Calnes day didn’t start well for this Dorset and Wilts Vase rearranged fixture when 3 hours before kick off they only had 11 players on the team sheet, giving themselves a midday deadline before calling off the game they just managed to get a full team up together but not from the kick off. Calne started the game with only 13 men on the field which gave Swindon a large advantage which they used to full effect scoring 20 points in the first 15 minutes, the two remaining players finally turning up to bring Calne up to full strength 20 minutes into the game which seemed to give them a boost and the game appeared to even out a little with Calne now putting Swindon under pressure.

Calne were now winning their own set pieces against a much larger pack and doing so their backs could throw the ball about also, the closest they got to scoring in the first half was after a few good phases ending up with a penalty in front of the posts, due to the score already Calne gambled with a quick tap from the scrum half and the forwards driving on but unfortunately falling half a yard short with a knock on, Swindon won their put in and cleared their line. Swindon then got one more score before half time.

Calne came out for the second half with a "nothing to lose attitude" which did seem to improve their game spending a lot of time in the Swindon half thanks to the boot of flyhalf James Gladding and first season players Graham Neal and Mike Smith linking well in the centres. Swindon did score more tries and all were run from their own half capitalising on Calnes lack of experience, all tries were carbon copy of each other, too many Calne players joining rucks and malls and Swindon using the overlap but more points would have definitely been scored if it weren’t for the excellent tackling from Mike Palfrey and Trevor Wicks.

Calne did score a consilation try, Calne won a scrum on their own 22, with No8 Alan Wicks knowing exactly where scrum half Andy Donnaghan was hanging back to flicked the ball between his legs with pin point accuracy into Donnaghans hands allowing him the time he needed for a perfectly weighted kick for himself to chase collecting the ball about the 10 metre line before motoring up the touch line to go over for a well deserved Calne try which unfortunately he was unable to convert. Calne carried on battling to the end and were awarded a few kickable penalties but knowing the game was lost but not the spirit decided to keep the ball in hand but were unable to score any more points.

Although the scoreline doesn’t reflect it but Calne weren’t totally disappointed with the performance, they learnt a lot from the game and will go away and work hard at training which is still being held at Calne Recreation Ground, Anchor road on Thursday evenings at 7pm and anyone who has the interest in playing will be made more than welcome, whatever your skill level come along and give it a go and help the club prevent any more pre match panics!

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