RUGBY: Clubs wait after early call-offs (From This Is Wiltshire)

THREE Wiltshire rugby clubs are awaiting the verdict of the Dorset & Wilts RFU after two matches in the same division on the same day were abandoned because of indiscipline.

Marlborough’s Dorset & Wilts One North home clash with county rivals Calne was halted early around the hour mark on Saturday.

Ironically, Melksham’s match at Bath side Combe Down was also called to a premature halt by the match referee after a brawl between the two sets of forwards.

Marlborough team boss Mike Banfield said an initial flashpoint, after the home side had scored a try from a quickly-taken penalty as a Calne player helped an injured colleague off the field, was followed by another more serious fracas between both sets of players.

He added: “It was all quite bizarre because the match had started off fairly tame. The referee decided that it was getting dangerous and abandoned it.

“We don’t know what happens now. The two teams went into a huddle and applauded each other off the pitch afterwards so hopefully we can just accept what happened and move on.’’

A league spokesman told the Gazette & Herald that officials would await the reports from the respective match officials before deciding on whether any sanctions were necessary, but added that the time of the abandonment would have no bearing on the decision on whether the matches would be replayed.