1. Rikki Bentham.
2. Aiden Taylor.
3. Oli Symons.
4. Andy Pond.
5. Kyle Felton.
6. Liam Jarvis.
7. Bertie Fordham.
8. Matt Gregory. (C)
9. Billy Sutton.
10. Richard Goldsby-West.
11. Charlie Groves.
12. Shaun Crawford. (C)
13. Tom Davies.
14. George Pooley.
15. Dan Goldstone.
16. Sam Bennett.
17. James McFarlane.
18. Tyler Busfield.
19. Joe Stansfield.
20. Billy Orchard.

The Management.
Ben Russell.
Rikki Bentham.
Photos of the DSRFC IIs v OPMs by Mike Yeats are here Click here for the photos by Mike Yeats

This was a re-arranged game from the other week that was called off early due to an injury to the referee, when it was stopped the score was 12~12.
For this game we started third in the league and they at sixth, so the prospect was of a vigorous and well contested local derby, and it was just that.

In short, playing on The Rectory by half time they were winning 10~18, they were all over us and the worst part was the penalty count against us was terrible, I have never known a half like, I lost count in the end.
We had little possession, fortunately when we did for the most part we played well for a few minutes and scored.
At half time I was downcast, so much so I was going the email the local Mother’s Union knitting group and ask to join their Saturday group.

The game kicked off, I went down to the office to look for my stick and when I got back two minutes later Ben Callard had scored a try at the school end Luddington side. That raised my hopes considerably, maybe it was going to be an easier game than I thought. We missed the conversion but were 5~0 up.
Was I wrong. OPMs came back at us like a noisy army of invaders.
They played hard and fast with lots of calling and supporting each other and scored two tries and a conversion in fairly short order.
The first scrum midfield was to them, they completely destroyed our scrum, won a penalty, went for a five yard lineout, won it and drove for the line, going over after a couple of thrusts with Chris Carpenter scoring converted by Matt Smale, 5~7.
OPMs Matt Smale collected a yellow card.
Shortly afterwards a very narrow angle long penalty kick by them was inch perfect, they won this line out as well, there followed about five penalties to them, each time they oped for a five yard scrum, each time we held the drive, on the last occasion they gave up with the forwards and quickly sent to wide for their winger Tom Rayner to dive in at the corner flag. The conversion was missed. 5~12 after thirteen minutes.
On fifteen minutes or so we held our scrum and the ball went to Toby Moss who made good ground to their twenty-two but lost the ball, Tom Rayner on their left wing took it and set off at speed, Toby Moss tackled him hard and he lost the ball, we quickly put in down the line for Ben Callard to score his second where he had scored the first. The conversion was missed. 10~12.
Then the penalties started again Matt Smale added six points with two kicks from in front of the posts the first on twenty-three minutes and the second not long afterwards. 10~18.
On the half hour, Olli Whitfield started a break out from inside our twenty-two, Ethan Hilland took it to their twenty-two and then others toward their posts, inside their twenty-two we had an over lap and barring dropped passes were in for a try, but one of their players knocked the ball down in a longish pass, the referee awarded us a penalty.
Right on half time OPMs were awarded another penalty in front of our posts but surprisingly it missed.
The referee blew for half time.
We were hanging on, just, thanks to Ben Callard, good to see him back from deployment with the navy somewhere hot. We had little serious possession, and when we did sometimes we wasted it, but on those two occasions, we scored.
We were starting to hold their scrums and both side's lineouts were going well.
Considering that we each scored two tries in the first half, how hard they came at us and the amount of possession they had, we actually defended our line really well.

The second half and they kicked off to us and playing towards the school.
Very early on Ben Callard had a great run from our twenty-two to near theirs handing off a couple of players then made the ball available, Josh Martin took it on then made it available and it ended with Sam Fincham who scored in the turnstile corner. The conversion was missed. 15~18.
The gap was closed. Then we were trying to run it out of our twenty two a short pass was slightly behind the catcher, he juggled with it but it dropped backwards and OPMs gathered it and it went to Fred Smale who scored in the corner, the conversion missed. 15~23, the gap widened.
We won two penalties deep in their twenty-two, Olli Whitfield tapped and went on the first but they infringed and we got a second one, this time Yianni Costas tapped and went and with a few forwards behind him just got the ball on the line for the score. Leighton Stark converted. 22~23.
We were starting to play better after these two tries.
OPMs missed a penalty.
In clearing our lines we were penalised for someone in front of the kicker. They went for a five yard line out but did not throw straight, We had a scrum inside our twenty-two, it came out and went to Ben Callard on the blind side. he set off at pace and ran diagonally at them, after a couple of hand offs he got close into their line was tackled and gave it to Dan Beer who was in close support who made the score. The conversion was missed. We now had the lead at 27~23 on thirty-seven minutes.
At this point we were playing with joy and looking good. For the last ten minutes I stopped recording events because things were happening so quickly. Toby Moss scored two tries, the first just about from the restart with Toby running the length of the field to score.
Matt Smale kicked an OPMs penalty after Toby’s first. 32~26.
Then Toby Moss scored his second that was converted by Leighton Stark to end the game on 39-26.
Afterwards in the team huddle Tom Richards said
"We had to dig ourselves out of a hole there"
"We dug the hole" chipped in someone.
Man of the Match was Al Thomas.

I did feel a shade sorry for OPMs, they played with great club spirit and lots of voice and were playing really well, I think in the end we just got it together and they were suddenly pushed off balance and rhythm and we were able to end the stronger.
We got the try bonus point and moved to second in the league.

The Second team v OPMs. home, 1400. League.

1. Sean Harrison.
2. Josh Martin.
3. Jack Jones.
4. Al Thomas.
5. Cam Donkin.
6. Jay Warren.
7. Hayden Thomas.
8. Ethan Hilland.
9. Olli Whitfield.
10. Dan Beer.
11. Ben Callard.
12. Leighton Stark.
13. Isaiah Akinrowo.
14. Sam Fincham.
15. Toby Moss.
16. Yianni Costas.
17. Tom Richards.
18. Keyne Young.

The Management.
Dickie Duffield esq.
Steve Hilland.