TROWBRIDGE WIND UP SEASON WITH IMPRESSIVE DEFEAT OF DORSET NEIGHBOURS

Trowbridge’s final league match of the season on Saturday coincided with a Promotion party to celebrate their first ever promotion to level five of the RFU league structure when they will be playing teams from over the West Country. They will not know the teams they will actually be playing until a series of play offs are completed in the coming weeks.

They beat their Dorset opponents at the start of the season at Gillingham and opened the scoring early when wing Alex Christopher sped down his wing to beat the defence and prop Jayden Ephgrave went over for a brace of tries in the first quarter of an hour. These three tries were all converted by fly half Tom Weaver, but the Dorset greens wing Rares Nicoara answered with an equally speedy response to open the scoring of the visitors. From the kick off after that Dorset try, Trowbridge centre Sam Harrison broke through to take a bonus point try before No 8 Kacey Pike also scored a brace before the interval. All the tries were converted by Weaver.

With the score reaching 35-5 when the teams turned round action was less intense in the second half. North Dorset gained more possession and centre Arthur Dimmack and prop Jamie Bettesworth went over with tries converted by fly half Henry Hilliard, but this was balanced when Pike completed a hat trick and before the end he scored again as did Ephgrave who gave an outrageous dummied before crossing late on. Trowbridge ever presents Weaver and Olly Bilton were substituted by young centre Fin Morris and Fin Parsons and this clinched an impressive conclusion to the league programme. Celebrations continued into the night and entertainment was provided for the largest crowd of the season. At the end news came in of the second teams late win achieved at Chippenham 2nds that confirmed they will remain in Counties 1 Southern South -Swindon also lost against Sherborne. The surge in their position in the second half of the season will be so important to the first team prospects next season.