The 3s' last hurrah! this season is to play in the semi-final of Devon’s David Butt cup, the Devon merit table teams.
We were drawn at home for this semi to play Ifracombe from the NE merit table.
It was another great effort by the threes.

It was a shame that more members from the club did not come down to watch and cheer them on; they would have enjoyed a good competitive game.

The first thirteen minutes were very even, each side testing the other out. Eventually, it was us who got the first serious attempt on a try line.
We won a scrum about eight yards out, they pushed us badly, but we managed to get the ball away with No8 Finn White going for the line, with two defenders to beat, he bulldozed his way through and got to the line with three defenders doing their best to stop him, they didn’t. Olly Mytton converted, and we were 7~0 up.
Then, twenty minutes after much ebbing and flowing, they had a lineout inside their twenty-two, the throw was wild and almost went to our scrum half. He set it running, Ben Wadham made good ground and then gave it to Sam Bennett, on as a temporary sub, who easily made it over the line close to the posts on the turnstile side. The Olli Mytton conversion went over. 14~0.
On thirty two minutes we had a lineout on thew clubhouse side near their twenty-two, we lost it, they started to play it out, but we stole the ball and quickly counter attacked, with having got to the stand side, it ended with Harry Pickett who went for the final dash for the line, two defenders tried to stop him on the line but he swivelled out of their grasp and fell over the try line, The conversion kick rattled the far side post.19~0.
Those nineteen points served us well in the end.
Just before the break, Ilfracombe got on the board from a lineout on the clubhouse side. They took the ball and drove at some speed for the line. We had no chance of stopping them; they had so much momentum. Ethan Bowden peeled off on the blind side just before they got to the line and touched down. The conversion missed.
So stood the score at halftime.
Their lineout was functioning really well, but ours was not so good. They were stronger in the scrum, but as the second half went on, we started to hold them.
The mauls were probably even. In the second half, from one lineout take, we mauled them from halfway to their twenty-two.

So the second half kicked off, I think their try late in the previous half had raised their spirits, which seemed to be drooping.
Three minutes in to the second half a try to them, from a good lineout take, they drove, we stopped them, then they started again, then quickly gave it to the backs for No13, who I assume was a Fijian and very quick, Alipate Biaudamu, who represented the Army U23s recently, who crossed and ran behind the posts, the conversion attempt, that was right in front of the posts and a dead cert, hit the post, you can’t do that every day. 19~10.
Matt Witcher collected a yellow card.
Eighteen minutes into the second half, they too collected a yellow card for kicking the ball away and preventing us from taking a quick penalty, had we chosen to do so.
With twelve minutes to go, we won a scrum just outside their twenty-two; by this time, we were holding them. We came off the back, the ball went to Harry Pickett, who ran diagonally and unopposed to touch down to one side of the school end posts. The Olly Mytton conversion went over. 26~10.
There seemed to be quite a bit of injury time to come because a number of their players went down with this and that, nothing a quick cold spray couldn’t sort out.
With four minutes on the clock plus injury time, it looked like we were going to win.
However, Alipate Biaudamu, their speed soldier, got the ball well in their half and, leaving his team mates in his wake, sped off down the pitch, zig-zagging his way to the posts where he touched down. The number ten, Jack Gammon, when he arrived, kicked the conversion. The score was now 26~17.
Near the end, we won a lineout five yards out from their line by the scoreboard, took the ball, for Khane Taylor-Young, who took the ball, to come down and shoot through a gap in the defence to score what we all thought was the try that finally scuppered Ilfracombe's chances of a late comeback. Unfortunately, referee Paul Ansell had spotted a little infringement and disallowed it. He was good enough to explain to Khane and another forward what the issue was.
With the clock showing a minute, it seemed unlikely they would score twice.
We ran the clock down, and started running down the injury time, and a bit of interplay in their half, they attacked, won a penalty and kicked long and had a lineout on our twenty-two. Great joy, we stole their ball, it went to the backs, then, presumably with a nod from the referee, we kicked the ball onto the clubhouse roof.
We had won by 26~17.
So today was not the last hurrah; the final will be it.
A really good game to watch.
So, for those who missed the game and now wish they hadn't, you now have a second chance.
This means we are now in the final against Exmouth III, to be played at The Rectory on the 23rd May. Time to be confirmed.