ENGLAND'S victory in the World Cup Final, watched by more than 250 members members and friends on the big screen at Devizes Sports Club, was a magnificent curtainraiser for those who stayed on to watch Devizes beat Colerne.

In the first half Devizes heavier and more experienced pack dominated territory and possession without being able to convert pressure into points.

Handling errors, misdirected kicks and infringements meant frequent stoppages and missed opportunities. In spite of several scything runs from Peter Barter and young fullback Calvin Shenton supported by forward charges from Rob Edwards, Bouncer and Ioan Beddoe, failure to keep the ball alive saw chances go begging . Devizes had only 3 points , from the boot of Mike Bates, to show for half an hour's play.

Shortly before the interval the Devizes pack camped on the Colerne line, sucked in a tenacious defence, creating space for scrum half Mike Mc Aleavey to score a blind side try and extend the lead to 8-0.

Immediately after the restart Calvin Shenton attacked from a deep position to take play into the Colerne 22.

From a subsequent lineout Rob Edwards, a tireless worker, forced his way over. Mike Bates converted to establish a commanding 15-0 lead.

Although Colerne were spending more time in the Devizes half of the field and reduced the deficit with a penalty kick, their defence was caught flat by a hanging cross kick from Peter barter which Steve Merrett collected and scrambled over for an unconverted try. Instead of extending their lead, Devizes went off the boil and allowed Colerne to add another seven points before the final whistle.