Stroud Combination Junior Cup

Minch 29

Tetbury 0

MINCHINHAMPTON started their Stroud Combination Junior Cup run with a dominant home performance against Tetbury.

Fielding a long kick downfield from Tetbury, full back Jamie Luke ran the ball back well to set the platform for the backs to attack and swift hands from Jake Muskett, Langford and Ed Wright freed Fitzgerald to score out wide.

From the restart the home side moved the ball quickly using second rows Matt Austin and Dan Wood to gain 60 yards before being halted by a knock-on.

Ill-discipline changed the balance of power, with a Tetbury player receiving a red and a Minch player getting a yellow.

Blindside flanker Niall Kimber beat two men to score in the corner and the score remained at 10-0 to Minchinhampton at half-time.

The second half started where the first left off, an attack through Mike Evans and Messer was undone at the try line by another knock-on, but the Minch pack fancied a pushover against the head and duly delivered with Smith dotting down after a great drive from all eight. Muskett found his range to add the conversion.

On the restart Tetbury established themselves in the Minch 22, with only last-ditch tackles from Langford and Ben Read keeping the visitors at bay. But then scrum half Dan Tedham and Smith combined well to release Matt Fitzcharles on the halfway line and he dummied his way through to finish under the posts, to make it 24-0 after 60 minutes.

With spaces opening up winger Jones scored his first try for Minch to take the final score to 29-0.

Minch move on to play either Cainscross or Cirencester seconds in the semi-final.

Coach Mike Crawford said: “I’m happy with that. We’ve had a long break, so were a bit rusty.”