Report by Matt Glanville
North Petherton Seconds hit the top of the table after an emphatic victory took them past previous leaders Chard Seconds on points difference. With both sides unbeaten and due to play each other next weekend, Pethy can take a great deal of confidence into what will be one of their biggest games of the season, after passing the 50 point mark for the second week running.
North Petherton started the game playing down the slope and immediately put Somerton under pressure. Led by their excellent No 7 the visitors made the breakdown a fierce contest but Pethy initially gained the upper hand by getting the ball wide quickly where they had the edge throughout the game. With Petherton getting some good width on the ball flanker Orin Bovill was in his element, scoring 2 tries in the opening 13 minutes. His first was finished off from just outside of the visitors 22 where the stretched Somerton defence could not cope with his pace, and the second came from a Somerton scrum on their 5 metre line that was driven back by Pethy, allowing Bovill to snatch the ball up and score. Both tries went un-converted as the home side established a 10-0 lead.
Having made a great start Pethy kept Somerton pinned back in their own half and began to exert immense pressure on the visitors scrum and lineout. In the 16th minute Bovill stole the ball from a Somerton lineout on their 22, which was quickly shipped to centre Ash Palmer who made a great arcing run through the visiting defence to score to right of the posts. Fly-half Mark Sutherland-Earl converted to extend the lead to 17-0.
Palmer soon scored his second try in the 24th minute, this time powering through the midfield from 20 metres out and taking a defender with him as he touched the ball down by the right post to secure the try bonus point. Sutherland-Earl converted to extend the lead to 24-0.
Although the score was suggesting a one sided match the visitors continued to compete well and they eventually gained good territory inside the Petherton 22 before half-time. Pethy were guilty of switching off in defence as Somerton’s forwards began to make some big in-roads. They eventually scored a deserved try through their No 7, who brushed off a couple of tackles to score under the posts. It was converted to cut Petherton’s half-time lead to 24-7.
The start to the second half was unfortunately disrupted by a couple of delays as Somerton’s prop badly twisted his knee when a disrupted lineout became a maul on the half-way line. After 10 minutes he was able to be carried off on a stretcher and the match resumed with Somerton gaining the upper hand and scoring again to make the score 24-12.
A further delay for an ambulance to come on to the side of the pitch to collect Somerton’s injured player gave the home side a chance to re-group, and from the re-start they increased their intensity in attack and defence to end Somerton’s hopes of a comeback. After 48 minutes right winger Ben Williams finished off a fine move to re-establish Petherton’s grip on the game, with Oscar Treganna converting to increase the lead to 31-12.
Pethy eventually began to wear down the spirited visitors and on 62 minutes Williams put the result beyond doubt with another fine finish on the right, powering through some tired tackling to score. The conversion was missed but Pethy began to make their superior fitness and speed count in the last quarter. On 70 minutes a brilliant one handed catch on the right wing by Williams, from a miscued Somerton kick that was heading out, caught the visiting defence by surprise, and he sped forward and passed the ball inside for Bovill to complete his hat-trick. Lloyd Steward converted to make the score 43-12.
Williams also completed his own hat-trick with 2 minutes remaining, finishing off another flowing move across the pitch. There was still time for a final try when Bovill scored his 4th in the last minute, intercepting a pass on the half-way line and running in un-opposed. Both tries went un-converted to make the final score 53-12.
At the end of the match captain Simon Gingell was very happy with the majority of his team’s performance, although he stressed the need to eradicate the lapses in concentration that allowed Somerton back into the game either side of half-time. Petherton’s forwards dominated the scrums and lineouts throughout, giving their backs plenty of good ball. Flanker Orin Bovill was outstanding, carrying with pace and power in the loose and dominating at the front of the lineout. Wingers Ben Williams and Brian Stenson also stood out in the backs, Stenson with his support play and some some good running down the left wing, and Williams with a hat-trick of well taken tries. Overall this was another great team performance by all involved.
Tries: Orin Bovill (5, 13, 70, 80), Ash Palmer (16, 24), Ben Williams (48, 62, 78)
Cons: Mark Sutherland-Earl (17, 25), Oscar Treganna (48), Lloyd Steward (71)
Team:
1. Matt Glanville (Rep. Rob Kearle, 70)
2. Nathan Murdoch
3. Adrian Tew (Rep. Chris Mantyk, 45)
4. Pete Kingston
5. Phil Hambley
6. Dan Winn
7. Orin Bovill
8. Simon Gingell (C)
9. Oscar Treganna
10. Mark Sutherland-Earl (Rep. Kev Rybaruk, 43)
11. Brian Stenson (Rep. Lloyd Steward, 65)
12. Ash Palmer
13. Rob Havill
14. Ben Williams (Rep. Dan Pearce, 75)
15. Simon Freeman (Rep. Dan Wilkins, 43)
