WEYMOUTH & PORTLAND 43

PUDDLETOWN 0

WEYMOUTH & Portland began 2023 in emphatic fashion with a 43-0 victory over Puddletown at Monmouth Avenue.

Rich Bament’s side lead the Counties Two Tribute Dorset & Wilts South standings, one point ahead of Oakmeadians as a meeting between the teams looms in two Saturdays’ time.

Given the Seahorses had not played since Saturday, December 3 and the 17-13 win over Lytchett, the hosts soon found fluency against their Dorset rivals.

Andy Bowditch opened the scoring after just five minutes, his try converted by Matt Savage.

READ MORE: Puddletown 0-76 Weymouth & Portland - match report

Skipper Billy Hayne then went over from close range, Savage adding the extras for 14-0.

James Davis pulled off a brilliant interception try from 40 metres out, again converted to give the Seahorses a three-score lead.

Dan Hayne and Jacob Cummings also crossed the whitewash to secure the bonus point and a 31-0 half-time lead.

Spirited Puddletown never gave up but Dan Hayne was able to notch his second try and Savage won a foot race from the halfway line to get in on the scoring act, converting his own score.

Puddletown may have been 43-0 down but they spent the final ten minutes camped in the hosts’ 22, only to find the Seahorses in no mood to concede as they closed out a clean sheet.

Speaking to Echosport, Bament said: “I’m very happy, you always know with Puddletown that they’ll never give up from the first whistle to the final whistle.

“That was always playing in the back of my mind, even in our first game when it was a bigger victory (76-0). They just kept going and going.

“But the first 40 minutes were very good. We didn’t let them settle, took everything to them and played really well.

“After a five-week break it was a very good 40 minutes. Puddletown certainly improved in the second half and kept us to two tries.

“But they didn’t cross our whitewash, we managed to keep them out, so that was pleasing.”

Weymouth & Portland next host Swanage & Wareham Seconds on Saturday as the Seahorses aim to keep the pressure on Oakmeadians.

Bament said: “It’s just to carry on finessing things. We were clinical but we’re almost back to the first few games of the season where we’ve got to start again.

“It starts to click in the second 40. When we get the pressure, we’ve got to make sure we take our chances.”

Hamish Jephcott returns but Chris Norton and Andy Bowditch are unavailable.