BRIDPORT 0

SWANAGE & WAREHAM 69

BRIDPORT’S last game of the season was a reverse of the first against league champions Swanage and Wareham and saw them comfortably thumped at the hands of the Swans.

The Blues’ performance had up to five colts playing, and was a big improvement on the first game where they went down by 96-0.

The whole team including the colts put in a committed performance with a final score of 69-0 which did not totally reflect the whole game.

Admittedly the Swans, as one would expect, where a class above the Blues and got on the scoreboard quickly when their very quick backs combined to score under the posts.

This was quickly followed by another unconverted try, but the Blues did not buckle and with some very tough and challenging tackling put the Swans on the backfoot and the Blues gained a penalty in the 22 which Rich Layzell was unable to convert.

The Blues’ scrum was holding up very well and after another well worked try by the Swans, the Blues forced a scrum penalty and after a tap and go were unlucky not to force a a score with strong drives by Dave Cutting and Harry Richardson.

Indeed, the whole team were really putting in a strong defensive performance and it was only in the last 10 minutes of the first half that the Swans broke clear going in 36-0 up at half-time.

The Swans got the second half off to a storming start running in three quick tries.

The Blues then enjoyed their best period of the game with a series of strong drives from Nathan Herbert backed up by Cutting and Richardson, leading to a sequence of penalties in the Swans’ 22 which led to a yellow card for the Swans for not retiring 10 metres from a quick Blues penalty.

Sadly, the Swans’ defence proved too good and they cleared the danger and were able to break out and score two quick tries.

The Blues came again however, and after a clean break by Herbert well taken on by Cutting they were unlucky to be harshly penalised allowing the Swans to clear and with their strong running backs they claimed a further two tries.

It was a strong team performance particularly from the youngsters and hopefully will bode well for life in Two South next season.

The Blues next face off against a touring side on Saturday, April 27.