Report by Matt Glanville
After a hard fought win back in September over Morganians, North Petherton Seconds went into this return match expecting another tight contest. However, the anticipated battle did not materialise as Pethy produced some of their best rugby of the season to brush aside their local rivals, scoring 12 tries in the process.
From the kick-off Pethy played down the slope and with a strong wind behind them they looked to make the most of the conditions in the first half. The opening ten minutes were littered with handling errors from both sides as the collisions and the breakdown were contested with the intensity typical of a local derby. The Petherton pack dominated the set-piece from the start though, turning over all but 2 Morgs scrums during the match, and securing good ball from their own lineout.
With the visitors normal forward strength nullified early on, Pethy began to create big holes in the Morgs defence. Flanker Toby Harris led the way with a number of powerful line breaks, with Centres Chris Griffiths and Dan Winn also making big yards out wide. Playing with good pace, Pethy soon made their way into the visitors 22 after 10 minutes where Harris burst through to score in the left corner. Fly-Half Dan Pearce added a fine conversion into the wind to make it 7-0.
North Petherton began to dominate possession after this and on 17 minutes they forced a lineout inside the Morgs 22 following a hurried clearance kick. A superb catch and drive by the Pethy pack was then finished off by No.8 Simon Gingell, with Pearce adding another difficult conversion to extend the lead to 14-0. Pethy continued to put pace on the ball with scrum-half Oscar Treganna taking a number of quick penalties as forwards and backs all got involved, off-loading well out of the tackle and keeping the visitors on the back foot. From another quickly taken penalty 10 metres out, Toby Harris smashed his way through for his second try on 28 minutes, with Pearce again converting to make it 21-0.
The bonus point try soon followed after 32 minutes when the Pethy forwards again made inroads into the Morgs 22. A succession of pick and drives got them near to the line before lock Adrian Tew gathered the ball up and powered over from close range. Tew was then instrumental again 3 minutes later, setting up a try for Wing Scott Briffett, who showed good determination and speed to spin through a tackle near the left touchline and score under the posts. Fellow Wing Brian Stenson then added a sixth try for the home side just before the break, crashing over in the right corner after taking a short pass inside from Pearce, following more good work by the Pethy forwards. Pearce converted Briffett’s try to make the half-time score 38-0.
Playing into the wind in the second half Pethy offered little respite to the visitors as they scored another 6 tries and camped inside the Morgs half. Toby Harris completed his hat-trick on 45 minutes by again smashing his way over from close range after catching out the Morgs defence with a quickly taken penalty. Pearce converted to extend the lead to 45-0.
Scrum-half Oscar Treganna was next on the score sheet after 50 minutes as Pethy continued to play some attractive rugby. Good handling from forwards and backs released Treganna down the right wing where he outpaced the covering defence to score. Scott Briffett then collected his second try of the match with another excellent finish on the left wing on 63 minutes, brushing aside the remaining defence and outpacing his opposite number to score. Neither try was converted as Pethy extended their lead to 55-0.
With 13 minutes remaining a number of Pethy forwards found themselves in the backline just inside the Morgs 22, and good passing along the line by No.8 Simon Gingell, props Matt Glanville and Sheldon Jones, and lock Adrian Tew put Treganna away to score his second try of the match in the right corner. The try went unconverted to make it 60-0.
Pethy then scored 2 excellent tries in the last 10 minutes, firstly attacking well through the forwards before great handling and running by Pearce, Griffiths and Ben Williams put replacement full-back Ian Webb away in the left corner to score. Williams then finished off a similar move himself with a few minutes remaining after forwards and backs again combined to great effect. Both tries went unconverted to make the final score 70-0.
This was great team performance by the Seconds in which all played their part. They remain 1 point clear of Chard Seconds at the top of Somerset Two South.
Tries: Toby Harris (10,28,45), Simon Gingell (17), Adrian Tew (32), Scott Briffett (35,63), Brian Stenson (37), Oscar Treganna (50,67), Ian Webb (71), Ben Williams (74)
Cons: Dan Pearce (11,18,29,36,46)
Team:
1. Sheldon Jones
2. Nathan Murdoch
3. Matt Glanville
4. Ben Stewart (Rep. Pete Kingston, 55)
5. Adrian Tew
6. Phil Hambley
7. Toby Harris
8. Simon Gingell (C)
9. Oscar Treganna
10. Dan Pearce
11. Scott Briffett
12. Chris Griffiths
13. Dan Winn (Rep. Ian Webb, 35)
14. Brian Stenson
15. Ben Williams
