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Michael Johnston (34486/10)

Wootton Bassett 12, Trowbridge 12

TROWBRIDGE were confirmed as Southern Counties South champions with this draw against the runners-up in their final league game of the season.

Wootton Bassett exerted early pressure on the Trowbridge line while playing with a strong wind in the first half. They immediately had a five metre line-out and Trowbridge had to defend well to keep their opponents out.

Trowbridge managed to force play back outside the 22 metre area but Bassett came back and their hooker Adam Rumble drove over for a try after five minutes and Tim Gallimore converted.

After 12 minutes Rumble scored again wide out and while it never looked likely that Bassett would achieve the necessary 90 point margin required to displace Trowbridge from the top spot, it did look likely that the Green Lane team could suffer a heavy defeat.

However, they gradually came more into the game after this initial period and began to press the Bassett line more as the half progressed.

The Bassett team's tactics became more predictable as they continually tried to make progress by pressing the Trowbridge defence close to the scrums, using their back row and their strong centres and No. 8 Alex Penny looked threatening at the outset.

But the Trowbridge back row of Michael Johnston, Dave Martin and Shane Johnstone contained them and towards the end of the half the greater variety in the Trowbridge tactics began to dictate the game.

A couple of scoring chances went and the Trowbridge cause was helped considerably just before the break when Francis Chandler, who had been called up for Lloyd Davis to play on the wing, was put clear and looked to be heading for the corner. He was conscious of Barry Coombs coming up in support and passed inside so that the hooker could score under the posts and Ashley Chalk converted. The half-time score was 12-7 but the late score was a big boost to the visitors.

The second half started with Bassett on the attack but the Trowbridge defence held. On one occasion their centre broke through and a try looked a distinct possibility as the move went towards the right corner but the Trowbridge defence stopped them short of the line, conceded a line-out and managed to clear.

Trowbridge then came more into the game and play moved more into Bassett territory, until Coombs was sinned binned for throwing a punch and it looked as if Trowbridge would be under pressure. But it was not to be because they maintained their attacking position, with skipper Adam Sullivan coming into the back row from the wing to maintain eight forwards and Bassett were unable to exploit the shortage of backs.

Trowbridge drove forward during this period and Michael Johnston went over to level the scores. The remainder of the match was spent in the Bassett half and Shane Johnstone went over in the closing minutes only to be brought back for a forward pass.

It was a tense match, well refereed by Swindon official Ian Binfield, and it was generally agreed among both sets of spectators that a draw was a fair result.

Trowbridge were confirmed as champions while Wootton Bassett move onto the play-offs this Saturday with a visit to Wallingford, who are runners-up in Southern Counties North.

5:08am Tuesday 22nd April 2008

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