AFTER leading 18-5 at half time, Devizes lost the plot after the break as Dorchester piled on 32 unanswered points in a lethal 25 spell of ruthless attacking rugby.

Devizes, with the wind and slope in their favour at Coburg Road, looked also to be slanting the result in their direction and utterly dominated the first 20 minutes with Dorchester penned back in defence and scarcely ever having control of the ball.

The referee, strict throughout on infringements in the tackle, penalised the home forwards at each of the first three breakdowns, giving 18-year-old full back James Pople three attempts at goal in as many minutes. He took two sighters to guage the effect of the near gale at his back, but slotted the third to give the visitors the lead.

Hooker Chris Billi then departed for Devizes, knocked flat by 'flu, making way for utility forward Richard Gilbertson.

The pressure continued and only improvisation by first Jamie Jackson, holding up Devizes prop Rob Edwards, and then David Gower, denying second rower Tim Alchin, prevented the Saddlebacks going further ahead.

Eventually, however, Devizes' number eight James Gaiger scored a push-over try wide-out from a five-metre scrum, awarded after a Tom Collins surge to the line had been thwarted by Russell Eversden's smother tackle.

After missing the conversion, Pople stretched the lead with a long-range penalty as Dorchester flanker Ollie Andrews was sin-binned for a flailing arm in the tackle.

On almost their first visit to the Devizes half, Matt Read produced a try out of nothing when he ripped the ball off Devizes winger Andy Webb after he had fielded a clearing kick.

But the black machine moved back into gear and after persistent pick and drive play, winger Julian Taylor produced a classy step to finish off a long phase of attack and open up an 18-5 lead for the Wiltshire side.

Devizes couldn't add to their advantage before the break, but with the amount of possession they had and a massive territorial advantage, they really should have been out of site after the first 40 minutes.

They were to pay for their inneffectiveness, as after the break Dorchester upped the ante and the floodgates opened.

The Dorset boys piled on the points and some of the Saddleback's defence left a lot to be desired.

Soon after the restart number eight Russell Eversden caught the Devizes back row napping from a scrum 30 metres out, making a clean break and passing to Chris Goulding.

The flanker's change of pace and dancing, elusive running caused the defence to part like the Red Sea, and he scored dragging a defender over under the posts.

Soon after Dave Gower broke on the blind side from a ruck to score and from the restart Gilbertson was sin-binned for preventing Gower taking a quick penalty on half-way, and Ben Scott inflicted further punishment by hammering the ball over via a post.

Dorchester weren't finished, and Richard Elliott scored next. He single-handedly destroyed the defence, breaking three tackles, including a feeble effort from flanker Stu Walmsley, as he powered over from the 22.

Scott's conversion, and a further penalty set the stage for James Spensley coming at speed in an angled run from his blind-side wing to arrow straight through to the posts.

Devizes were reduced to 14 men when prop Dan Masters was judged to have made an illegal stamp .

This seemed to galvanise the visitors and they showed some of their team-work from the opening quarter to pick and drive through a dozen phases before Gaiger scored his second.

Devizes missed the opportunity to go above Dorchester on the table into fifth place.

They will be hoping the second half display is not repeated when Redingensians visit on Saturday.

Devizes 3rd 3 Colerne 10

DEVIZES had three real opportunities to score and pull off an unexpected victory over the league leaders. Two of these were created by breaks from centre Martin Brimble and a third was an easily kickable penalty rejected by Devizes for an unsuccessful quick tap.

It was 15 minutes before Colerne got into the Devizes half when they capitalised on a Devizes dropped pass to score under the posts and go ahead 7-0.

Andy Thompson kicked a penalty to pull Devizes back into contention at 7-3 but Colerne added another penalty.

l Devizes second rower Mike Walsh, full-back John Beddows and scrum-half Andy Thompson have been selected to play for Dorset and Wilts U20 against Somerset.