A Friday night league game under lights for a change.
We are on top of the table and Ivybridge II are second from bottom.
This is a refreshing change from three or more years back when was almost always lost by thirty or more points to them.
Another refreshing point, it was not raining, chilly but dry.
As to the scorers, three or four people who would keep a note thought someone else was doing it so it didn’t get done. Fortunately, a list was later cobbled together.

The first ten minutes or so wrote the story of the game.
We kicked off to them, they took it cleanly and made ground, and over their twenty-two line, shortly afterwards, we managed to get the ball and seriously attacked their line, we went from one side to the other attacking their line. They defended really well, but after three minutes Ewan Piercy crossed under the crossbar to score and then converting. 7~0.
Then from the restart we scored again from Harry Gascoyne after a run down the club side by Sam Fincham, then over to the stand side, down the line over and towards the posts, with the Ewan Piercy conversion, it was 14~0 on five minutes.
Four minutes later, James McFarlane scored under the crossbar from five yards, driving through a host of defenders to make it, this was after a stand side run and inside when it was stopped short. Ewan Piercy converted to make it 21~0.
From the restart, the ball went down the line to the club side. Toby Moss made it close to their twenty-two, Charlie Groves took it on and angled towards the posts to score, Ewan Piercy converted, and after eleven minutes it was 28~0.
At this point, Ivybridge had hardly any time to gather breath and had only got hold of the ball and used it from the kick off.

Then, at last, Ivybridge did get a chance to show, on sixteen minutes, they gained a penalty and kicked well for a five-yard lineout, they took it and drove well and fast for the line, but once our forwards had organised themselves, we pushed them back, their backs attacked a few times but we held them off.
This was repeated twice more with the same result, and the game went through a spell of largely playing between the halfway line and just over our twenty-two, both sides attacking then defending.
This went on until the thirty-minute mark when we got it together, got close to their line and after a number of thrusts Alex Gibson went over a little wide of the posts near the turnstiles. The conversion missed and it was 33~0.
Twice from restarts, Ivybridge kicked too long and directly into touch, so back to the middle for scrums.
The scrums were very even; we had the smallest of edges on occasions and pushed them back a couple of feet. Later, we did push them more seriously.
On thirty six minutes, they kicked long, Toby Moss had a decent run, gave it to Sam Fincham just inside their half, Sam angled towards the posts, a defender half got hold of his leg, but he was able to skip free and cross to touch down, Ewan Piercy’s conversion went over. 40~0.
One of the Ivybridge players was injured and was helped off by their physio. They only came with sixteen players, apparently, so they were now without a replacement, though I think later they found another player.
Right on half time we scored again from a scrum turning to a maul, close to their line I thought we had lost the ball but scrum half Ben Whysall, a colt in his debut game for the seniors, and a good one too, managed to find it amongst the heap of players and pass it out for an exhibitionist high dive over the line for Charlie Groves to scored it, the Ewan Percy conversion went over. Thus, at half-time the score stood at 47~0.

Really, we are too strong for them, as the league standings demonstrate. However, their scrums held their own, and their lineouts, I think, were solid.

They kicked off to us to start the second half; we were now playing towards the school.
Eight minutes in and a try to us from a scrum, ball to the stand side, Toby Moss had a decent run getting well across their twenty two, tried to evade the defender but was just stopped, but got the ball cleanly away, Aaron Duffield to score, the Ewan Piercy conversion went over, 54~0.
On thirteen minutes, a close in lineout to us by the scoreboard was taken and mauled in a ragged sort of way towards their line, but they defended it, and we got nothing from it.
On the second, we again mauled by were stopped by the Ivybridge defence, the ball went to the backs and ending with, and I am not sure how he got there from the maul on the far side, Ethan Millard, who dived in by the stand side corner flag; the conversion was missed. 59~0.
Truth be told, we were not playing very well in the early part of the second half, we had a few goes at their line that they defended well, but there were little errors here and there.
Twenty-four minutes and from halfway midfield from the mêlée of players, Spud McFarlane appeared ball in hand and made strong ground despite defenders trying to stop him, and into their twenty-two to give it to Charlie Groves, who scored under the crossbar. The Ewan Piercy conversion went over. 66~0.
Thirty-three minutes and another try to Charlie Groves under the crossbar. This came from a lineout by the scoreboard, with the ball going from the maul to the backs. The Ewan Piercy conversion went over. 73~0.
Right at the end, Ivybridge, despite having a terrible time with the scoreline and being a player short in their line up, put in a supreme last effort and got to our line twice, the first time they were held up and the second time I think we stole the ball, we slowly pushed them back then broke away for Luke Stannard to do a victory dive over the line. The conversion just missed. 78~0.

Not a pretty game by any means, a good result with some really good tries. Afterwards, in the huddle that was said and that we had probably left behind four or five tries by not being clinical enough.
Ivybridge, for their part, stuck to it despite coming with a player short. Their scrums were solid and only went back seriously a couple of times towards the end; they mauled well and their lineouts were good.
As the tunnel went on, they were clapped off first to the cry of “Three cheers for Lee Mill North” as we call Ivybridge, as we were clapped off, they cried “Three cheers to Saltash”, which I thought showed good spirit despite the final score.
The win leaves us solidly on top of the table.
I hope to add all the scorers later when I get them.

1. Yianni Costas. SA Safety ltd.
2. Ethan Hilland. Sustainability and Engineering consultants.
3. James McFarlane. Armada Social Work services
4. Aaron Duffield. Startup Marketing.
5. Alex Gibson.
6. Elliott Lupson. Jerry Josee and Ocean City Sounds
7. Henry Gascoyne.
8. Ethan Millard. Vessel Social Work Services
9. Ben Whysall
10. Aiden Taylor. Market Media.
11. Luke Stannard. Nordic Installations Ltd
12. Charlie Groves. Journeaux accountancy
13.Ewan Piercy. Median Bulldog.
14. Sam Fincham. Severn Access Lts
15. Toby Moss. Identity Fashions.
16. Brad Lumley. NRL Wind.
17. Harry Webster.
18. Charlie Newcombe.

The Management.
Dickie Duffield. Esq.
Steve Hilland