Match Report by Gareth Llewhellin

The spring air greeted the visitors from Supermarine with a sharp snap at the Lane today.

Frome kicked the game off and instantly ran into a wall of blue, which pushed them back deep into their own half. Marine, buoyed by their early pressure, surged down the left wing early on, only to be stopped by some solid tackling from Josh Clark.

Undeterred, Frome gained distance following a signature kick from fly-half Archie Pearn. The line out worked well, but again, Frome ran into that wall of blue.

This was a becoming a game of lightning fast attacks from both teams with the half swinging back and forth like a pendulum. Pearn fed centre Toby Cassidy, who scorched through the backfield. The ball was recycled and the try narrowly averted by the away side. It was Marine who eventually broke the deadlock, with a fine try under the sticks to give them an early lead, after fifteen minutes. 

Undeterred once again, Frome pushed back with gusto and continued the display of attacking speed with breaks of their own. Scrum-half Alfie Newbery sniped and fed Rob Norris, who bashed the door down . Supermarine stole the ball attacked at pace, Jonas Mills tackled fiercely and the attack was stopped. 

Following a brief pause in play, the match restarted with Frome attacking down the wing, allowing Rufus Phelps to power through and score the homeside's first try and in turn, narrow Marine's lead. 

The game was now on.

The pendulum swung back and the visitors responded almost immediately with a try of their own, sweeping the ball out to the wing with lovely fluidity. 

Regardless of who you supported, this was a fine display of rugby.

Frome attacked from deep in their own half. Zach Sibley expertly gathered a kick and and Pearn took a gamble on his own try line, found some space and released Cassidy. The afterburners were lit and he ran to outsprint the Marine defense to take an amazing try for himself from seventy meters and for Frome. Maximum points were completed following the conversion.

The pendulum was back firmly with Frome

Following a fast paced attack and wonderfully determined chasing from Harry Greenwood and captain Oscar Stickley, Frome gained a scrum on the five meter line. From this, the perfect strike move from the backs put Sibley into space and the full-back was head down, locked in on the try line. He secured the try for Frome, bringing the first half to a close in what had been an end to end half of finely matched rugby, tipped in the favour of the home side 17 - 14.

The second half saw the entrance of a string of subs for the home side and the half started as the first ended, with Frome pressure. The ball seemed to be camped in Marines half, with every attempt to escape, again confidently swept up by Frome.

For all they tried, they had no answers to the striped wall of Frome's defence, but they kept chipping away and finally their tenacity was rewarded with a try after finding a rare crack in their opponents wall to re take a slim lead.

Their resurgence was short lived. After multiple phases, with Aelfric Bidder, Adam Hancock and Ewan Cox carrying on close quarters, the try line beckoned. Newbery swung a wide pass blind to Greenwood, who barrelled over the line to score.

The game had turned from explosive attacks to equally impressive displays of defiant defending from both sides.

The pendulum finally swung back in favour of Supermarine, with a try to retake the lead. Frome attacked for the final ten minutes. They had two opportunities to win the game with penalty kicks, but both sailed agonisingly wide. The away side held on to take the win by 2 points. 

Deserved applause from both sets of supporters sounded as the referee blew for full time, bringing to a conclusion a game of end to end rugby. 

The final score, was Frome 22-24 Supermarine.

Photos by Katie White