Dorset & Wiltshire 54 - Oxfordshire 12
May
Only the Essex boys now stand between the Twin Counties and a second successive Twickenham final after Dorset & Wilts. brushed aside the challenge of Oxfordshire at Bournemouth on Saturday.
D & W completely outplayed their visitors who had no answer to the Combined Counties running game in the first 25 mins of their County Shield game at Bournemouth on Saturday quickly scoring 4 tries through second row Liam Gilbert (Salisbury), prop Tom Dunn (Chippenham), wing Tom Pottage (Salisbury) and prop Sean Jones (Trowbridge) all converted by fly half Adam Westall (Swindon). Bournemouth scrum half Sam Hardcastle orchestrated proceedings with a plentiful supply of possession from the D & W forwards.
This enabled the D & W team manager and coaches to utilise rolling substitutes which enabled all seven players on the bench to play a part but this did mean that some momentum was lost.
Just before halftime Oxfordshire had back row forward Danny Burns (Chinnor) yellow carded but scored their first try through prop Alex Lyness (Oxford Harlequins) after a scrummage close to the D & W goal line converted by fly half James Cathcart (Chinnor).
HT D & W 28 Oxfordshire 7
Shortly after half time Liam Gilbert scored his second try in the corner after some excellent handling by the backs and Adam Westall narrowly missed the conversion. Oxfordshire wing Pip Seymour (Chinnor) made a fine run down the touchline to touch down wide out. The conversion by Cathcart failed and this was Oxfordshire's final score. D & W regained full control of the game and scored further tries through centre Luke Esnouf (Salisbury), back row Jamie Mitchell (Oakmeadians) Adam Westall converted both of these before being replaced by Scott Chislett (Bournemouth) who converted D & W eighth and last try by prop Dave Thorpe (Salisbury).
D & W will now play Essex at Bournemouth next Saturday KO 2.30 pm for a place in the County Shield final at Twickenham on Sunday 29th May which will be played prior to England v Barbarians game.
Willie Wildash
