For a second week running the IIs played a game in blazing sunshine against newly promoted Castle Cary.  The game kicked off with Cary kicking and setting the pace early doors. The ball was caught by Burnham and from the ensuing tackle the ball ended up in touch with Cary having the put in to the line out. However, the Cary hooker did not throw straight and whilst BoS were able to relieve the pressure it was short lived as Cary pushed forward and scored a try under the posts. The conversion was duly made, 0-7 after three minutes.

This sparked an immediate team response and after some quick hands followed by loss of possession and then great counter rucking the ball ended up in the hands of Thomas Harris who put in a sublime kick for Fin Ingham to chase. Ingham then timed his run and subsequent kick to perfection to score in the corner. Unfortunately the conversion wasn’t made so 5-7 to the visitors.

From the kickoff there was a fair amount of loose possession from both teams. A loose pass from Burnham was seized upon and the Cary winger was able to score in the corner. No conversion so 5-12.

The kickoff saw Burnham again take the game to the visitors and after another crooked feed into the line out Burnham put the hammer down in the shape of Mason Shaw who bustled through the Cary centres to score next to the posts, Alex Bowkett duly converted and game was tied at 12-12.

Burnham continued to apply pressure and were camped in the Cary 22 when a loose pass was seized upon and all of a sudden the visitors scored and convert. In a flash the game was turned on its head and the visitors had taken the lead, 12-19.

The remainder of the half saw exchanges of possession but no further scoring. 12-19 at the turn.

The second half started with definite niggle in the air and it was compounded for the hosts when Alex Bowkett appeared to have scored only for the Official to chalk the score off for a knock on in the act of grounding the ball. From that point it is fair to say the game was no longer a game but who could get the better results from the Referee.

After 60 minutes of niggly play the visitors scored but no conversion 12-24. From then on the visitors played to their strengths interchanging players and scored again with 12 minutes to go and conversion made, 12-31.

The resulting kick off saw the IIs attempt to get possession and press for scores but it just wasn’t their day. After a dubious high tackle on Tim James the ball ended up with the visitors and a score followed 12-38.  A tough day at the office was compounded as Burnham had to play with 14 as Scott Mills hobbled off with a knee injury sustained in the early part of the second half.  The day was finished with another try to the visitors 12-43 end result.

Whilst a tough result to take the home team only lost the game after 60 minutes until then they were in the game.  As Tim James noted in his post game debrief on a cooler day and soft under foot it would have been a very different game.

It was good to see George Goodall, Thomas Harris and Mason Shaw running out for the team. The Second team need an additional one or two players so that they two can play the interchange game.

Next week sees the team away to Chard IIs, their first road trip of the season. Heads up this week to right today’s result so please make availability known to Tim early.