Match report: East Dorset Dockers

The Daggers gained revenge for an early season defeat with their fifth successive win. With a commanding performance they mastered the difficult wet and windy conditions to run in eight tries in a 44-3 win. This game marked a run of five games when a player of an opposing team has not crossed their try line. A quite unique defensive record.

The game started in bright and windy conditions with the Daggers playing into the wind. Charlie Samways’ first clearance kick from the kick off almost came backwards and Dockers soon capitalised driving into the Daggers 22 and forcing a penalty which was converted for an early lead. This however was to be their only score of the match. From the kick off the Daggers forced a penalty and Samways with a much better kick found touch in the 22. A forward drive from the lineout set up position for Samways to break the defence and score under the posts.

With forwards dominating the set pieces the Daggers backs were starting to find gaps in the Dockers defence but were being thwarted by a string of penalties against them when in good attacking positions. They were fortunate when from one such kickable penalty in front of the posts Dockers got in front of the kicker resulting in a penalty to the Daggers. However, they kept their cool and repelled a series of Dockers attacks with excellent defence and when Jack Pellow intercepted a loose pass on his own 22, he sprinted the length of the field, rounding the last defender with a superb hand off to score by the posts.

The weather now took a turn for the worse and with the penalty count dropping and Samways now getting the measure of the wind Daggers won a series of lineouts from which the forwards setup driving mauls taking them close to the try line. From one of these the ball was spun down the line to Jed Gravelle to score in the corner.

From the kick off Hugh Vivian made a strong drive back only for the by now very greasy ball to go loose. Jordan Neil kicked through and was just thwarted when the cover defence beat him to the ball and gave away a 5-metre lineout. The forwards with a superb catch and drive and with backs joining in drove Vivian over for the last score of the half. With the rain still driving down the referee sensibly allowed the teams to leave the field for the half time break.

With the wind behind them, Samways soon made a superb long kick deep into Dockers 22. They defended well and cleared their line. For a short time, the Dockers were on top and but for 2 final passes on either side of the pitch, in good attacking positions going into touch, could have easily scored. Their heads then went down when an attempted clearance kick was charged down by Gravelle for his second try of the match.

Samways was now using the wind well keeping Dockers pinned back in their own half but with the slippery ball knock-ons were becoming more frequent. Daggers sealed the match when with another superb catch and drive by the forwards took Daragh McLoughlin over the line.

The match was wrapped up with two pieces of individual skills. Firstly, Sam Petchey gathered a clearance kick on halfway dummied the defence and ran clear to score followed by Jack Pellow ripping the ball clear in his own half and sprinting to the line for the final score.

Daggers face a difficult away game to 4^th place Lytchett Minster next Saturday and the hope is that some the injured players today will have recovered in time.