Somerset Vase final
Wellington 45, Winscombe 17

AFTER being crowned Cornwall & Devon league champions last Saturday, Wellington travelled to North Petherton RFC on Tuesday evening to play Winscombe in the final of Somerset Vase, writes Allyn Chetland.

Winscombe play in a league above the Red & Blacks, so this was going to be a good test of how far the team had improved throughout the season.

Wellington made two changes from the side that took to the field on the Saturday, as Danny Lee and Ryan Marke returned to the starting XV in place of Micky Norman and Josh Hancock.

Playing down the slope, with the elements in their favour and spurned on by a large travelling support, the Red & Blacks went straight onto the offensive.

Playing some excellent attacking rugby, coupled with an aggressive defence, they blitzed their much larger opponents with one of the best 40 minutes of the season.

Winscombe had no real answer to the skill on display from their opponents, conceding five tries, four of which were converted, to trail 33-5 at half time.

With the conditions in their favour in the second half, Winscombe may have thought it would be their turn to dominate, but Wellington were not going to be denied.

Winscombe did have a few chances but came up against some outstanding defence, while the Red & Blacks scored two further tries, to run out 45-17 winners.

The Wellington try scorers were Liam Phillips, Will Hinchcliffe, Danny Lee, Nev Pitman, Tyler Hart, George Hodgson and captain Paddy Jarman, with Alex Davey adding five conversions.

This was an outstanding performance after a superb season, with the whole squad getting onto the field and all playing their part in a convincing victory to secure the league and cup double.

Nev Pitman was selected by Somerset RFU as man of the match.

Wellington: R. Marke, J. Dyke, L. Wadham, R. Walker, W. Hinchcliffe, C. Kitto, L. Phillips, D. Lee, T. Jenkinson, P. Jarman (c), G. Hodgson, C. Batts, N. Pitman, T. Hart, A. Davey, C. Jenkinson, B. Gamlin, S. Kiddle, J. Hancock, M. Norman, J. Rowlands, A. Johnson.