Match Preview ~ Minety v Sutton Benger Sat 26th October 2024
Before we turn the clocks back on Saturday night and say farewell to British Summer Time 2024, Sutton Benger will make a shortish journey off to Minety RFC for only our second away match of the 2024/25 campaign.

Not such a good hunting ground recently for the Lads in Pink, in fact we must jump back to pre-covid for our last win at The Playing Fields in Minety, a tight affair, but a tick in the Benger win column 11-5 in November 2019. Post covid the three matches at Minety have resulted in ticks in the home sides column. So Benger will be looking to turn that around.

The season not going as Minety would have planned, with only 1 win out of 4 matches, and they currently sit 7th in the league of 10. In fairness the three losses have come on the road against Marlborough IIs, Calne & Fairford with the solitary home win against SCOBs. Therefore, Benger can expect a mighty tussle against the ‘Purple & Greens’ back on their home turf.

Last season Minety ran in 6th in Counties 2 with 7 wins out of the season’s total of 16. And the two matches with Sutton Benger played out for home wins for each side on the day. December 2023 it was a pre-Christmas Benger win, 43-7, but it was a spring day win for Minety 20-5 in March 2024. Having written all that, the head2head stat stands at 8:6 in favour of Minety.

Elsewhere Saturday’s Counties 2 fixtures see a rejuvenated Devizes IIs host Colerne, Pewsey Vale look to continue their good start with a trip to SCOBs, and Fairford have succumb to a HWO for Marlborough IIs. RWB IIIs & Calne have a bye weekend. That puts Marlborough IIs out in front on 30 points, adding a little extra pressure on Benger to hang onto their coattails with a win tomorrow, to set up a 1st v 2nd match on November 9th.

But first the ‘small matter’ of securing an away win at Minety. It looks to be a grand autumnal afternoon tomorrow, with lots to play for. Hope you can make the journey. See you on the touchline.

By Mark Johns