AFTER a spell becalmed and drifting, rugby at Westbury thrives again. The unbeaten First XV are tipped as racing certs to win their league and turned on the style against Norton with an overwhel­ming display of forward power.

"There's still a bit of a way to go for the team to match our facilities because they are the best in Gloucestershire," says club chairman Ken Boulton.

He adds: "But we are definitely on the up and up. We are getting more players at training and a number of the older players who left us are now returning. That's a shame for the younger players who had filled the gaps and are now finding themselves in the second team, but that's life."

Boulton, Westbury's chief cook and bottle washer and a fixture at the club since its formation, had time to have his picture taken with the First XV before departing to referee the Second XV's fixture against Spartans.

The revival of rugby in the village, he says, is down to a number of factors one of which is the emergence of a new young coach, Tom Eddles.

"He's only 22 but he has made a big impression. Tom has great man management skills and he has created a wonderful atmosphere. There's a great spirit among the players.

"He was given the task of making a silk purse out of a sow's ear and you can tell by the results that he is doing an outstanding job," says Boulton.

Eddles, he said, was delighted Westbury had won so convincingly on Saturday and pleased not only that his team had scored so freely but had defended well and finished the game without conceding a point.

The pack had performed superbly as a unit and among those to impress was number eight Norman Sparks.

There was also praise for outside-half Harry Edwards and outside centre Chris Jones.