DOVER 27 VIGO 12

Time to put away the Christmas baubles, finish off the humbugs, but not, apparently, the charitable feelings to your fellow man. Vigo slipped and slithered to defeat, too many missed tackles costing them dearly. To be fair, Vigo’s pack could be rather content with their day’s work. They often had Dover’s scrum in retreat, but Dover were more clinical in their finishing. They turned each visit to Vigo’s 22 into points, something which Vigo failed to do.
It was a horrible day at the Crabble Ground, wet, windy, cold and the pitch already turning boggy, floodlights on early. The sort of day that any self-respecting boat person would have them taking one look and then turning their inflatable round and paddling back to somewhere warmer. Dover had not played a home match for 686 days after a catastrophic water pipe burst had basically ruined their splendid clubhouse. Unfortunately, their renovation work had not fully included the changing rooms, both teams having to change in the dark, basically. Whether this had a negative effect on the Vigo team, or it was a masterpiece in psychological warfare, we will never know. But there was plenty of chuntering going on in the players, perhaps the conditions having a deleterious effect on their delicate senses. (Of course, when the Vigo first began, the players changed in a chicken hut at the side of the pitch, sluicing off the mud with a hosepipe. Ah, them was the days. They don’t know how lucky they are).
Anyway, back to the rugby.
Vigo actually got off to a flyer, scoring after just 4 minutes of play. Vigo kicked off, Dover made rather a Horlicks of fielding the ball, understandably in the greasy conditions, and Vigo had a five metre scrum. Not for the last time, they had the shove on their opponents. Grinding inexorably forwards, the scrum became a bit of a melee, and amidst the confusion, a roar of delight came through the gloom, and when the bodies had parted, there was Nick McPherson triumphantly holding the ball; he referee in a great position to award the try. However, their joy was short lived as Dover hit back immediately. Barely a couple of minutes from the restart, Dover won the ball and ambitiously (considering the conditions) moved the ball quickly to the right wing. Vigo fatally hesitated, waiting for the whistle for what looked like a forward pass. Dover played on, of course, the ball reaching Harry Moore who grubber kicked the ball forward and over the line for a fine try. Martin Beaumont, the accomplished fly-half converted with a superb kick from out of the mud.
Vigo, feathers ruffled, returned to the attack, but constantly ran into a brick wall of the Dover defence. Dover, meanwhile, pursued a tactic of keeping the ball short, using their big centre, Blair Charge (what a splendid name for this bustling centre), who constantly drew defenders to him before Dover recycled the ball, Beaumont feeding his threes. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t, as the greasy ball was difficult to grasp. Luke Henderson seemed to be everywhere for Vigo, chopping down Dover’s attackers. Dover varied their game nicely, Beaumont pulling the strings, but without too much extravagant play. When they did move it wide, it seemed to take Vigo by surprise, full back Price joining the line. Vigo’s tackling was of the powderpuff variety and Price waltzed home, probably more surprised at the seeming non-aggression pact he encountered. If that was awful defending then, the next try by Moore was probably worse. Again, Beaumont judged beautifully when to spread the play, whilst Vigo were probably setting themselves ready for another Charge charge (I just can’t resist it). Moore received the ball on the wing, and simply ran round some ineffectual tackling to score.
Like a wounded beast Vigo roared back. Obviously shaken, they knew they had to score before half time, and thundered, squelched, skated, whatever, forward. Dover fell back and began to concede penalties. George Cook and Tony Whitehead, were beginning to find their range with their kicking and pinned Dover back. A line out led to a drive and Vigo drove over the line. Again, it was almost impossible to discern what was going on, but the referee, initially unsighted, changed positions to spot Ben Moorhouse grounding the ball for a try. Whitehead converted to narrow the gap, just before half time, what all the commentators consider a psychologically important time.
Unfortunately, Vigo do not read psychology books and promptly conceded a brace of tries early in the second half. Vigo had again started well, kicking into the wind and up the negligible slope. Phil Sewell, off the bench, and Moorhouse began to make inroads into the Dover close defence, who defended stoutly. The game was rather a slugfest as both sided tried to gain the upper hand. Vigo, arguably, were beginning to get on top, but then disastrously fell to a swift one-two. A Dover clearance kick was fumbled five metres out. Awarded the scrum Dover drove and possibly for the first time in the match, went forwards. Vigo resisted but Dover kept up the pressure and eventually after several meaty charges, prop George Curtis drove over. According to the sagacious Bob Jones, ‘’not so much a truck and trailer, more like a truck and three trailers’’. But the try stood. Vigo failed to gather their wits, and Dover hit them again almost from the kick off, scrum half, George Sayers spotting an unguarded short side and scuttling through for the try.
Now, Vigo roused themselves and attacked constantly. Liam Wiltshire, Sewell, Moorhouse and James all battering forward. Dover, backs to the wall, conceded ground and penalties. One could argue that after 4 or five penalties in a row in as many minutes probably deserved censure, none came, and nothing came of Vigo’s attacks, withering under the obdurate home defence and fumbled passes. Dover held out, not without some difficulty. Vigo strove but just could not break through. The final whistle went to probably everyone’s relief, players and bedraggled spectators alike.

Scorers: Dover: Tries: Moore (6’,30’), Price (20’), Curtis (59’) Sayers (61’). Cons: Beaumont (1). Vigo: Tries: McPherson (4’), Moorhouse (34’). Cons: Whitehead (1)

Man of the Match: Dover’s Harry Moore, who took his tries superbly and was a constant threat. For Vigo, Ben Moorhouse took the Spectators vote.

Vigo team: O.McSweeney-Atkins; A.Fitzgerald, J.Clemmence, T.Whitehead, S.Patterson; G.Cook, J.Mitchell; W.James, G.Rawlings (rep: P.Sewell), D.Norton; R.Carleton (rep: L.Wiltshire), D.Mickelburgh (rep: R.Hayes); L.Henderson, N.McPherson; B.Moorhouse.
Tony Whitehead (Vigo Captain): Dover dealt with the conditions better than us. We switched off at times and Dover took full advantage. We failed to capitalise on our forwards domination, especially in the second half.

MOGS view: We were probably better than the score line suggests. Some awful tackling let us down and then we simply could not take the chances a very good forward effort fashioned for us. Dover’s defence, especially round the fringes, was excellent.