DEVIZES came through a severe test at Trowbridge to win by three tries to one. Not surprisingly this was a tense and dramatic encounter heightened by end to end play and numerous penalties throughout the game.

Trowbridge announced their intention early on by driving Devizes backwards for at least 20 metres.

Devizes illustrated their capacity to get out of trouble by recovering the ball to set up a series of forward drives that took play into the Trowbridge 22 where they spent ten minutes without being able to convert pressure into points.

The aggressive Trowbridge pack challenged the Saddlebacks in every phase of the game. Devizes put pressure on themselves by missing several touchkicks which Trowbridge returned with interest.

Saddlebacks winger Dave O'Sullivan, chased a high attacking kick, tackled the receiver and released the ball for flanker James Gaiger to score.

Devizes had the chance to increase their lead when number eight Nav picked up from a scrum, attacked the blindside and offloaded to Mike Thomas, who uncharacteristically dropped the ball with the line at his mercy.Good support retrieved the ball for Nav to crash over for another unconverted try.

Trowbridge were matching the Saddlebacks in the set pieces but were constantly put on the back foot by the collective efforts of Nav, Gaiger and Tim Alchin.

When hooker Ian Carter was sinbinned, Trowbridge gained territory from several penalties, giving their flyhalf the chance to step out of weak tackles and score a converted try. At 10-7 the tension increased.

Devizes fly half, Sean O'Sullivan, with Jonny Wilkinson's intent but not quite his application, missed two field goals which would have given Devizes a clear lead before the interval.

With the wind at their backs and a slight slope advantage, Devizes supporters knew where the game should be played. It didn't quite work out like that. Both teams sacrificed territory by conceding penalties. Devizes scrum was strengthened when replacement Mark Stowell joined Charlie Rudler in the front row to provide stability.

Scrum half Tom Collins, broke the pattern of play when he made an incisive break from a scrum, kicked into touch near the Trowbridge line.

Perversely, although Devizes won the lineout and the subsequent scrum Trowbridge won back the ball to clear. From another scrum Nav picked up and passed inside to Tom Collins who rarely misses an opportunity to score.

At 15-7 and two scores ahead Devizes were home and dry in spite of late pressure from a determined Trowbridge side.