Half time 7~17.
2m. 0~7.
18m. 0~10.
27. 0~17.
35m. 7~17.
Try. Charlie Over, conversion by Henry Clement.
Half time.
42m. 7~24.
52m. Y/C Luctonians.
62m. 12~ 24.
Try Henry Gascoyne.
76m. 12~31.
78m. 19~31.
Try Liam Jarvis. Conversion. Dan Goldstone.
79m. Y/C Luctonians.
Full time.

The First team.
1. Callum Arnold. Hartley Dental Practice Ltd
2. Rob Walsh. NESC Ltd.
3. Can Donkin. McBeath family.
4. Lewis Woolaway. ABS.
5. Harry Hayman. Rex Down, wholesale fish merchants.
6. James Thorp.
7. Henry Gascoyne. Hunts cider
8. Tom Davies. Pantheon Plymouth
9. Ben Whysall. Derek Windsor.
10. Henry Clement. ABS. (C).
11. Charlie Over. Roast Coffee Ltd.
12. Shaun Crawford. Plym Pat Testing.
13. Dan Lilley. DSRFC Ex-players.
14. Charlie Groves. Journeauxax Accountancy Ltd.
15. Dan Goldstone.
16. Josh Martin. Jerry Josee and Ocean City Sounds.
17. James McFarlane. Manor Garage Plymouth Ltd.
18. Elliott Pocknell.
19. Mike Rickard
20. Liam Jarvis. (VC).
Head coach. Ben Russell.

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The match report.

With Paignton in second place and us at the bottom, even the most hopeful could not see us getting away lightly.
As it was, we really took the game to them right from the start, and they found themselves on the back foot. We came close to scoring; in the third scrum, we pushed them all over the place, and they were no small pack, but in the end, we had to settle for a Leighton Stark penalty. 3~0.
A few minutes later, we got another penalty chance but wider out; it just missed the nearside upright.
I think we had taken them by surprise with an aggressive start.
After ten minutes, they pulled themselves together and came back at us with a try and conversion. 3~7.
Then, only minutes later and from a line-out win, they sent the ball to the middle. Unable to get through, they went back the way they had come, and their winger went in outside. The conversion failed to reach the try line, never mind the crossbar. 3~12.
Then again, they repeated their backs’ move from a line-out. It got to the roadside wing, who made it to our twenty-two. Tackled, he made it available to a supporting player who ran the ball over the try line. The conversion went over. 3~19.
Then we lost a line-out with an overthrow that was inches above our catcher’s hands. They managed to get it, and off their backs went again. They again went over in the corner and again the conversion went over to take them. To 3~26.
They were looking good and likely to run away with the game, but……
On about minute twenty-seven, we got just inside their twenty-two and won a penalty. Someone from their team said something to the referee, who took them ten yards back. They did it again and another ten, then a third time, I think, same result. By now, we were not far off their posts.
We did a quick tap penalty and sent the ball towards the street side for Brad Lumley to dive over by the corner flag with two defenders hanging on. The Leighton Stark conversion went over. 10~26.
Eight minutes later, we won a penalty on halfway. A pinpoint kick by Leighton Stark put us five yards out from the line. We won the line out and, in going for the line, they thought we were pushed into touch. The referee disagreed and gave us a line out. One of their players again was not happy with the referee’s decision and said so. He was spoken to and was lucky not to be sent off.
We won that line out and drove sideways towards the post and eventually went over with Alex Hannah, the scorer. Leighton Stark’s conversion went over. We were back in the game at 17~26.
On thirty-six minutes, we collected a yellow card.
From the yellow card, they kicked for a line out in our twenty-two and won it and started to maul for our line. They only managed about three steps before our pack organised themselves and drove them back the complete length of a maul. Then they infringed and we kicked away.
They attacked our line again, getting within a couple of feet of the line. We defended well and stole the ball from them and kicked away.
They won the line out from that and attacked with the backs towards the street side. Getting nowhere, they went back to the left wing. The ball went to the player one in from the winger who went over in the corner. The conversion attempt happened, but the referee’s whistle was silent. They missed it. 17~31 at half-time.
Then, deep, deep into injury time, they again attacked down the left wing. Their very fast winger sped down the line, approaching a defender, he chipped over his head and went around him to reclaim his ball. It bounced over the dead ball one, but he came up against Billy Sutton, who did get it and started to run across the back of the posts and out. He gave it to someone and we kicked away.
Even further into injury time, and there has been a bit of it, they scored the last try of the half. I missed the build-up, but they did convert to make it 17~38 at the break.

As I said, we were on top, just, in the scrums and doing well in the mauls. Unfortunately, our line out was not as good as theirs.
Their backs were very impressive, fast and very supportive with accurate short passing after drawing the defender very well.
Then a surprising and welcome news flash from The Rectory, the half-time score is 7~17 to Luctonians.
As they are third in the league and we are second from bottom, that is tremendous, hopefully it is our defending that has kept the score by them so low.
“They weren’t expecting that” seems a suitable comment.

Anyway, on with the second half.
Early on we had a line-out, after a long wait we threw it in and it was just off straight and the referee blew for that, “That was worth waiting for” said one of their second rows which raised a laugh.
In attack they were running down their left wing and did a long chip ahead that stayed on the pitch, Sam Fincham, with the ball bouncing five yards out went for it as did their player, all he could do was kick it into touch, from the line-out they mauled for our line quite quickly, but then our pack organised themselves and drove them back and won the ball.
We had the scrum, held them and Elliott Lupson took it at the back and drove out good yards.
On twenty minutes they eventually scored after we had held them down all that time.
They managed to break out on halfway and fast down the middle, their man got to the line and dived over near the post to score, the conversion went over without a problem and they were 17~45 up.
On the half-hour they collected a yellow card.
Despite that they attacked us and despite being stopped one of the attackers broke free from the ruck and shot in under the crossbar.
The conversion went over. 17~52.
However, the last word or points fell to us when in a last attack, Fin White, did the same as them and broke away just inside their twenty-two and went in unopposed under the crossbar. Leighton Stark converted.
That was it, 24~52.
The final score was not really a fair picture of the game flow, we really took it to them all the game, and I suspect the game was a great deal tighter than they expected it to be.

The Third team went off to Crediton to play their threes, in a close game they lost by 24~15.
With Fred Rees scoring twice and Jonny Barnes once,
It is really pleasing to see the third team travelling away to play games, they are settling in to being a decent team.

The Second team.
1. Sam Winfield.
2. Alex Hannah.
3. Mike Kelly. Hydref Accounting Ltd.
4. Alex Gibson.
5. Will Holyfield.
6. Kyle Felton. Parrot Plumbing and Heating Ltd.
7. Elliott Lupson. SA Safety Ltd. (C).
8. Fin White. World Pizza.
9. Billy Sutton. Plym Pat Testing Ltd.
10. Issacc Venner. Bailey Partnership
11. Brad Lumley. RL Tiling.
12. Leighton Stark. AMC Electrics Ltd.
13. Luke Stannard, Tamar Coaches.
14. Sam Fincham.Seven Access Ltd. (VC).
15. Flynn Reeves. Mr Builder, SW Ltd.
16. Olly Mytton. Flash Subsea Ltd.
17. Jacob Price. RL Tiling.
18. Will Pooley.KWRS Roofing Ltd.
The Management. Mr Dickie Duffield Esq. Mr Steve Hilland Esq.

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Try. Fred Rees (2).
Try. Jonny Barnes.

The Third team.
1. Max Ward, Leak Busters, SW, Ltd.
2. Alfie Smith.
3. Jason Money, Green Spinnaker Ltd.
4. Joe Hick.
5. Skull KariKaritu.
6. Ron Duffield.
7. Ross Taylor.
8. Dan Chugg.
9. Tony Polo.
10. Delvin Skinner.
11. Ollie Knapman.
12. Aiden Smith, Captain's BBQ.
13. Fred Rees.
14. Jonny Barnes. A Star Access Ltd.
15. Ellis Taylor.
16. Rohan Johnson.
17. Alfie Smith.

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An excellent win by the Colts. As a club, Topsham are always strong at all levels, and I am sure their Colts are too.
The scorers were:
Tries. Cosmo Searls (2)
Will Bowden.
Seth Stephenson.
Conversions. Oli Flowers (3).

The Colts.
1. Rowan Kirke.
2. Nathan Lumley.
3. Tom Williams.
4. Charlie Craven.
5. Joel Medland-Fisher.
6. Guy Slaven (C).
7. Harris Stewart.
8. Ellis Briggs.
9. Jake Whysall.
10. Oliver Flowers.
11. Liam Furze.
12. Cosmo Searls.
13. Archie Ingle.
14. Will Bowden.
15. Ashton Powell.
16. Joe Nott.
17. Cohan Robinson.
18. Rob O'Neil.
19. Seth Stephenson.
20. Dan Lindsay.
21. Jacob Waterton.
Coach. Steve Mole.