A mixed squad, comprising of five first team players and fifteen second team players, made a short trip across the M4 to Chipping Sodbury, following cancellation from both of Calne’s scheduled opponents.

Neil Watkins, Mick Dyer, Damon Murphy, Lewis Baker and John Hope-Smith were the only recognisable first team faces on show. They were backed up, however, by James Morten, Paul Grundy, Andrew Bowers and Mike Smith all of who have notched up a handful of first team caps during the current season.

The game started promisingly form the spectators point of view, with both teams showing lots of attacking enterprise. Sodbury, fielding a handful of second team players, looked to have the early edge up front and tested Calne’s defence. Their first score was earned after 20 minutes, the result of building on a number of phases and moving Calne about the park.

Calne make good inroads in the loose and turned over more than their fair share of Sodbury ball. Mainly thanks to some lively back row work from Simon Lathbury, Grundy and Murphy. Sodbury edged possession and made Calne defend for the most of the first half. Centers, Hope-Smith and Alan Henley, tackled manfully. With Hope-Smith making one of the biggest tackles of the day, taking his much larger opposite number of the ground and unceremoniously dumping him back in to the sodden turf.

But Sodbury kept probing and found a weakness on one of Calne’s wings and were able to add two more scores to their tally, with like for like trys. Just as it seamed like Calne were about to crumble, a moment of individual brilliance saw Murphy jink his way in, for a score against the run of play. Half take came with Calne 15-5 to the worse.

Calne made some changes at half time. Bringing Mike Robinson on to the wing and Julian Brand on to the openside flank. The changes seemed to sure up the previously exposed defence and the game looked to promise an entertaining second half. That was until a player from each team was sin binned 10 minutes into the second half, for trading blows.

Following a stern warning from the referee, both teams were warned about their discipline, but when another incident occurred 8 minutes later and after a vicious hail shower, the referee saw fit to abandon the match with the score line unchanged.

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