Inside three minutes they had two scrums and seriously pushed us backwards, then won a close in lineout and the forwards went for it and over the line about twelve feet out on the left side, the conversion went over. 0~7.
They could not have wished for a better start.
We got on the board thirteen minutes later, South Molton got up to our line but we turned them over, instead of kicking clear, which would have been sensible but boring, we chose to run it at them, we slowly pushed them back with good inter-passing eventually going right back to their line with Dan Beer going over for the try. The conversion missed 5~7.
Back came South Molton four minutes later, they ran at us and did a soft chip over the top of our backs, our backs looked at the descending ball clearly expecting someone else to catch it, they did but it was a South Molton player who ran in mostly unopposed to score, the conversion was missed. 5~12. It served us right.

This was not how it should have been, South Molton were really taking the game to us and looking sharp.
From the restart we got the ball, a couple of quick passes and the ball went to Isaiah Akinrowo who broke the first tackle on their twenty-two then when he was tackled on the try line he was able to make the touchdown, Leighton Stark converted and that pulled us level at 12~12.
On twenty-seven minutes we won a close in lineout, the forwards mauled on but near the line broke up most of them carried on unaware that the ball carrier and two others had dropped off the back. the ball went to the backs and lastly to Rhys Williams who squeezed in at the corner by the bijou changing rooms fast enough to just beat the defenders. The conversion missed, so with that the lead at 17~12 and one that we were to keep all the game.
Then we were in for another try with the ball going up and down the line a couple of times, just as we made the overlap and the try was on the referee, rightly, blew his whistle to stop the game, one of their players was down and they thought he had hurt his neck, he was attended to but thankfully it was no more than a badly bleeding nose and he went off to sit on a tractor tyre while their physio attended to him.
After winning a lineout after we kicked directly in to touch they got into our twenty-two and won a penalty, it was a simple one and should have gone over but it missed.
Just before the break South Molten had a lineout on halfway, over threw it and we took it and it ended with Kayne Young who sped down the right wing to score, the conversion was missed. 22~12.
The South Molton restart kick went more backwards than forwards and into touch, the referee blew for half-time.

After the early strong South Molton scrums we started to largely hold their pack, both team’s lineouts were going well, there being no breeze.
We were beginning to look very sharp but every now and then doing something to let South Molton back in and attack us, fortunately our defence was up to it.

The second half kicked off and we started to really put it together, It's not that they played badly they didn’t, their backs passing was well done, almost faultless, but our defence was up to the task of stopping them and quickly counter attacking with Billy Sutton sharply getting his mates moving.
Seven or so minutes after the restart a scrum to South Molton on their own line, they infringed and we took a quick tap penalty and put it to the left wing for Dan Cooper to cross and score. 27~12. The conversion was missed.
Leighton Stark is being very cool/slow with his conversions, having started he approaches the ball very slowly, one of their players realised it and tries to charge them down he never did, but was getting to within ten feet of him and may have caused him to miss one or two.
We then scored an ‘all hands’ try from our own half, one of those where probably everyone had taken decent yards toward their try line, it ended with Josh Anderson who went over untroubled, he is the new forward from New Zealand. The Leighton Stark conversion went over, 34~12.
Then two fast winger’s tries from Kayne Young the last his third. Both times he went down the right wing having the confidence to back himself, handing off one defender and over the line. The Leighton Stark conversion went over. 41~12.
South Molton nearly scored with a rush at our line from their backs but I think they lost the ball within touching distance of the line.
We played it out and with a delicate chip from Tom Richards set the backs running ending with Kayne Young who exactly repeated his last effort. The Leighton Stark conversion went over. 48~12.
We were starting to play as if we could do nothing wrong, South Molton were still playing well but were unable to do much about it.
Only a few minutes later we scored again when Dan Beer ran in from outside their twenty-two and unopposed over the line, he was running right at my camera and I was expecting him to do a theatrical dive over for the photo, but he simply put the ball down and walked back. The Leighton Stark conversion went over. 55~12.
Then we had Tom Richards do the same thing, he did do a running pose for the camera and then ran on and behind the posts, The Leighton Stark conversion went over.
62~12.
Tom Richard has made some really good breaks and done some smooth running and kicking.

By now any other team would have thrown in the towel at the hopelessness of their cause. Not South Molton to their credit,
In the last quarter, they won a scum deep in our twenty-two midfield, the number eight took the ball and strongly ran in diagonally towards the changing rooms to score, but the conversion was missed. 62~17.
Not long afterwards they scored a bonus point try, I didn’t see the build up to it, but it took them to a bonus point, and well deserved too.
We then scored with a second Dan Cooper try on the left wing after we took a quick lineout on the opposite side and sent it to the backs. The Leighton Stark conversion went over.
Jay Warren ended the afternoon’s scoring with the last try. 74~24.
A good display of rugby by us, as I said South Molten started with two tries and to their great credit ended the afternoon with two to claim the bonus point after not giving up.
The man of the match was Rhys Williams and Dick of the day was Tom Richards for posing for the camera as he ran in to score.

Scorers:
Tries:
Khane Young (3).
Dan Beer (2).
Dan Cooper (2),
Iasiah Akinrowo.
Rhys Williams.
Josh Anderson.
Tom Richards.
Jay Warren.
Conversions:
Leighton Stark (7)

1. Yianni Costas.
2. Josh Martin.
3. Mike Kelly.
4. Al Thomas.
5. Jay Warren.
6. Hayden Thomas.
7. Elliott Lupson.
8. Ethan Hilland.
9. Billy Sutton.
10. Dan Beer.
11. Tom Richards.
12. Leighton Stark.
13. Isaiah Akinrowo.
14. Dan Cooper.
15. Rhys Williams.
16. Cam Donkin.
17. Josh Anderson.
18. Keyne Young.

The Management.
Dickie Duffield esq.
Steve Hilland.