Hartpury
College
26pts
Drybrook
12pts
Drybrook
showed
plenty of
character in
their latest
league match
against the
all
conquering
Hartpury
College team
and emerged
from the
game with a
lot of
credit.
With several
regulars
again absent
from the
starting
line up,
Drybrook
were further
hampered in
the first
minute when
flanker
Danny price
was sent to
the sin bin
following a
high tackle.
Drybrook had
to soak up a
lot of
pressure in
the first 10
minutes but
they managed
to hold out.
After 15
minutes
influential
No 8 Neil
Morgan was
forced off
with a leg
injury and
Hartpury
seized the
initiative
to score a
try in the
corner after
they had
stretched
Drybrook’s
defence one
way then the
other.
John Duffin
then became
the next
player to be
ordered to
the bin
after an
offence at a
ruck but
Drybrook
refused to
lie down and
frustrated
the home
teams’
efforts to
score.
A tremendous
tackle back
from
substitute
Liam Jackson
stopped a
certain
Hartpury
score but
Drybrook
rarely got
out of their
own half in
the first
period as
the home
side threw
everything
at them.
Just before
the break
hooker Chris
Thomas
became the
third
Drybrook
player to
receive a
yellow card
much to the
amazement of
all present
following an
innocuous
challenge.
In the 47th
minute of a
first half
littered
with
injuries
Hartpury
finally
broke
through
under the
posts to
lead 14pts –
nil.
Drybrook
went close
to scoring
in the early
minutes of
the second
half but
Hartpury
showed some
good
defensive
skills to
keep them
out.
With 10
minutes gone
Hartpury
made a break
from half
way but
winger Jamie
Roberts
intercepted
and then
sprinted
clear to
score
Drybrook’s
first try.
Just after
Hartpury
were able to
suck in the
Drybrook
defence to
score a
third corner
try but then
they began
to get too
arrogant for
their own
good by
wasting
scoring
opportunities
with over
elaborate
play.
A terrific
run from
Drybrook
fullback
Dave
Hartwell
almost led
to a score
but with the
support
isolated
Hartpury hit
back with a
stunning
counter
attack to
score the
best try of
the game
from their
own line.
With the
minutes
ticking away
Drybrook got
some reward
for their
part in a
pulsating
fixture when
scrum half
Carl Moore
wriggled
free from a
scrum close
to the home
line before
off loading
to his
brother
Craig to
claim the
touchdown.
Aaron Ryder
was
successful
with the
conversion
but there
was still
time for
Hartpury to
mount a
couple more
attacks but
each time
they were
knocked back
by the best
defence they
have faced
this season.
Drybrook
Team; D
Hartwell, N.
Lewis, C.
Rawlings, D.
Griffiths,
Jamie
Roberts, A.
Ryder, Carl.
Moore, A.
Jones, C.
Thomas, S.
Phelps, J.
Duffin(capt),
M Browning,
Craig Moore,
D Price, N.
Morgan.
Substitutes:
I Pritchard,
L Jackson,
Dan Large