Trowbridge return to winning ways

Trowbridge made seven changes, plus five positional changes to the team defeated by Windsor last week for the first visit of promoted High Wycombe to Doric Park. As a result the team took some time to blend together. After a difficult first half, they gradually grew in confidence, with some entertaining rugby and achieved a well merited win against the Buckinghamshire side.

They began on the defensive and Wycombe's elusive scrum half Lewis Davenport nearly crossed the Trowbridge line in the 3rd minute. In the attack No 8 Jack Taplin received a bad facial cut and had to leave the field. Trowbridge cleared and Lloyd Davis opened the scoring in the 9th minute with a long range penalty, but the Buckinghamshire side responded almost immediately with a break from the base of a ruck from Davenport to score a try which Cameron Baker converted.

During this period both sides struggled to gain continuity making mistakes, but Trowbridge's defence was noticeably improved since their two most recent performances. After 22 minutes Matt Howard won a line out 20 metres out and the forwards who were gradually gaining the upper hand drove upfield and over the line for Trowbridge's first try, touched down by the former captain. Davis converted but Wycombe came back. There were handling errors but after a badly missed penalty they gained parity just before the break when pressure forced Trowbridge to give a penalty and Baker converted. From the kick off Ashley Chalk won the ball and the ball was passed along the line to captain for the day Dave Finlay and Nicky Little playing on the wing. He was held short of the line line, but quick ball allowed Howard to go over for Davis to convert.

The second half started with new winger George Fowles scoring two tries in quick succession. The first came from quick ball from George Leat who came on at the break and a break from Joe Knight, while Shane Johnstone made progress from the base of the scrum to feed Leat and Chalk. The full back made about 40 metres before passing to Fowles who outpaced the Wycombe defence again to score. Davis converted both tries. The Wycombe defence was struggling and the Doric Park side continued to play open rugby. Little made ground and passed to Johnstone who was held just short of the line but flanker Matt Williams was in support and scored his first try since joining the club at the beginning of the season. Soon after Little added another try and the score was 45-10 with 20 minutes to go. With the game won play was even for much of the rest of the game with the only remaining score being a try from Joe Knight. With Davis' perfect kicking record to this stage and having left the field, Knight took the kicking dutie, but he missed the conversion. Wycombe were beaten but prevented further scores and never gave up.

This victory lifted Trowbridge from bottom to 11th place and out of the relegation places. It was a much better performance than of late and must give them confidence in the next two encounters at Swanage and Wareham on 10th October and at home to Grove on 24th October, with the two vacant dates being because of the Rugby World Cup.