IT'S an unwritten law that players shouldn't get married in rugby season, and Saturday's one sided affair at Minety demonstrated why.

Only four regular first team players were available due to the untimely nuptials, but the Minety second team gamely stood in for the senior side and although beaten heavily, stuck to their task till the end.

Minety had no option but to cancel the second team fixture a game in Dorset and Wilts Two North against Aldbourne Dabchicks and in the absence of any front row players, volunteers from elsewhere on the field had to play in these positions.

Not surprisingly, the stronger, faster and fitter Bournemouth players scored a deluge of tries nine in the first half and seven in the second. The big surprise, however, was how well the Minety second team played, competing in every area of the game, tackling their hearts out and even scoring a try.

This came at the start of the second half, when quick handling and a final long floated pass moved the ball out to Ryan Dowling on the left wing for Minety. He then showed great pace up the slope as he outflanked his opponent and dived over for the score.

Despite the unequal score line, the second half in particular was sufficiently competitive for a Bournemouth forward to get himself sin-binned for violent play, and for a Minety threequarter to be similarly penalised for repeatedly interfering with the ball on the ground.

Less controversially, there was some gutsy running and heroic tackling by a number of Minety players, including scrum-half Alistair Grierson, number eight James Hazell, winger Ollie Bown and full-back Ruben Saunders.

As one Minety spectator put it after the game, "We've never had more reason to be proud of the players who took to the field in Minety colours, or more reason to be disappointed in those who didn't."

This Saturday, Minety are hoping that their usual first team squad will be available again to play a tough league fixture at home against Trowbridge.