28, unanswered, second half points left Calne riding high after being 22 points down in as many minutes from the kick off.

Basset II’s started the game magnificently. In their first backline play, they sliced clean through Calne’s backline to open the scorning in stunning fashion. Calne, the perpetual slow starters, tried to get back in the game, but were turned over after a long driving maul. Basset countered, with precision, and scored in the corner. Calne heads seemed to drop, as more tackles were missed, and more worryingly the three-quarters started dropping ball, offering Bassett a massive amount of possession and attacking opportunities.

The rot continued as two Calne players collided with each other, leaving Bassett free to score in the corner and Mike Robinson needing a number of stitches over his right eye. Just as it seemed like things couldn’t get worse, for the visitors, they lost influential openside Damon Murphy to another inadvertent knock to the head.

In disarray and complete recoil, Calne’s only solace was the boot of, skipper, Andrew Donegan, who managed to keep Calne’s hopes alive with a solitary penalty. But it was quickly cancelled out thanks to Bassett’s own kicker adding three to their tally.

Then, just as the imposing doom was about seal Calne’s fate, a moment of inspiration and a flash of class from centre, Guthrie Holliday, unlocked the resolute defence. Moments earlier full, Stuart Boswell, sent a penetrating kick into Bassett’s 22. The return found Holliday lurking as full back cover. The South African then sliced through the kick chasing players and, unselfishly, created enough space for, right wing and birthday boy, Mike Smith to score.

Half time followed shortly after, with the scores at 22 – 8.

Captain, Dongean, was next on the scoreboard. The visitors pack started taking the ascendancy and cracks started to appear when their host were put under concerted pressure. In once such maul, Donegan was the grateful recipient of some determined power play from the big guys up front. This time Donegan was also able to convert.

Now with the score trimmed back to 22 – 15 and both Calne’s forwards and backs securing, and exploiting, more and more possession, thanks to the excellent line out work of Pete McGarry and Paul Grundy, Calne looked favourites to score next and completely change the momentum of the game. And they did.

Neil Young, long time servant of the club and arguably the best player ever to wear a Calne shirt, showed what having a mixture of size, power, pace, gracefulness and experience can do. In one run he showed all present the aforementioned attributes and more in a sublimely classy run. He out paced, out powered and out thought his way to the line and still managed to work the ball behind the posts, due to his awareness of the score line. Donegan duly converted for the 1 point lead. This he followed with a penalty to give Calne the slightest of margins.

Bassett were not finished, however, and rallied to regain the lead that was so cruelly taken from them, but the silence from the home support created an eerie, nervous feeling that seemed to spread on to the pitch. Almost as if the support knew that their more dominate visitors would strike again.

And they were right.

Smith again five points, like Donegan earlier, cashing in on the packs strong hold up front. Smith was called in, from the wing, to lend his support to a very promising maul and with all eight from each team sucked in, Smith was able to roll off and dive over for a second Birthday treat. Donegan added a little more pain to the score line for Bassett.

Final Score. Wootton Bassett II 22 Calne 31

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