Witney 45 - Salisbury 20
Salisbury travelled to Witney on Saturday for the return fixture having inflicted a narrow defeat on them at home back in November. There was a very different result. The host’s superior physical strength and ability to shift the ball quickly to their flanks resulted in a 45 – 20 defeat for Salisbury.
As has been seen so often this season, Salisbury started brightly. They are a team willing to attack and move the ball with ambition. They were able to contain Witney within their own half during the early exchanges. It was however, the hosts who opened the scoring when they caught a clearance kick, attacked at pace, moved the ball accurately from left to right to beat Salisbury’s stretched defence. The conversion gave the hosts a 7 – 0 lead on 14 minutes.
Undeterred the visitors fought back. Ball carriers James Kennedy and Dom Porter were making an impact but it wasn’t enough to decisively break through. Witney’s second try came early in the second quarter when fly half George Lewis cut through the midfield to off load to Callum Godrey for a clear run in to establish a 14 – 0 lead. The hosts third try came a few minutes later. Once again, they efficiently worked through a number of phases, moved the ball across the field at pace and added a further try which wasn’t converted.
Trailing 19 – 0, Salisbury were dealt a further blow when Kennedy was substituted due to injury. Commendably, the visitors regrouped and then gained some much-needed momentum when a piece of individual brilliance for Tom Tully broke the Witney defence. Salisbury sustained the attack to enable Dan Hammond to score on 35 minutes. Tully added the extras and at 19 – 7, the visitors continued to attack Witney. They added a further three points when Tully converted a penalty to end the half at 19 – 10 in the host’s favour.
Salisbury started the second half as they had ended the first, determined to close the gap. Full back Robert Crossley often injected pace to create opportunities and skipper Luke Newton was a constant in support. From the restart they established an attacking position and muscled their way over for an unconverted try. To have fought back to 19 – 15 was impressive but unfortunately for the visitors, Witney regained the initiative and added a further 26 points. In response Salisbury scored a single unconverted try. Despite the scoreline this was a match in which the visitors contributed a great deal. They’ll take a break from league action next week but will host league strugglers Reading on 2nd March.
The 1st XV was accompanied by the Salisbury’s Walking Rugby team who were welcomed by a newly formed section at Witney. They played two matches against the hosts and in so doing, help strengthen an ever-expanding form of the game.
Report: Joe Cooper
Photos: John Palmer
