Match report: Bournemouth

Bournemouth arrived with only 13 players so both teams and the referee agreed that Bridport would loan them two players with Bridport taking 5 points and the match being played in full.

The Daggers were far too strong for the depleted Bournemouth side scoring 15 tries, Sam Petchey converting 9 of them in a 93-10 win.

Ironically the two unconverted tries for Bournemouth were scored by the flying Daggers wingers Kian Bentley and Jack Pellow. This means that the Daggers have now gone four matches without conceding point to players from an opposing team!

The Daggers played in very much the same way as their big win over the Swans. The backs with lots of possession moved the ball fluently and made telling line breaks. Likewise, the forwards took the ball with pace and strength into the heart of the Bournemouth defence creating great ruck ball for the Wes Lewis and Charlie Samways at half back to create the chances for the backs.

The Daggers were soon on the scoreboard when Lewis took a quick penalty to dive over on the corner. This was followed by a superb break by Guy Wyndham showing a clean pair of heels to run in from the 22. It was all one way traffic when Lewis repeated his first score from a quickly taken penalty and Jack Pellow chased his long kick through, ripped the ball and off loaded to Jude Appleton-Scott to score.

The Daggers were carleess when a quick tap was well intercepted by Bentley who ran in from half way to score an unconverted try.

The Daggers backs were in complete control, Samways scything through to score under the posts and picking a loose ball moments later with the same result. Appleton-Scott got his second breaking the Bournemouth defence, and Corben Newman brought the tally to 50 after being put through on the wing by Samways and evading a last gasp tackle to touch down in the corner.

From the kick off Appleton-Scott charged through the centre tracked by Daragh McLoughlin who was just held up short with Lewis on hand to pick up the loose ball for his third try. The half was completed with a flowing move by the backs Samways again breaking the line and offloading to McLoughlin to score for a half time score of 64-5.

The second half was much of the same, but Bournemouth showed some spirited defence and limited the Dagggers to 5 tries. Straight from the kick Appleton-Scott intercepted a loose pass for his third try, followed quickly by a fourth after great distribution by the backs. Lewis picked up his fourth after a great run into the 22 by Tom Gamwell set up perfect ruck ball for the score.

As they did in the first half the Daggers suffered from the pace of their Colts when Jack Pellow who had now switched sides took clean ball from a Bournemouth scrum to race down the touch line to score. Hugh Vivian closed out the scoring for the Daggers picking up a loose ball after a Liam Poole was just held up short of the line after a great run into the 22.

This was the Daggers last match of 2022 and they finish the year in third place in the league with their next match at home to East Dorset Dockers on the 7^th January.