Sat 11 Oct 2025, 15:00
Please also see the online article here: https://marlborough.news/news/marlborough-rugby-important-victory-against-strong-sidmouth-side-on-the-common/
Saturday 11 October and, whilst the Nomads were Corsham-bound, the 1st XV are looking forward to hosting Sidmouth on The Common. The day dawned bright, which was especially pleasing for all those who have worked hard to get the fabulous new posts bedded in and the pitches looking fine. It was also the day of the Club’s first sponsors’ lunch – to thank those whose generosity allows us to do what we do – from pitch preparation to turning out two senior men’s XVs every weekend to seeing nearly 250 young people learning and playing rugby on The Common every Sunday. Quite a day we had ahead of us...
The lunch was well-attended and allowed the Chairman and the Committee to express our gratitude for the support we receive from businesses that range from the truly local to the regional and beyond. We were equally grateful to have our Town Mayor among us. A good meal was served, with thanks to our hard-working clubhouse manager and bar and kitchen staff, and plenty of networking took place around the table, spilling out onto The Common where the game was set to kick-off...
A fair-sized crowd of supporters and all those from the sponsors’ lunch hugged the rails on the Free’s Avenue side of the pitch; a number of others chose to stand in the sun on the other side! Wherever you stood, the new posts looked tremendous! All those present would be in for a real spectacle of fast-flowing and top-quality rugby – from both sides.
The Marlborough captain, Chris Diamond, had won the toss and (no surprise!) had elected to play uphill in the first half. It would be critical to keep Sidmouth out in order to maximise the advantage of the slope in the second half. We started well, tight in defence and, with ball in hand, looked menacing. But it was an evenly matched first quarter, neither team able to gain an upper hand. From the touchline, one might have assumed – given the size difference – that the Sidmouth scrum would dominate our boys, but the Marlborough pack was solid and gave as good as it got.
Right on twenty minutes, after some relentless phase play, using the width of the pitch and integrating forwards and backs in a good and controlled way, we were rewarded with a try under the posts. The way our flanker, Wate Kuli, touched down gave it an air of nonchalance, but it was the result of some really hard graft and was as good a collective effort as one could wish for. Fly-half, George Shakespeare add the extras from the tee and it was a sunny outlook for the home crowd, Marlborough 7-0 Sidmouth.
But the men from Devon came back fighting! Within ten minutes they had forced their way down the slope and punished our inability to reorganise at each breakdown. A similarly-worked forwards try for Sidmouth saw them draw level 7-7 and, awarded a penalty a couple of minutes later, they opted to kick for goal and went 7-10 into the lead.
Diamond and vice-captain and centre, James Adams, rallied the troops under the impressive new posts. The pep talk clearly worked – the boys were straight back into action. From the re-start, the loose forwards applied great pressure and delivered clean ball at each breakdown for scrum-half, Jimbo Lemon, to feed the back line. Winger, Callum Hunt, was definitely up for it and he was rewarded with a fine try in the very top corner just before half-time. Again, although Hunt takes the credit for the score, this was a try delivered by the whole team working together in the build-up. Shakespeare lined it up from the very edge of the pitch and... over it went! What a kick! And the referee brought the first half to a close.
Half-time score: Marlborough 14-10 Sidmouth
We had barely got things underway in the second half, when Adams pounced on a loose ball on the half-way line and made a break for it. He went the distance, chased by some irate men in green, but had the legs (and the lungs!) and was anyway well-supported by other runners, including wing, Aka Seruvatu, and full-back, Jovilisi Taraka. Adams went in right under the amazing new posts and so Shakespeare’s boot would have no trouble with the conversion! Marlborough 21-10 Sidmouth.
But, as is often the case, the opposition comes back fortified after a home score and Sidmouth did just that, dotting down to give their kicker an easy time of it for the conversion. Marlborough 21-17 Sidmouth and it’s all a bit tense!
But the men of Marlborough keep the pressure on – Hunt was especially quick chasing the re-starts and the Sidmouth receivers were unable to get the ball away or make too much ground. They found themselves a bit bogged down between their own 10- and 22-metre lines and our forwards started to get an upper hand at the breakdown. From a very good scrum, Lemon moved the ball down the blindside and all sorts scampered after the bouncing and unpredictable ball! After some aerial acrobatics, it was Diamond who got his mitts on it – touching down to rapturous applause from the home crowd. It was so close to the touchline that even Shakespeare couldn’t quite nudge it over, but we were still 26-17 to the good and, having also secured a try bonus point, seemed to have some breathing space.
Sidmouth powered back and pushed Marlborough up the hill from the re-start. It was frantic stuff and in the midst of it we are found guilty of a deliberate knock-on. Our powerful centre, Kevini Tuaimei’api, who had played really well throughout, lunged for the ball and just couldn’t quite hold on to it. His effort became the easiest of yellow cards for a referee to award! Down to fourteen men, and Marlborough face a difficult last quarter...
Sidmouth exploited the overlap and within two minutes were back on the scoreboard with a try that they could not convert. Marlborough 26-22 Sidmouth. More rallying of the troops and, again, it has the desired effect. Down the slope we come, piling the pressure on Sidmouth, despite their man advantage. Awarded a scrum in front of the posts and about fifteen metres out, the boys put in a massive shove. Lemon gets clean ball and ships it to Adams, who makes a good five metres, securing the ball in contact to allow others to come up in support. Number 8, Uraia Uluvesi, picks and goes in tremendous style, making another five metres with Sidmouth players hanging off him!
The forwards are all there and start to move the ball towards the try line. Rolling on, and with Lemon expertly controlling and directing things at the back, the likes of Diamond, Jacob Te Rangi (hooker), Nick Boynton (prop), Ryan Nabuni and Kieran Brown (second rows) drive slowly but surely towards the line a metre at a time, until... Lemon sees the unmarked Taraka out wide and, with big prop Boynton filling the gap and drawing the opposition, Lemon spins it out for Taraka to score the most nonchalant of tries in the corner! Shakespeare then slots the best kick of the afternoon – drilling it through the uprights – did mention our new posts already?! Marlborough 33-22 Sidmouth, but there are still about twelve minutes on the clock...
The boys dig in and work hard for ten minutes as Sidmouth try to get through at all costs. It’s back-and-forth stuff, but it’s the Sidmouth squad that manages to keep the pressure on, even going uphill. They are rewarded with a converted try – earning them a bonus point and keeping them in contention as the minutes tick away. Hunt chases the re-start kick in what now looks like characteristic style and Sidmouth are pegged back on their own 22-metre line again. We apply pressure and are awarded a scrum in a fine attacking position. Everyone is lined up, keener than ever to score one more... but the referee’s watch is against us, and the match comes to an end with Marlborough victorious!
Final score: Marlborough 33-29 Sidmouth
This was a tight, and very physical match. Played between two teams that were evenly matched and keen to win. It was a fast and free-flowing game and quite the crowd-pleaser in the autumn sun on The Common.
Particular mentions for: Ryan Nabuni, returning from injury and playing a thoroughly decent eighty minutes at second row; James Adams for his solo try, but also for running things in the centres and adding weight to the vice-captain role; the front row of Frank Diggins, Jacob Te Rangi, Nick Boynton (all of whom are new to the Club) and the returning Lemeki Moala (who came off the bench and had real impact) – a great shift from all these men; Hunt and Seruvatu on the wings – super running rugby; and player of the match, George Shakespeare at fly-half, who helped run an effective back line and who had a near-perfect afternoon kicking at goal... it’s those new posts again!
None of this would be possible without the sponsors, the coaching staff and management team, our physios, those who come to support, and the volunteers who keep the whole thing rolling along... the Chairman thanks them publicly.
We go again next Saturday! The 1st XV travels to Royal Wootton Bassett and will be grateful for your support from the touchline at what will surely be a derby match. The 2nd XV, having had a tough day at the office against Corsham, will look to find form again at home on The Common, when the Nomads host Corsham RFC. If you can’t get to Bassett, get yourselves to the Club!
The lunch was well-attended and allowed the Chairman and the Committee to express our gratitude for the support we receive from businesses that range from the truly local to the regional and beyond. We were equally grateful to have our Town Mayor among us. A good meal was served, with thanks to our hard-working clubhouse manager and bar and kitchen staff, and plenty of networking took place around the table, spilling out onto The Common where the game was set to kick-off...
A fair-sized crowd of supporters and all those from the sponsors’ lunch hugged the rails on the Free’s Avenue side of the pitch; a number of others chose to stand in the sun on the other side! Wherever you stood, the new posts looked tremendous! All those present would be in for a real spectacle of fast-flowing and top-quality rugby – from both sides.
The Marlborough captain, Chris Diamond, had won the toss and (no surprise!) had elected to play uphill in the first half. It would be critical to keep Sidmouth out in order to maximise the advantage of the slope in the second half. We started well, tight in defence and, with ball in hand, looked menacing. But it was an evenly matched first quarter, neither team able to gain an upper hand. From the touchline, one might have assumed – given the size difference – that the Sidmouth scrum would dominate our boys, but the Marlborough pack was solid and gave as good as it got.
Right on twenty minutes, after some relentless phase play, using the width of the pitch and integrating forwards and backs in a good and controlled way, we were rewarded with a try under the posts. The way our flanker, Wate Kuli, touched down gave it an air of nonchalance, but it was the result of some really hard graft and was as good a collective effort as one could wish for. Fly-half, George Shakespeare add the extras from the tee and it was a sunny outlook for the home crowd, Marlborough 7-0 Sidmouth.
But the men from Devon came back fighting! Within ten minutes they had forced their way down the slope and punished our inability to reorganise at each breakdown. A similarly-worked forwards try for Sidmouth saw them draw level 7-7 and, awarded a penalty a couple of minutes later, they opted to kick for goal and went 7-10 into the lead.
Diamond and vice-captain and centre, James Adams, rallied the troops under the impressive new posts. The pep talk clearly worked – the boys were straight back into action. From the re-start, the loose forwards applied great pressure and delivered clean ball at each breakdown for scrum-half, Jimbo Lemon, to feed the back line. Winger, Callum Hunt, was definitely up for it and he was rewarded with a fine try in the very top corner just before half-time. Again, although Hunt takes the credit for the score, this was a try delivered by the whole team working together in the build-up. Shakespeare lined it up from the very edge of the pitch and... over it went! What a kick! And the referee brought the first half to a close.
Half-time score: Marlborough 14-10 Sidmouth
We had barely got things underway in the second half, when Adams pounced on a loose ball on the half-way line and made a break for it. He went the distance, chased by some irate men in green, but had the legs (and the lungs!) and was anyway well-supported by other runners, including wing, Aka Seruvatu, and full-back, Jovilisi Taraka. Adams went in right under the amazing new posts and so Shakespeare’s boot would have no trouble with the conversion! Marlborough 21-10 Sidmouth.
But, as is often the case, the opposition comes back fortified after a home score and Sidmouth did just that, dotting down to give their kicker an easy time of it for the conversion. Marlborough 21-17 Sidmouth and it’s all a bit tense!
But the men of Marlborough keep the pressure on – Hunt was especially quick chasing the re-starts and the Sidmouth receivers were unable to get the ball away or make too much ground. They found themselves a bit bogged down between their own 10- and 22-metre lines and our forwards started to get an upper hand at the breakdown. From a very good scrum, Lemon moved the ball down the blindside and all sorts scampered after the bouncing and unpredictable ball! After some aerial acrobatics, it was Diamond who got his mitts on it – touching down to rapturous applause from the home crowd. It was so close to the touchline that even Shakespeare couldn’t quite nudge it over, but we were still 26-17 to the good and, having also secured a try bonus point, seemed to have some breathing space.
Sidmouth powered back and pushed Marlborough up the hill from the re-start. It was frantic stuff and in the midst of it we are found guilty of a deliberate knock-on. Our powerful centre, Kevini Tuaimei’api, who had played really well throughout, lunged for the ball and just couldn’t quite hold on to it. His effort became the easiest of yellow cards for a referee to award! Down to fourteen men, and Marlborough face a difficult last quarter...
Sidmouth exploited the overlap and within two minutes were back on the scoreboard with a try that they could not convert. Marlborough 26-22 Sidmouth. More rallying of the troops and, again, it has the desired effect. Down the slope we come, piling the pressure on Sidmouth, despite their man advantage. Awarded a scrum in front of the posts and about fifteen metres out, the boys put in a massive shove. Lemon gets clean ball and ships it to Adams, who makes a good five metres, securing the ball in contact to allow others to come up in support. Number 8, Uraia Uluvesi, picks and goes in tremendous style, making another five metres with Sidmouth players hanging off him!
The forwards are all there and start to move the ball towards the try line. Rolling on, and with Lemon expertly controlling and directing things at the back, the likes of Diamond, Jacob Te Rangi (hooker), Nick Boynton (prop), Ryan Nabuni and Kieran Brown (second rows) drive slowly but surely towards the line a metre at a time, until... Lemon sees the unmarked Taraka out wide and, with big prop Boynton filling the gap and drawing the opposition, Lemon spins it out for Taraka to score the most nonchalant of tries in the corner! Shakespeare then slots the best kick of the afternoon – drilling it through the uprights – did mention our new posts already?! Marlborough 33-22 Sidmouth, but there are still about twelve minutes on the clock...
The boys dig in and work hard for ten minutes as Sidmouth try to get through at all costs. It’s back-and-forth stuff, but it’s the Sidmouth squad that manages to keep the pressure on, even going uphill. They are rewarded with a converted try – earning them a bonus point and keeping them in contention as the minutes tick away. Hunt chases the re-start kick in what now looks like characteristic style and Sidmouth are pegged back on their own 22-metre line again. We apply pressure and are awarded a scrum in a fine attacking position. Everyone is lined up, keener than ever to score one more... but the referee’s watch is against us, and the match comes to an end with Marlborough victorious!
Final score: Marlborough 33-29 Sidmouth
This was a tight, and very physical match. Played between two teams that were evenly matched and keen to win. It was a fast and free-flowing game and quite the crowd-pleaser in the autumn sun on The Common.
Particular mentions for: Ryan Nabuni, returning from injury and playing a thoroughly decent eighty minutes at second row; James Adams for his solo try, but also for running things in the centres and adding weight to the vice-captain role; the front row of Frank Diggins, Jacob Te Rangi, Nick Boynton (all of whom are new to the Club) and the returning Lemeki Moala (who came off the bench and had real impact) – a great shift from all these men; Hunt and Seruvatu on the wings – super running rugby; and player of the match, George Shakespeare at fly-half, who helped run an effective back line and who had a near-perfect afternoon kicking at goal... it’s those new posts again!
None of this would be possible without the sponsors, the coaching staff and management team, our physios, those who come to support, and the volunteers who keep the whole thing rolling along... the Chairman thanks them publicly.
We go again next Saturday! The 1st XV travels to Royal Wootton Bassett and will be grateful for your support from the touchline at what will surely be a derby match. The 2nd XV, having had a tough day at the office against Corsham, will look to find form again at home on The Common, when the Nomads host Corsham RFC. If you can’t get to Bassett, get yourselves to the Club!
