RUSSELL Tinsdale remains positive his beleaguered All Blacks can avoid relegation despite their disappointing 22-15 reverse at Minety.

Wimborne fell 22-0 behind at half-time following an “absolutely abysmal” first half performance in the Southern Counties South relegation four-pointer.

The Leigh Park outfit staged a spirited second half revival as they scored tries from Tinsdale and Mark Walter, while Paul Roberts banged over one conversion and one penalty.

But they fell a converted try short of salvaging a point and go into the festive break festering on being only four points above the probable drop zone.

Tinsdale remains upbeat, though, that the All Blacks won’t slip down to Dorset and Wiltshire Division One.

He said: “It’s normally two go down and we’re confident we can stay up.

“We just have to get a few more wins under our belts and get our confidence back.

“It’s our confidence that has been letting us down, but I feel we can do that.”

Tinsdale, whose side’s next league encounter is a daunting one at home to high-flying Wootton Bassett on January 10, added: “We were absolutely abysmal in the first half at Minety.

“Five minutes before half-time we were only 5-0 down. If we had been five down at the break I think we could have turned it around, but 22 points was too much to pull back.

“Our second half performance was really good, but the damage was done in the first.

“We let in soft tries and their points were gifted by us. We have to play for the whole game and not just the second half.”

Before their clash against Wootton, Wimborne host a Development XV friendly match against their Swanage and Wareham counterparts on January 3.

Tinsdale said: “We’ll blood some of our colts players in that one, and I expect Swans will do the same.”

Wimborne: Tinsdale, Murphy, Napier, Day, Hopkins, Coulling, Davies, Smith, Llewellyn, Roberts, Chapman, Walter, Brokenshire, King (Wilkinson 40), Ryder. Unused sub: Busby.

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