BRADFORD on Avon head coach Dave George admits he was surprised by his side’s 38-5 Dorset & Wilts Vase quarter-final triumph at Minety.

The Ashley Lane side booked a home semi-final against Swindon College Old Boys on November 12 with a comprehensive five-try success on the villagers’ home turf, completing a quickfire double following their 32-24 Dorset & Wilts One North win at Bradford a week earlier.

Both sides made a plethora of changes to their line-ups for the county competition, but George hopes interest in the tournament will be piqued by his side’s progress.

“I was very surprised,’’ he admitted. "We’d cobbled together a side a little bit because people haven’t really bought into this competition yet.. Perhaps they might do now a little bit more.

“There is never an easy game at Minety and the conditions are usually tough going.

“We’d built up the younger lads up a bit by telling them what it was going to be like but in the end, the weather was fine and it was our pack and defence that set it up.

“The pack took on Minety’s and dominated really. Our structure was working really well and we just harassed them and ended up scoring five tries.’’ Bradford began to turn to screw after an even opening quarter, and opened the scoring in the 19th minute when flanker Jonny Bates crossed from close range and fly-half Will Slark converted.

Minety’s defence was breached again in the 21st minute when full-back Tom Bartlett finished off a fine move involving backs and forwards on the right touchline, Slark’s excellent long-range conversion extending the advantage.

Minety hit back in the 32nd minute when their backs collected a defensive clearance kick and spread the ball wide. Second row Tom Windle drew the Bradford defence from a ruck and allowed flanker Josh Bull to score.

But the home team’s hopes of a late first-half comeback were dashed when influential flanker Stephen Brown was yellow-carded for an unsafe tackle.

Minety’s full-back Robin Greenway was called on to make a number of fine tackles to prevent Bradford extending their lead early in the second half but when Slark slotted home a penalty in the 57th minute, Bradford were 12 points clear.

That was further stretched when number eight Andrew Twinney broke through for the visitors’ third try on the hour.

Bradford’s well-organised defence handled all that Minety could throw at them and, when the home forwards lost control of the ball on the halfway line in the 72nd minute, Slark burst through to score under the posts from 30 metres out.

Minety’s attempts to add to their own score were held up time and again in the closing minutes and when Bradford cleared their lines and latched on to a loose ball in midfield, centre Chas Burwell ran in a try, from which Slark converted.