Rugby union: Wimbledon hammer Bournemouth 69-3

Another great exhibition of open running rugby and another thumping win for this Wimbledon team in Regional 1 South Central.

The Wimbledon pack had the edge over their heftier opposition in the set scrum and the jumping trio of flanker Max Freeman plus locks Jake Cleet and Jack Cooke, ably assisted by their jumpers and the spot-on throwing-in of hooker Harry Scoble, reigned supreme in the lineout. Adding to that their speed to the breakdown ensured the backs had a field day, scoring nine of the day’s 11 tries.

Bournemouth opened brightly and could have scored but for a great cover tackle by wing Ollie Kitto. Normal service was then resumed when Freeman and Kitto combined with scrum half Owen Davies who scored under the posts, giving number 10 Ed Morgan an easy conversion.

A series of Bournemouth penalties allowed their kicker Grant Hancox to score their only three points of the day, but very soon the Dons got their second try, when Scoble touched down from a fine drive from a lineout.

Moments after that they won a Bournemouth scrum on the visitor’s 22 and an inch-perfect crossfield kick by Morgan found his namesake, full-back Rhys, who drew the defence and put wing Brad Pinkham away to sprint in and score. He scored again moments later, to finish a superb passing sequence involving the entire back line.

Centre Jack Reville scored the fifth try, having pounced on a Bournemouth fumble and darted through the defence. Morgan’s conversion brought up the half-time score of 29-3.

It took Kitto just two minutes of the second half to continue the try spree, jinking his way through a bemused defence.

Despite being reduced to 13 men for eight minutes after Freeman and then number eight Mark Scott were yellow carded, the Dons kept the visitors at bay and themselves scored before returning to full strength, when Kitto touched down again following a 60-metre sprint by Pinkham.

Morgan found his kicking mode again and it was 41-3. He made it 48-3 five minutes later, running in a nice try from 50 metres and converting it.

In the last quarter Reville cut right through a group of defenders to score his second then replacement prop Zane Dallinger got a try after a neat break by Davies.

Finally centre Henry Peuble weaved his way to the goal-line to score from 50 metres out and Morgan converted all three to wind up another great example of 15-man rugby. How rugby should be played said coach Collin Osborne.

This weekend will pose a rather tougher test, away to London Welsh.