Match report: East Dorset Dockers (A)

Late withdrawals from the match day squad including captain Jed Gravelle meant the Daggers travelled with only two reserves which would prove costly in the second half with injury to key players. With a strong wind blowing straight down the pitch the match was a game of two halves.

The Daggers kicking off into the wind going in at half time with a 15-12 lead but failing to add to their score in the second half going down 29-15. There was a positivity about the Daggers performance from the kick off with good handling, quick ball from the rucks and a good defence but despite the best effort of the forwards, particularly Jude Appleton-Scott, they were unable to make any headway.

In the first quarter both sides tested each other’s defences with the Daggers dominating their lineouts, despite the strong wind Will Murley was finding George Hussey with every throw setting a platform for the Daggers to attack. It was from such a lineout inside Dockers 22 following a Daggers penalty that the forwards set up a catch and drive and with the backs joining in drove over the line, Hugh Vivian scoring and Charlie Samways converting.

Dockers response was instant when the Daggers found it difficult to clear their lines from the kick off, conceded a penalty inside their 22, taken quickly for an unconverted try.

From the kick off Dockers used the wind to kick deep into the Daggers half and forced a drop out from under the posts. The Daggers could not get any length on the kick and Dockers came again but after an excellent turnover on their own line an attempted clearance kick by George Hussey was charged down with the bounce beating the defence to the touchdown, for a converted try for Dockers.

The Daggers quickly advanced into the Dockers half with good ball retention from all the forwards forcing a line out penalty on the 22 which for the first time was called not straight. Dockers cleared long and after gathering a loose ball were penalised for crossing. Samways took a quick penalty and outpaced the defence for an individual try in the corner, Sam Petchey’s conversion just drifted wide.

From the kick off the Daggers gathered the ball and it was fed out to Colt Jack Pellow making his debut. There followed what was deemed an accidental clash of heads in the tackle and he left the field. The Daggers then forced their way over the 22 with Corbyn Newman making and excellent break forcing a penalty taken by Petchey for a 15-12 lead. During that passage of play George Hussey had to be substituted due to a serious looking shoulder injury and with the last play of the game after good work by forwards and backs Petchey narrowly missed his second penalty.

Unfortunately for the Daggers they were not able to make any impression on the Dockers defence in the second half with the side seemingly disrupted by the injuries and compounded when Guy Wyndham had to leave the field to be substituted by forwards coach Ross Duncan. Dockers scored two tries in quick succession, the second after the Daggers had a series of scrums on the Dockers line, were turned over and the Dockers winger went the length of the field to score giving them a 24-15 lead.

The same winger almost repeated the feat only to be stopped by a superb last ditch tackle by Colt Kian Bentley. Not to be outdone Dockers added a final try to win 29-15.

The Daggers now have a run of 6 games in 7 weeks, starting with Lytchett Minster at home on 22nd October.