CALNE were crowned Dorset & Wilts Plate champions as they subdued Westbury for the second time in seven days at North Dorset RFC on Saturday.

The two sides had met in Dorset & Wilts Two North the weekend before, Calne clinching a 31-17 triumph and with silverware on offer, the showpiece occasion was no-less hard-fought.

Jubilant captain Tom Morten said “ This is a great day for the club. Westbury played well and caused us a few issues but our defence stood strong and I’m just delighted and proud to bring the trophy home to Calne.”

It was Westbury who made the better start as they attacked with purpose and earned a penalty, which Aaron Vaughan successfully kicked to get his side off the mark.

However, as Calne continued to defend well with thumping tackles from Matt Kelly, Chris McAlonan and Bruce Harper, Rhys Taylor, Marcus Turner and Adam Young all made their presence felt in attack.

Their opening try came from a lineout which was driven over the line by hooker Dave Evans and converted by Rhys Taylor.

The game continued to be evenly contested and Westbury started the second half well, before their kick to the corner and lineout was repelled.

Instead, Calne worked their way back upfield and Taylor stepped up to extend their advantage courtesy of a penalty.

With the game still in the balance, a nail-biting finish looked likely until Jamie Palmer capitalised on a mistake to kick through. Although he was unable to ground the ball, following up was centre Adam Young who did so, Taylor converting to wrap up the trophy.

Calne’s chairman Chris Austin, whose club now move forward to the regional Junior Vase stages, said: “ We always have tough battles against Westbury and once again they made us work hard for the victory.

"But I am very proud of the guys and they deserve this cup success. I would also like to congratulate Westbury on getting to the final and performing so well, they are a great bunch of lads.

"The photo of both teams together after the match truly shows what the sport is all about.''