Wanderers make Short work of Beddau

Wanderers 30

Beddau 5

“A great response from last weeks defeat. This young group needs to learn lessons, as we’ve said before, if we are going to compete at this level. This was a real improvement” commented Martyn Fowler after the Wanderers secured their second league win of the season.

“I thought it was a little harsh to be dropped for kicking the ball in the opposition 22” added Brendon Lampitt “but we asked the boys to show some mettle today and they did”.

On a bright blustery afternoon the Wanderers started with the wind on their backs and the home side were straight out of the blocks. Paul Short used the wind from a penalty to gain good field position and from a scrum in the Beddau 22 the Wanderers struck. Moving the ball into midfield Tom Richards came off the blindside wing to scythe through the defence and cross under the posts. Short converted 7-0. Beddau were forced to keep the ball in hand into the strong wind but they found territory difficult to come by as the home side defence was solid and when the Wanderers gained another penalty Short put the home side back on the offensive. This time a driving lineout crashed over with Mike Owen in possession only for the referee to be unsighted and for several Beddau defenders to be smart enough to cover the sight of the ball. The subsequent drop out saw Tom Hughes counterattack and after several phases another penalty allowed Short to extend the lead to 10-0. At this point it was all Wanderers as the visitors struggled to get a foothold in the game. The home side were then reduced to 14 men for 10 minutes as Jack James saw yellow for a high tackle. Despite being down a man the home side had control and soon afterwards Short was again on the scoresheet with his second penalty 13-0. Beddau did have a spell on the attack but the wind allowed the Wanderers to clear their lines when the chance arose. The home side dominance continued and Short was stamping authority on the game as he scored the home side second try. A move involving forwards and backs of several phases saw the visitors defence stretched and Short regathered a ball on a run around to allow him to crash over. He converted his try from out wide 20-0. As the half entered its final 10 minutes Beddau had a better spell but once again despite decent possession they could not break the Wanderers line with enough frequency. Another relieving penalty allowed the Wanderers to gain field position and when a maul was pulled down Short added his third penalty to make it 23-0. Beddau rallied at the end of the half and went on a series of close quarter drives near the home sideline but despite their best efforts the Wanderers held out, regained possession and ended the half with a healthy advantage 23-0.

The sides emerged from the changing rooms with the elements definitely easier than they were although the threat of rain loomed. Beddau, rejuvenated by the break had a good start to the half moving the ball well and retaining possession, over several phases they once again put the Wanderers under pressure. Penalties in defence were conceded and eventually the home side defence was pushed beyond its limits and the visitors crashed over for their first try of the game 23-5. In recent games this season such a spark has seen the Wanderers go into their shell but today they showed more resolve. Moving the ball well Cameron Gibbon set the backs away and once again Short was on hand. He set Hughes away who put Richards in for his second try. Short converted 30-5. Both sides started to ring the changes as the rain started to fall and the game ebbed and flowed with Beddau having the majority of the play but as before they could not find a way through the Wanderers defence. Hughes was prominent in the Wanderers defence and when he covered a deep kick he decided to counter from his own line. Breaking through he raced up to halfway only for the ball to be spilled. The game was certainly opening up with both sides happy to move the ball wide when chances allowed. Mike Owen set the Wanderers on the attack and having linked with Gibbon and Josh Male the Beddau defence was pushed but they covered well and cleared their lines. The last throws of the game saw Beddau mount a series of attacks involving close quarter drives from forwards and backs. The Wanderers dug deep and kept them at bay and with one last major effort at a scrum they turned the ball over, secured possession and ended the game with a fine win. Final score 30-5.

Wanderers scorers

Tries: Tom Richards(2), Paul Short

Cons: Paul Short (3)

Pens: Paul Short (3)

Management MOM : Paul Short
Massiv MOM: Paul Short

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