Wimborne 24 Tottonians 33 – Report
It was a tough battle but a show of strength, fitness and steel for the cause ensured the 100% league record continued with a 33-24 victory in a cauldren atmosphere in Wimborne.
WIMBORNE 24 TOTTONIANS 33
Leigh Park, Wimborne
Saturday 19th October 2024
Regional 2 South Central – match 6
The Totts side showed a number of changes with Ethan Riley back from Army duties, Josh Raqio made his first start of the season and Ali Ramus was back in the second row moving the ever versatile Cam Flint to blindside flanker for the first time in a year.
And it was the visitors that dominated the early phases of the game despite having a rare penchant for the high ball kick into midfield, which allowed the dangerous home side to run back in attack – it happened four times within the first four minutes of the game.
However, their possession in attack paid off and good, quick hands in the back line released the club’s leading try scorer Leo Tongue into the corner on eight minutes with Jamie Laing adding the conversion.
This was as good as it got for much of the remainder of the first half as regular errors gifted Wimborne crucial possession and they didn’t waste it, instantly responding to level the scores three minutes later and then, when Tottonians missed the touchline from a penalty and then overhit a line-out, they added a second before the half-way point of the first half.
Tottonians were finding themselves at sixes and sevens in defence and were reverting to kicking the ball once again, which just allowed Wimborne to come back with aplomb. An easy penalty pushed their lead to ten points and it didn’t improve for the away side as a lightning attack from the side in black and white from a 5m scrum on their own line was only stopped on Totts’ 22 when they were penalised just 30 seconds later.
Things didn’t get any better when scrum-half Harry Dolbear was forced off the field with concussion after taking a knock to the head, forcing Riley to play at nine, Laing at 10 and replacement George Hixon taking on the full-back slot.
With the final move of the half, Totts gave themselves a much needed fillip when player of the match Nic Jansen picked up at the base of the scrum, scooted around the outside and touched down to slice the arrears to just 17-12 at the interval.
A few choice words were delivered by the coaches at the break and it seemed to do the trick as a revitalised Tottonians side came out and were quicker, patient and skilful in their delivery of the ball, which hampered everything that Wimborne had thrived on in the first period.
Laing’s chip over the defence almost found Tongue but he couldn’t quite reach before it bounced out but, shortly afterwards, Wimborne lost their influential flanker Jay Adams to injury – a break in play that lasted some eight minutes – and then were reduced to 14 men when Thomas Moysey was sent for a ten minute break.
Immediately on the scrum restart 10 yards from the Wimborne line, the ball was quickly spread out to Tongue on the left wing and he crashed over at speed to level the scores.
It was all Tottonians as Wimborne struggled to get any kind of cohesive ball to play with and the visitors hit the front on 69 minutes when Cam Flint piled over from close range as his side battered the line and finally found a way over – and secured the bonus point, which looked unlikely earlier in the piece to move 24-17 ahead.
Laing added a penalty to stretch the lead to ten points and then added another with 72 minutes on the clock as Wimborne looked like they had run out of steam after their strong endeavours in the first half.
They weren’t to be denied one final score – moving into the Tottonians 22 for the first time in the second half with just a couple of minutes left and they did grab a third try of the afternoon to edge towards a losing bonus point and possibly a try bonus as well.
That was snuffed out as the clock ticked down and Ethan Riley hammered home a third Totts penalty – Laing had been sent to the sinbin a few minutes earlier – to crush both bonus point chances down.
The full time whistle came – after an exhausting 58 minutes in the second period – and Tottonians has quelled the strong Wimborne challenge, taking a sixth bonus point win 33-24 in the end.
Totts stay four points clear at the top of the table with Farnham in second place but welcome Winchester to Water Lane next Saturday in what will be a serious test.
Hear what coach Tim Osman and Player of the Match Nic Jansen had to say at full-time in our exclusive post match video.
