WEYMOUTH & PORTLAND 33

BRIDPORT 18

BRIDPORT suffered a rare loss in 2022 as Weymouth & Portland gained a forward-inspired 33-18 win in Tribute Dorset & Wilts South action.

Kick-off was delayed by 45 minutes as local referee Ken Pipe stepped in at short notice for the designated official, who had contracted Covid-19.

Bridport made a majestic start as Weymouth kicked off and a high ball was confidently taken cleanly by Toby James who passed the ball out and Bridport’s backs spun the ball along the line to Sam Petchey who found touch within the Weymouth 22-metre line.

A crooked feed in the line-out resulted in a scrum to the Blues which they won and following a storming run by Mitch Waters, who was tackled just short and in the ruck, the hosts strayed offside and a penalty was awarded to Bridport.

READ MORE: Bridport 18-7 Puddletown - match report

A quick tap penalty by Waters enabled him to force his way over the try line missing the conversion.

From the kick-off the ball was taken by Dan Butler, fed Daragh McLoughlin and Waters who slipped it out to Jed Gravelle who scored in the corner, Waters missing the conversion.

Blues gathered the kick-off, forcing a penalty for a high tackle by Weymouth which allowed Waters the chance to penetrate again into the Weymouth 22.

A series of unforced errors and scrums later, Waters had the opportunity to make a charging run, stopped by strong tackling by the Weymouth centres but in the ruck they were deemed to be off their feet.

Petchey made touch with the penalty, the line-out was won by the visitors and another scintillating run by Gravelle put the Blues 15-0 ahead.

After the restart, a clean but fierce tackle on Toby James saw him replaced by Bridport’s veteran player Brett Chant.

With only about five minutes until half-time Bridport were off guard and a quick ball from a Weymouth line-out spun along their backs resulted in an easy run in for Ben Davies on the overlap.

Bridport kicked a penalty before a splendid line-out by Weymouth allowed Argentine forward Facundo Patsouris-Belcuore to cross the line in front of the posts with a successful conversion leaving the Blues 18-12 up at the break.

The half-time huddle seemed to work for Weymouth but not for the visitors as the Seahorses Weymouth read the game and played to their strengths, utilising the forwards and starving Bridport’s backs of the ball.

Within a minute of the second-half kick-off Weymouth won a line-out, kicked for the corner and as their line-out jumper was winning almost every ball, a clean catch allowed Tim Comben, on his 300th Weymouth appearance, to drive over for a converted score.

Bridport were within touching distance but their heads and confidence seemed to drop.

The kick-off did not go 10 meters resulting in another scrum which Weymouth won enabling them to pin the hosts back near their try line. Another driving maul sent Finn Pitman over the line. With a successful conversion, Weymouth extended their lead to 26-18.

That try gave the hosts the confidence to step up a gear as they were dominating not only the line-outs but were driving forward in the Bridport scrums.

The Blues rallied and fought hard and a kick ahead nearly resulted in a Bridport try under the posts but the ball bounced unkindly for them.

In the dying minutes a penalty to Weymouth gave them the opportunity of kicking for touch. The line-out was won and a scrappy ruck enabled Joe Gibson to score, converted by Hamish Jeffcott to complete the scoring.

Bridport, who stay ninth, have a bye on Saturday but finish off their season at Blandford on Saturday, April 9.