On another very warm day the Warriors travelled the shortest distance this season for a match against their nearest rivals – the Giants. Having played a very tense and close game two Wednesdays previously, this would be an interesting game.

The game started with the Giants kicking-off and putting the Warriors under pressure as they tried to break out from defence. There were a lot of tackles and changes of direction as the visitors tried to move forward. The pressure from the home side told when they were awarded a penalty. The ball was passed to one of their big hitters who brushed aside tacklers to get the first points, and try, of the game. The extra points were missed. Warriors calmly picked themselves up and, following a well worked move, across the pitch, the ball reached Paul Mortensen who touched down in the corner. The extras were missed. Giants seemed slightly stunned by Warriors’ response and were themselves on the back foot for a while. The benefit of this was another try from the Warriors, courtesy of Ben Taylor. Mike Prestedge scored the extras. The Giants roused themselves and managed to work an overlap, having numbers to spare, allowing them to score. This time the extras were secured. Minutes before half-time Warriors’ number 3 Ben Champion went over to score. Again the extras were missed.

Half-time        South Dorset Giants  10      South Somerset Warriors  14

Following on from recent matches a pattern has begun to emerge. Warriors seem to still be on their half-time break whilst the opposition aren’t. Within five minutes of the re-start, Giants worked through a number of missed tackles down the left wing to score. The extras were scored and pushed the Giants back in front. The home team had their tails up now and they worked through the sets to score another try. Off the third tackle they broke through Warriors’ defence and scored. The extras were added. Finally Warriors woke-up and pushed Giants backwards in their own half. A move of quick hands and assured scoots saw Dave Newcombe handed the ball. From a couple of metres out he launched himself and scored. The extras were missed. The scores were now level, and tension was building. In the last fifteen minutes Warriors seemed to lose focus and intensity. They were the fitter squad by miles but it was Giants that kept their eye on the game. Two more converted tries sealed the game for the Weymouth side, with the final score not really reflecting the effort and commitment put in by the Warriors.

Full-time        South Dorset Giants  34      South Somerset Warriors  22

Head Coach Richie Metcalfe said afterwards: “Today was always going to be tough, and the heat didn’t help. We made a few basic errors throughout the game, but still I’m very positive. Some of the guys played for the full eighty minutes today whilst others played through injuries. The teamwork is improving match on match. But we need more of the lads at training to make sure the effectiveness reaps benefits on the match day. Next week is a long away day to Barnstaple and I want us to come away with a victory. The squad are capable of it; all we’ve got to do is make sure we do it.”