And so to the second game of the season against The Dings, and this time, it is against just one team instead of the usual two!!

Hopes were therefore high amongst the Broad Plain players, coaches and parents alike, especially with 16 players ready for battle.

With a strong wind in their faces for the first half, it was Broad Plain to get the game underway, and although Josh sent up a high kick, it was well taken by the Dings player, who set off out wide near the touchline with real intent. As is sometimes the way Broad Plain start games, the charging players lost a bit of structure by coming in too tight in the middle, and it looked like Dings were going to have a simple run down the line for a try. However, Max had other ideas, and grabbed the player and threw him into touch, and therefore turned the ball over early on for a Broad Plain line out. Ryan's first throw went straight to Harvey to collect and present back for a driving maul, and after making good ground, Jude intervened and popped it out to Zayd, who collected on the 3rd juggling attempt. However, the Dings were quicker in the ruck, having grounded Zayd, and came away with the ball to move it swiftly along their line to their winger, who looked like he was going to get away until Josh tracked across and took him down with a great tackle. In the ensuing ruck, Dings knocked on and so it was back with Broad Plain with a scrum around the halfway line. From the scrum, it was fed nicely from Jude to Freddie, who moved it on quickly to Iori and then onto Josh, who took flight on his first run of the game. It looked like he had good away from the on-rushing players too, but as more tracked across, Josh tried his trademark kick and chase, but the bouncing ball didn't go his way, but when the Dings collected, Harvey was there to put in a crunching tackle. The Dings then kept the ball well as great tackles flew in from Freddie and then Max. Dings then moved it across their line out to the far touchline, with Zayd and Mckenzie putting equally great tackles. Dings then knocked on, and Mckenzie almost got away, but when wrapped up, the ref brought it back for the scrum. Following a solid scrum, Zayd picked from the back and set off, with Josh and Rhys quick in pursuit. Making good ground, Zayd was finally taken down, but Rhys was on hand to collect from the ruck, and after a few phases, somehow Dings were awarded a penalty, who chose to kick to touch. Although it was a poor line out, and looked like a knock on, it wasn't given, and Dings started to move it again along their back line. Dings then did a bit of keep-ball, and moved it from side to side, using the breakdowns to switch direction. However, a great tackle from Josh took one of their wide players out into touch, and so it was back with Broad Plain for a line out. From a relatively dangerous position on Broad Plain's 5m line, the line out went long from Ryan and straight to a Dings player, who gladly collected and raced forward and over for the first try of the game after 7mins. With the conversion added, it was 7-0, but Broad Plain were certainly holding their own out there, and it looked like it was going to be an evenly contested match.

Josh's restart put the Dings under a bit of pressure with the ball hanging in the wind, and Leo bore down on the catcher, flattening him with a well-timed tackle. Then a seemingly obvious knock on by Dings was given the other way, with maybe a Broad Plain hand making contact during a pass. From the scrum, Dings lost the ball, and Broad Plain were able to counter attack through Zayd, but he also lost it on the ground, although a penalty was given for either hands in the ruck on the ground or not rolling away. Josh put a good kick down the line to Dings' 22 line, and the chance for Broad Plain to get on the scoresheet. With a sub to call on, Sam came on for Mckenzie on the 12min mark in time for the line out, which saw Harvey collect well, and the driving maul almost made it, but was stopped for a penalty to Broad Plain. Ryan kick the penalty into touch for another line out, and this one saw the driving maul push all the way over the line and then for Ryan to dive over for the try. With the wind strong in his face, and well out wide, Josh gave it a good hoof, but it dropped just short, but Broad Plain were back in it after 14mins, at 7-5.

The restart from Dings was allowed to drop, but Leo watched it well, and collected well before setting off with two Dings players hanging off him, and finally taking him down. Jude then fed Harvey who rounded a few of his own players before straightening up, and then from the next ruck, Jude fed Freddie, who offloaded to Zayd, who did a similar move in rounding the players in front of him before also straightening up and making good ground. However, a penalty was given to Dings for an infringement in the ruck, and they kicked up to Broad Plain's 22, and a line out in a good position. From the line out, Dings collected well, and drove their maul a good 5m, before popping it out across their back line. From the ruck, they changed direction again across their back line, but continued to advance towards the try line, and after a few more phases, crashed over for their 2nd try after 20mins, and moved the score on to 14-5 after an easy conversion from directly in front of the sticks.

Josh's restart kick was well chased by Harvey, who stopped them from starting a quick break, and then Jude put in a fantastic tackle as they finally got the ball out wide, and then Dings knocked on in the ruck, and possession was back with Broad Plain. Zayd broke again from the back of the scrum, and looked isolated, but managed to get free of the tackles and headed for the corner, and looked like he got over, only for the ref to call a penalty. Jude tapped and fed Harvey, who charged through the Dings players to touchdown, but once again the ref gave a penalty, but this time it went to Dings. Their drop kick from the try line was allowed to bounce, and although Broad Plain collected, the ball was then dropped backwards and following a few kick outs from both sets of players, Dings knocked on and the scrum was given to Broad Plain. From the scrum, the ball was fed out to Rhys, but as he was felled, he knocked on, and the ref brought the 1st half to an end.

Overall, it was a pretty scrappy first half, but Broad Plain were certainly not out of it, and both Kyle and Graeme made sure the boys knew this during the halftime talk. Now with the wind behind them, surely this was their chance to capitalise on some quick ball across the line out to the wingers, and hopefully further scores on the board.

With Dings restarting the match, Mckenzie collected well, and although tackled, he wasn't held, and so jumped up and went again, but somewhere in the next tackle the ball went forward, and so it was an early scrum to Dings around the halfway line. As Dings moved it across their back line, Rhys once again put in a great crunching tackle, but Dings were able to feed back from the ruck, and they set off again, moving it one way and then the other. However, Sam was alive to one of the rucks, and stripped the ball well, and got possession back with Broad Plain. There must have been a knock on in this move, as Broad Plain were awarded the scrum, but were way back on their 5m line, and although it looked like they were leaving it to Josh to kick them out of trouble, he took flight on receipt of the ball and charged forwards 20m or so, before offloading to Max, who in turn fed Harvey, and all of a sudden we were over the halfway line. From the ruck, after Harvey was taken down, Iori also got away, but just as they looked like they were going to get away into the corner, Iori was caught before he offloaded to Max, who was off his shoulder. With Iori relatively isolated, Dings stripped the ball back, and then a penalty was awarded for a high tackle from Connor who had to put in the tackle as Dings set off with pace. Dings kick to touch didn't make much ground, and from the line out, a knock on presented the ball back to Broad Plain, and Jude set Iori off, but he was unable to feed Josh, and Dings came away with the loose ball. With tackles still flying in from Broad Plain, Dings almost stole a loose pass from Dings, but Mckenzie knocked on and it was brought back for the scrum. It was then Antos who put in a series of three great tackles in the middle of the park, before a penalty was awarded against Dings, and a great opportunity for Josh to hit touch up the line with the wind behind him. However, what seemingly had been one discussed as a training ground move, Josh looked to take a tap penalty which he was then either going to run or send over the flat line of Dings players, but knocked on his own tap, and presented an easy ball back to Dings. It is in these moments, that the boys need to communicate well, and sometimes just to do the simple things to make sure of keeping possession, whilst making ground from a penalty. From the scrum, Ryan went down holding his shoulder, but was soon back on his feet albeit wincing as he swung his arms to loosen up. However, Kyle and Graeme had spotted a swinging arm/fist directed at a Broad Plain player, and in bringing it to the Dings ref/coach, they did the right thing by taking the offending player off the pitch for the remainder of the game. The scrum though was retaken by Dings, but when they broke, their player was penalised for holding on. Jude took the tap from quite deep, and fed Zayd who popped it to Josh, and this time he was able to get out wide and up to full speed and once clear, there was only ever one winner, and had the sense of mind to touchdown under the sticks. Taking the conversion himself, the score was now 14-12 with just over 10mins to play.

From the restart, Rhys collected well, but in charging forward, he was somewhat isolated, but Connor caught up and was able to set the ruck for Jude to collect and then feed Harvey, who also made some good ground. However, in losing another ruck, Dings were able to set their attack again, but Broad Plain were now quicker to the tackle, with Harvey, Max and Antos all putting in some great tackles in the middle of the park. Dings then moved it quickly across their line, but Aaron put in two very big hits, which looked like it had stopped them in their tracks, only for their Hooker to collect from one of the rucks and charge for the line. In a last-ditch attempt to stop the try, Mckenzie came in hard on the diving Dings player, who took offence and rounded on Mckenzie. Harvey, quick to step in to help in moments of heatedness, was soon surrounded by 3 or 4 Dings players and did well not to hit out, and although the ref tried to step in to calm things down, he was unable to stop a few punches being thrown. Finally it was all broken up, and both sets of players were given a talking to from their respective coaches, before Dings finally took their conversion kick, which was missed wide in the wind. However, it was now 19-12, with a little over 8mins to play.

Josh's high restart was chased well by Connor, and Rhys was also on hand to put pressure on Dings, however, a loose ball hit Connor on the chest, and although it didn't look like he touched it with his hands, a knock on was given. From the scrum Jude was alive to a quick break by the number 8, and then tackles flew in from Leo, forcing a turnover ball. It then went out to Zayd, who was away over on the far side, but before he was able to offload to Josh, who was racing up on his shoulder and almost certain to get away for a try down the line, he was tackled and therefore lost the ball and presented Dings a relatively easy turnover. Dings then kept possession well, and went through a couple of phases before crashing over for their 4th try. Missing another conversion, the score stayed at 24-12, and the game was now slipping away from Broad Plain with only 2-3mins left to play.

With Broad Plain having let the earlier altercation get to them, the walk back to the middle for the restart looked laboured, unlike the majority of times, when they all jog back as one ready to go again. However, the kick from Josh was good and long, and Broad Plain were able to hold them well on Dings' own 5m line, until they moved it quickly again from side to side and then out of danger. Harvey then put in a great tackle forcing a knock on, but a penalty was awarded to Dings for offside, and from the tap penalty, Dings ran in a very simple try, with Broad Plain players out of position and in no rush to get back. With another missed conversion, the ref blew for full time, and although not as brutal a beating as the last outing against Dings, it ended 29-12, and sadly another season without a win against this very good outfit.

Although it felt like a relatively close match, the last few tries knocked the wind out of Broad Plain's sails, and certainly the fracas on the 17min mark unsettled the boys rhythm and mindset, and Dings capitalised on this. It was therefore hard to take, but it is games like this that the boys need to learn from and get stronger. Stronger to shrug off such antics, but also stronger to regroup and stay as one and play the rugby that they know they can, and have done all season to defeat very good sides.

And so, on they march to a game against an untested team in Winscombe next week, although with it being Half Term, the team could be light of players, but that won't stop them from putting everything on the line as always.

#WHOAREWE