Bournemouth 12 Wimbledon 49 – Dons comfortable victors in first-ever encounter

Given the similar starts to the Regional 1 South Central season by both teams – one narrow defeat, one big win – this first ever encounter between Bournemouth and Wimbledon looked as though it would be a close run thing. By full time though it was anything but.

It did not start well for Dons with wing Brad Pinkham having to leave the field with concussion. But from the restart they set the tone for the match with a flowing backs move only spoiled five metres from the try line by a Bournemouth interception taking play right back to the Dons’ goal-line. Fierce defence kept the home team at bay.

Despite Wimbledon’s forwards beginning to outmuscle and outjump their opposition, and their backs looking really slick and dangerous every time they got the ball, it was 18 minutes before their first try, scored by hooker Jake Farnworth after the Dons won a Bournemouth put-in and had driven to within three metres of the line. Ed Morgan converted.

Ten minutes later, centre Paul Hendry broke clear and with one man to beat and two players in support, he chose flanker David Aniebonam, who raced over the line to score in the corner. Morgan added the extras.

Five minutes before half-time poor marking by the Dons’ reshaped backline allowed the Bournemouth centre the space to score out wide, and it was 5-14. But a break by prop Tom Boot, supported by number eight Max Freeman and flanker Jack Cleet, led to wing Richard Adeniyi-Jones scoring under the posts and Morgan made the half-time score 5-21.

Replacement scrum-half Aaron Booth, following an injury to captain Owen Davies, soon made his mark with a try after some fine inter-passing by the backs five minutes after the restart. But his departure with a yellow card moments later meant further re-organisation of the team. Almost immediately though, Farnworth’s interception on halfway and his sprint to the Bournemouth line took Dons’ lead to 5-33, then Morgan again to 5-35.

A now dominant scrum and excellent line-out work, with Farnworth’s throwing-in finding skipper Jack Cook, fellow lock Matt Grobler or Max Freeman every time, ensured the backs had all the ball they could want and but for a few mishaps could have scored lots more tries – as it was they still added two more before the whistle, centre Henry Peuble running in the first after his break on Bournemouth’s 10-metre line.

A misunderstanding in Wimbledon’s backline let Bournemouth’s wing in for his second try, converted by the full-back, before Farnworth added Wimbledon’s seventh and final try, beautifully converted by Morgan from the touchline, bringing his tally to an excellent seven out of seven.

This result moves the Dons up into third place in the league. They are at home this weekend to London Welsh.