Match report:
Wells 3rd v CCRFC 2nd

Saturday was a bright but blustery day and the wind would prove to me a major factor in this clash between two old rivals. For Cary, this was a re-arranged fixture, as Stothert & Pitt 3rds had called off late in the week. Thankfully for the Cary seconds, who have struggled to secure fixtures this season, Wells stepped in.

Five minutes into the game, one of Cary's past players, Alastair 'Alice' Cook (now playing at Wells), took a big hit and fall which saw him heading for the sideline with a suspected fractured rib. Wells duly sent on a replacement and for the next 10 minutes Cary had to fight off pressure close to their line until countering from a scrum on their own line.

The teams were incredibly well matched throughout the game but particularly in the first half, despite Wells having the advantage of the wind behind them. The majority of play consisted of scrums and lineouts — most of which suffered in the swirling wind and became scrums as the referee ruled 'not straight'. Fifteen minutes in, Cary replaced winger Chris Chivers (twisted ankle) with Gareth Watts and around the 30-minute mark, after popping his rib for the second time, fly-half Andy Palmer was replaced with Freddie Loxton, who moved into outside-centre, giving the number 10 berth to Alex 'Doc' King.

At half time, the score remained 0–0. Cary replaced one of their youngest players, Alan Bevan, with Matt Pullen in the second row, and Shane 'Pebbles' Stone was replaced on the wing.

Cary started the second half well with a penalty not far from the posts which they elected to kick, but the wind was to scupper Doc's attempt. Five minutes later, Cary took a scrum against the head, and after hoofing the ball way down the pitch hoped to take advantage, but Wells miraculously came up with the ball and cleared their lines.

Cary spent 10 minutes camped on Wells' line but came away empty handed again. The game opened up after that, with Cary aided by some good runs from Simon Hunt, Doc and the back row, but the game continued to be evenly matched at the breakdown and set piece.

The breakthrough came on the half-hour when second row Simon Hunt and no.8, John Roper, ripped the ball out of an attacking maul by Wells on Cary's line and, following Doc's huge kick downfield and a fumbled gather by Wells, Freddie Loxton picked up the ball on half-way and ran in an excellent try, swerving past several of their players. Again the wind pulled the conversion wide of the posts, but it set up an exciting final ten minutes.

Cary sustained the pressure, spending time in the opposition half but Wells did not give up, stealing precious ball off the floor and in the air, but to no avail as Cary dug in and came away with a rare away win. John Roper muttered that "in 28 years of playing for Cary I've never beaten Wells away!"

A mention is needed of Mark Chivers — playing his first game at prop — who gave a good account of himself all game and contributed to a number of scrums taken from Wells. Also, Nick Heath got better and better at scrum-half. He was under constant pressure from his opposite number at the scrum and breakdown but he came up time and again with clean ball to his backs and tackled like a demon. Cary named him their Man of the Match.

See this Galleries page for photos of the match.

by Rosie Meek

< Previous match

Next match >