It was not a good weekend for both Dorset & Wilts senior men’s and women’s county rugby teams.
The men hosted Hertfordshire at Chippenham Rugby Club in the semi-final of the Bill Beaumont RFU County Championship and found themselves up against a squad of players mostly selected from clubs of higher league status, eventually going down 13 points to 40.
The Twin Counties were still in contention at half time, trailing by 21 points to 6, but conceded immediately following the turn around, and from there on to the final whistle it was an uphill struggle.
Hertfordshire had beaten Buckinghamshire, Middlesex, and Essex on route to Chippenham so it was never going to be an easy contest, however the Dorset & Wilts lads never gave up and can hold their heads up high, but they will have to wait until next year for another chance of returning to the home of English rugby Twickenham.
The Twin Counties women went closer to running out onto the hallowed turf at headquarters, in fact just minutes away, leading by 22 points to 19 away at Coalville rugby club against Leicestershire.
Then, with the referee checking his watch, a converted try late from their hosts denied the Twin Counties the prize of a Twickenham final.
Liberty Rose touched down twice for Dorset & Wilts, with a try each coming from Claire Chard and Alice Polden Hollingsworth, with Lana Plummer kicking a conversion.
Dorset League Cricket.
All games have been abandoned or cancelled.
For more sports info and report of previous matches and images, etc, follow this link: idrismartin.wordpress.com