Wells Rugby Football Club

Saturday 5 January 2008.

Midsomer Norton 24 – Wells 7

Christmas hangover, lack lustre, no passion, no Plan ‘B’, awful, just a few of the comments following Wells loss to local rivals Midsomer Norton in this first league game of the New Year.

Indeed all seem to have a whiff of the truth, but in rugby terms it was the complete lack of possession that undid the visitors and also the fact that Midsomer Norton were a far better outfit than when these teams met in Wells back in November. It is true that at times the Wells players seemed to be replaying the Boxing Day friendly amongst themselves and were just going through the motions. However after fifteen minutes in the first half playing into a gusty wind it was obvious to most observers that kicking up field only meant you were twenty yards back from where you started. Surely retaining possession and making a couple of yards at a time would have been a better option.  The lineout this week, was terrible. Or from a Midsomer Norton point of view, brilliant! A constant source of good ball for them to use the ball to pen Wells into their twenty two.

It took twelve minutes for the home side to open the scoring with a try. This was actually scored whilst most of the forwards were involved in a dust up, many yards from where the ball was. There were so few players involved in the actual game, that it was like watching seven a side match. Whether the referee noticed the alternative boxing match, or not is of little matter. The try was given and duly converted. Fifteen minutes later Midsomer Norton repeated the exercise, although this time there was not the alternative entertainment. Half time and Wells were fourteen points down, difficult but not impossible as they would have the wind and slope in the second half and surely employ a bigger variety of tactics to test the opposition.

Calamity, within five minutes of the restart Wells conceded a penalty to go further behind. Limited possession became virtually nil possession, but in one of the rare moments where they did have the ball, a pretty simple try giving a glimpse of what might have been. Scrum, good ball out to Lewis O’Meara in the centre, try under the posts, seven points.

From now on it was all down hill, Wayne Stiling and the home sides captain both got Red Cards and then Midsomer Norton got a third try after driving over the line under the posts to give them their twenty four points.

One hopes from a Wells point of view that this was just a, ‘bad day at the office’, and this Saturday they can bounce back with a Somerset Vase match against old rivals, North Petherton. This match is due to kick off at 2.30 at The Portway Ground.