Longlevens made the long two-hour journey down to North Dorset on Saturday, but it looked like the bus ride had taken its toll as the Griffins were slow out of the blocks. The home side came flying out, punishing Longlevens’ sluggish start and racing into an 18-0 lead after just 30 minutes.
Eventually, the visitors found their rhythm and began to impose themselves through the forwards. Two well-executed catch-and-drive tries from Dave Edwards and Steve Phillips gave Longlevens a foothold in the game, reducing the deficit to 18-10 at the break and restoring some much-needed belief.
The second half started perfectly for the Griffins, as Isaac Meredith finished superbly out wide following some expansive play that finally reflected the side’s intended game plan. At 18-17, the comeback looked very much on.
However, two costly lapses in concentration proved decisive. North Dorset capitalised clinically, scoring two converted tries to stretch their lead to 32-17.
Longlevens refused to roll over, dominating territory in the closing stages. Their persistence was rewarded when Tom Hayes powered over to make it 32-24, and the Griffins pushed hard for more, camping on the North Dorset line. Despite creating three further scoring chances, handling errors at key moments denied them both the win and the potential bonus points their late pressure deserved.
The visitors were left to rue a performance of missed opportunities, too often taking contact early instead of moving the ball to the wider channels, where they looked most dangerous. The scrum battle also went the way of the sizeable North Dorset pack, compounding Longlevens’ frustrations.
This was a winnable game, and the Griffins will know they let it slip. Another testing week on the training paddock awaits before they look to stop the rot at home to Keynsham in two weeks, a fixture that promises a big crowd with the ex-players’ reunion adding extra motivation.
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