Wimbledon score 16 tries in 102-22 victory over Banbury

It seems unlikely that any club from this or comparable leagues has ever notched up more than 100 points in a league match or will do again, but Wimbledon’s current first team did it by scoring no fewer than 16 really well-executed tries against Banbury in Regional 1 South Central.

They might not have managed quite so many had Banbury’s Oscar Triggs not been red-carded for an innocent but dangerous tackle on Dons full-back Ally Duddell after 20 minutes.

By then Wimbledon had already scored three tries, two converted by fly-half Ed Morgan. The first was by Duddell out wide after a neat break by scrum-half Owen Davies, the second by number eight Mark Scott after a powerful drive by the forwards from a five-metre lineout and the third by wing Brad Pinkham, rounding off a lovely piece of back play set in motion by a charging run from prop Bradley Ugodulunwa.

In that time Banbury had taken advantage of a string of penalties awarded to them by a simple three points from scrum-half Phillips and a well-taken try by centre Richards following a five-metre lineout. They might have scored again soon after but for 2 tackles within seconds of each other by flanker Connor Pearce, making his first start for the team.

Banbury did score again just before half-time when their pack squeezed over from another five-metre lineout for a converted try. Against that Wimbledon had scored a further four tries before the interval, two converted by Morgan. Prop Tom Boot had got the first of them immediately after the sending off and centre Henry Peuble ran in the second from 50 metres after great support play created space for him. Davies got the third after prop Malek Toulzak shed tackles to make 25 metres. Pearce scored the fourth after finding himself in acres of space having backed up a fine backs movement.

The second half opened with a trademark try by hooker Harry Scoble, breaking off a driving maul from a five-metre lineout and taking the score to 48-15. With flanker Max Freeman safely gathering every restart and setting in motion the next Wimbledon attack, Scott’s second try very soon followed, after he had sprinted in from halfway.

Then it became a procession. Morgan left the defence for dead to score the next. Davies then got his second, and two minutes later the ever-threatening wing Ollie Kitto got his first. Captain Paul Hendry joined the list of scorers.

Banbury’s pack briefly spoiled the party by driving over from a five-metre penalty, the conversion bringing up their final tally. Pack leader Jack Cooke then deservedly got the next for Wimbledon before Morgan jinked through for his second, leaving replacement wing Alex Kerr to throw an outrageous dummy to bring up the closing score.