NORTH DORSET 17 READING ABBEY 0

NORTH Dorset overcame Reading Abbey in a mud bath at Slaughtergate, as they contested the Southern Counties final and RFU Intermediate Cup last 16.

North welcomed back Thomas Hooper, David Stickland, Jay Westcar to their starting XV, all of which were returning from injury.

Home fly-half Sam Baker kicked the game off into the wind and North soon found some territory and started working some phases well.

It wasn’t long before prop Stickland crashed over for the opening score for the home side.

Reading started to try and get into the game but North’s back three were in control and the hosts put a lot of pressure on the Reading pack.

The game unsurprisingly was a scrappy affair due to the conditions, however, moments of good skill saw North’s back row of Hooper, Adam Trevis and Harry Collis link up and make fine ground.

Stickland set up a maul on the 10-metre line in Reading’s half and, as bodies joined the maul, it was now unstoppable. Adam Trevis eventually broke away at the last second to crash over the whitewash to give North a 10-0 lead at the break.

Reading then came flying out of the blocks following the interval and attacked North with everything they had.

Reading’s scrum had been firmed up. Some big carries took them close to North’s line but strong defence from home centres Adam Geal and Sam Trevis kept them out.

With conditions worsening, neither team could get much continuity. However, North led by Stacy Dyer, were trying to find the knockout blow.

Then it came, North managed to break into the Reading 22, man of the match Hooper burst through Reading’s defensive line, shrugged off the last defender and scored under the posts, Baker converted for 17-0.

With the conditions not improving, North unloaded their bench.

Thomas Gale came on and played for one minute then went off with a nasty cut to his face.

Not to be out done, Freddie Eggleton thought he could do better and he lasted all of 30 seconds before an infringement at a line-out saw him yellow-carded and sent to the sin-bin. But that was not to matter as the home side held out for an impressive 17-0 victory.

North now get to do it all again, as they now face Matson in the South West final and RFU Intermediate Cup quarter-finals, the game will be at Slaughtergate on Saturday, February 27.