Salisbury U15s: 32 ; Devizes: 10

Salisbury opened their Wiltshire Cup campaign with an encouraging performance against Devizes. Keeping our shape and rhythm to the end, Devizes struggled to cope with the suffocating defence we put up, the pace we have out wide and the powerful work of our forwards in the contact.

In a way it was a coach’s dream, with lots of positives but also lots of areas that can and will be improved.

With ball in hand and space to move, Peter Marshall-Rees can be a devastating runner and he was able to show the crowd his abilities when crossing twice in the first quarter, one from long-range. Helping him was the new centre pairing of Will Henshaw and Tom Scott who settled early into a strong combination both in defence and attack.

But Devizes struck back to continue what has been a familiar pattern to these fixtures over recent years, Salisbury starting strongly and dominating, but Devizes looking dangerous on the break. A concerted movement involving forwards and backs saw Devizes force their way over, reminding us we have to stop tries as well as score them.

The contest was fierce throughout. Richard Cox playing in a new position at prop was showing his strengths at the breakdown whilst the back-row of Will Shaw, Nat Armstrong and this season’s skipper Josh Bateman at No. 8 were working hard in defence, and getting into good support positions to carry the game to Devizes. The pressure was telling with growing dissent from the Devizes team who were not impressed with the referee - but it was the same for both sides. Salisbury were increasingly looking like the side which would control the game, and after interplay amongst the forwards with both second rows Hugh Adams and Mike Sherwood prominent, Jack Gurney, Armstrong and Lewis Rutledge were able to put Scott over to send Salisbury in 15:5 ahead at the break.

With the game so finely poised, no changes were made at half-time. Devizes needed the next score to stop Salisbury’s momentum and they broke through on several occasions being stopped only by some desperate scramble defence and a very brave, try-saving tackle from Rutledge which left him a little dazed, Josh Lawrence coming on. Compounding the pressure, Matt Dodkins was then harshly yellow-carded for a high tackle. But the spirit in the team is high and Salisbury took it in their stride taking the game back to Devizes in both defence and attack. After the backs had moved the ball slickly, the forwards hammered away at Devizes until Cox powered his way over the line.

There was no stopping the team now – everyone looked very hungry for the ball. Joe Tooze was now on for Dodkins and it was no surprise after a Henry Wilson canter down the wing that spaces opened up for Hugh Adams who beat the remaining cover from 20 metres out.

Jake Hartley was given a well deserved rest for his work at the coal-face, bringing Harry Stovin-Bradford on to play alongside Jordan Donaldson who was performing his usual ‘extra flanker’ role all over the pitch. Despite the changes we kept our shape well, but Devizes are a useful outfit and were deservedly next to score bringing the scoreline back to 25:10 and leaving the Salisbury support a little nervous. But this was shortlived for the score spurred the home team to tighten their control of the ball when in possession and reassert themselves in defence, the clock ticking down all the time.

There was still time for a final flourish as Marshall-Rees collected the ball on half-way after a scrappy passage of play and proceeded to scorch his way to the try-line for his hat-trick score. Lawrence converting from wide out.

A good start to the season and a marker laid down for the rest of our opponents in the Cup.