Weston United got the new season off to a winning start at home to Oldfield Old Boys.
Oldfield OB 6 pts
Weston Utd 22 pts
WHEN Weston won the first scrum of the game against the head it was a portent of things to come.
In the first 15 minutes, Oldfield lost their prop to injury and their No 8, who received a somewhat harsh red card for pushing Weston hooker Joe Pullen in the face after another farcical scrum.
Weston had also by lost wing Troy Hannam to a head injury and replacement Sam Hedges to a knee problem.
Despite the visitors’ dominance of the scrum, the referee deemed Weston were collapsing and Oldfield took the lead from one such decision through a penalty. Shortly afterwards the game went to uncontested scrums, but Oldfield were allowed to keep their 14 players on the pitch, thus nullifying Weston’s most potent strike force.
Weston took the lead in the 33rd minute when a break from skipper Paul Sprague and a tremendous offload by flanker Harry Nash, resulted in centre Ollie Caton crashing over for a try, converted by scrum-half Dan Lomax.
The teams exchanged penalties at the start of the second half, before fly-half Jon Filer ghosted through a gap for a second Weston try and it was live wire winger Mike McCarthy who finished off the try scoring when he ran from his own 20 metre area, before linking with Caton, who returned the ball for McCarthy to scoot in under the sticks to make an easy conversion for Lomax.
Debutant prop Ollie Streeter and captain Sprague were outstanding throughout both in defence and attack, as well as other prop Rich Ford and hooker Joe Pullen.
Weston Athletic 59 pts
Old Culverhaysians 14 pts
THE Athletic started their season with a full team and replacements and romped to a 59-14 victory.
Weston won a steady stream of possession and scored regularly. Jo McGrath scampered in for four tries and Darren Hancock got a hat-trick, the last of which was gifted by George Chapman.
Chapman had had a good game with ball in hand and he converted seven of Weston’s nine tries. Lewis Hancock gave a good account of himself at scrum-half and got on the score sheet with a well taken try. Pulsford joined in with a good break from loose play to score under the posts.
Debutant Ben Poat looks a good prospect at tight head. Many of the side have been pre-season training and the benefits of superior fitness showed.
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