Ivel came into today’s game wanting to gain some points and actually play a game. Recent matches had been cancelled due to a lack of numbers but today was different. Ivel had, eventually, twenty players to choose from. They were a mixture of regular second teamers, Veterans, youth players and senior players returning from injury.

Unfortunately the match didn’t get off to the best of starts for Ivel as, just five minutes in, a pass was intercepted and a Wells player caught the ball to score. The try was converted. Ivel just about managed to get themselves organised when, five minutes later, Wells took the ball from on side of the pitch to the other and burrowed through to score in the corner. The conversion was missed. Ivel woke themselves up and started to put some pressure on the visitor’s line. This pressure came to success for Ivel when, following some disruptive play by the Ivel forwards, the ball found its way to Ed Mason, playing in the centres, and he charged over. Lee Jones scored the conversion. Wells then had a set-back with a player being sin-binned for persistent fouling at the breakdown. This didn’t hold them back as they went back up the other end of the pitch; got the ball to their number eight and he stormed through Ivel’s defence to score. The conversion was scored from in front of the posts. Still down to fourteen and Wells were again on the attack. Following a cross-field move they touched down in the corner. It was another ten minutes before the score changed. Again it was the visitors, with a pushover try with the conversion being scored. Just before half-time Wells found themselves with an overlap, on Ivel’s wing, and they raced through to touch down.

Half-Time    Ivel Barbarians 2XV    7          Wells 2XV   36

Ivel had a setback just after the start of the second-half. Alex McGuinn was sin-binned. Wells took advantage and a couple of moves later they scored another push-over try. Ivel kept trying to stabilise the match and, whilst down to fourteen, kept the opposition at bay. In fact it was just after Ivel’s player returned to the fray that Wells scored their next, and final, points of the game. They managed to take opportunity of an overlap on the wing to touch down in the corner. Ivel then fought back and gave some heat back to the visitors. After much hard work Ivel scored their second try of the game. A strong scrum, five metres out from the try line saw scrum half, ad returnee, John Evans make a break. He was stopped inches short but Ivel kept possession. Andrew Cook took on the scrum half role, passing a short ball to another returnee, Jimmy Divall, to force his way over the line. Unfortunately the conversion was hurried and missed. Ivel were buoyed by this and kept up the pressure. The match moved to and fro with both sides fighting to dominate. Wells were denied a certain try by a magnificent tackle from hooker and winger for the day, Joe Stelmaszyk. There had been a number of these tackles from Ivel players throughout the match (Lee Jones and Andrew Cook stand out as fine examples), but not enough. Wells secured a penalty with just over five minutes to play. They missed the kick and so the game was back on. Just before the end of the match Ivel’s Roger Maliszewski was sin-binned, but it had no real affect on the game.

Full time        Ivel Barbarians 2XV   12         Wells 2XV   46

An Ivel spokesman said: “It was fantastic to have such a large turnout today, giving quite a selection headache for manager Mark Tizzard. The result was nowhere near what we want or need this season. But up against such a strong “2XV” team from Wells the guys played well. It was good to see players like John Evans, Jimmy Divall, Tom Allen and other Vets coming through to help. We need just as many for next week’s match away to Castle Cary.”