Salisbury 23 Basingstoke 2nds 0: IN near monsoon conditions Salisbury provided an example of how to use the elements to advantage and contain an opposition.
With the gale at their backs Salisbury's first half game plan was simple. Kick high and long for territory, then use their big forwards to keep possession with driving mauls and rucks.
Scrum half Tim Shipsey was instrumental in the first three tries. The first arrived when Salisbury's pack pushed a Basingstoke scrum over their try line and Shipsey dived in to touch down.
Minutes later, number eight Gary Reeves broke from another scrum and fed Shipsey who drew his man before off-loading to winger Sean Scaife to score in the corner. A third set-piece saw Shipsey slipping the ball to winger Buckingham to crash over. Jim Cameron converted a difficult long-range kick.
The final try followed a defensive scrum in their own half, pushing Basingstoke back before Maidment robbed their scrum half and fed to stand-off King who stepped inside his opposite number and beat the full back to score.
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