10 min’s
Newbury respond and straight from the kick off put the Devizes defence under pressure forcing the penalty which Richard West slots between the posts 10-3, 11 min’s
The next 10 mins is even with both sides having chances to score but handling errors and infringements giving the opposition possession or the penalty and a chance to clear their lines. A big tackle by Rob Drysdale on the Devizes 10 forces the knock on and stops play for a few minutes to allow the Physio to treat him. The remainder of the half sees both defences remaining strong and either turning the ball over or forcing the mistake allowing the ball to be cleared back to safety of the midfield area. The half ends badly for Newbury when number 8 Matt Maher is harshly shown a red card for a clumsy late tackle on the already injured Devizes 10 whilst attempting to charge down his kick, a yellow card more befitting.
Newbury now have an up hill task in trying to salvage anything from this game.

Devizes kick off the second half knowing they are now favourites to increase their lead and take all the points making sure there is not any chance they can be dragged into the relegation battle. They manage to regain possession from the kick off and are only halted when accidental crossing gives Newbury a scrum, the Newbury forwards reduced to 7 are spun through 90 allowing Devizes to keep up the pressure but again a mistake costs them dear allowing Newbury to regain possession and kick to the safety of the touchline. Possession changes hands several times before Richard WEST intercepts and gets into the Devizes half, the ball comes loose allowing Joe Binfield to fly hack through and win the chase, picking up and feeding the ball back to Dan Thorne then out to Jamie Futcher who is held up on the line, Newbury are quick up in support and the ball is kept live allowing Tom Martin to be propelled over the line by the Newbury forwards wide out on the right, the conversion just sliding past the posts, 10-8, 45 min’s
From the short kick off Newbury have a scrum on halfway and again the elusive Tom Martin breaks through several tackles but a mistake by the Blues hands over possession to Devizes who hand it back when they knock on. Jack Muggridge comes on for Richard West and new boy Aaron McDowell comes on for Toby Thorne meaning Dan Thorne goes to scrum half. Devizes have the better of the next few minutes play and several penalty scrums later are frustrated by great defence from the 14 man Blues who force the error allowing them to clear to the safety of the touchline. Toby Thorne comes back on after treatment Jamie Futcher off.
Newbury have a second wind and have the better of the game for the next few minutes forcing Devizes back into their own half winning a series of penalties allowing Jack Muggridge to kick into touch and keep play largely in Devizes’s territory. N Weston comes on for Paul Sayers. Newbury pressure Devizes and a clearing kick is well taken by Mark Spalton before he is bundled into touch, Newbury win a penalty from the Devizes lineout, new boy Tom McNamara making his tall presence felt, Jack Muggridge sliding the ball wide of the posts from 45 yards out. Newbury keep up the pressure and from the 22 drop out force another penalty from the Devizes defence, which this time Jack Muggridge slots over from approx 40 yds out in front of the posts 10-11, 68 min’s
For the next couple of minutes play is even with both sides attacking but eventually Devizes with the extra man make it tell and force Newbury to defend for long periods on their line, Newbury make several interchanges in quick succession, Devizes’s keep up the onslaught and eventually get their reward and score close to the posts, 17-11, 35 min’s
Newbury have the better of the final minutes and spend it in Devizes’s 22 but cannot quite get the break they needed to breach the Devizes defence. The final whistle is blown to the disappointment of the 14 Newbury players who have given it their best for the whole of the second half

Newbury need to regroup and get a win in Saturdays vital home match against Grove to give them selves a chance in this relegation fight.

Well done to the Newbury supporters who keep cheering the boys on through another traumatic season.

Squad;
Graham STEWART (c), Rob DRYSDALE, Paul SAYERS, Jamie BULL,
Tom MCNAMARA, Finn WALSH, Josh LOVE, Matt MAHER,
Toby THORNE, Richard WEST, Mark SPALTON, Joe BINFIELD,
Dan THORNE, Jamie FUTCHER, Tom MARTIN.
Nick WESTON, Aaron McDOWELL, Jack MUGGRIDGE.