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First of all, to say sorry for the poor photos, the playing ones were taken with a camera that has just about had its day and will be replaced for next season.

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For the second time, we have got into the David Butt final, a competition for teams in the Devon merit tables.
This time we were playing at home against Exmouth III, whose first team was in the same league we were in this season.
A lovely sunny day for spectators, but hard work for the players in the heat.

Exmouth got off to a ripping start, scoring the first try, the first eleven minutes were even with both teams probably a shade tense and making mistakes, but it was Exmouth who settled first stealing a lineout ball from us and putting it to the backs who ran in just to one side of the posts, the conversion looked a watertight certainty but it shaved the far side post with a soft sound. 0~5.
On nineteen minutes, they scored again from a ten-yard scrum; the first one was reset, then the second one. We pushed them around quite a bit, but they got the ball away. First to the scoreboard side, then quickly back towards the stand side, the final pass wa
s a long looping one to their winger, Jake McKenzie tried to get hold of him, but in truth he had little chance, and the winger dived over in the corner. A good sideline conversion went over, so the score stood at 0~12.
I could tell, listening to our players behind the posts, that they were not expecting this scoreline, but were urging each other on. We were making too many uncharacteristically silly mistakes, and our penalty count was higher than theirs.
However, the stiff talking to each other pricked us in to playing better and on twenty-five minutes Dylan Harbour opened our scoring, they were attacking and about halfway across our twenty-two when they must have dropped the ball, Dylan Harbour fly hacked it on and gave chase to the ball, a couple more fly hacks and he arrived at their line just behind the bobbling ball and touched it down. Olly Mytton converted it, and we were on the board at 7~12.
On the half hour, they won a penalty halfway across our twenty-two and in front of the posts, it sailed over as expected, and they were 7~15 up.
With five minutes to go till half time, they were again attacking but lost the ball, Ben Whysall, at scrum half, quickly got it running via Olli Whitfield to Dylan Harbour and off he set at speed as he crossed the halfway line. It was clear the cover defence was never going to catch him, and neither did they. The simple Olli Mytton conversion from in front of the posts went over to a peep from the referee’s whistle. 14~15.
It looked like an embarrassing trailing at halftime had been saved.
But that was not the end of it, into a short spell of injury time, with our tails up we attacked again down the stand side from the restart, with Dylan Harbour doing most of the running, then across the pitch and the second last player chipped for the corner, Elliott Pocknell was after it, he took it cleanly as it bounced in front of him to head hight, and went for the line from ten yards out, a defender tried to push him in to touch but failed and he dived over to touch it down. The conversion missed.
Shortly after that, the whistle went for half-time, and we had come back really well to take the lead at 19~15, which Exmouth must have felt should have been theirs.

So far, our lineouts have not been going as well as they normally would. We were a tad stronger in the scrums, but not enough to cause too much trouble for Exmouth.
After our second try, we started to believe in ourselves and put it together.

The second half kicked off with us playing towards the school end.
Three minutes in and we scored our fourth try again at the hands of Dylan Harbour, and his third. He attacked from just outside their twenty-two and curved in and behind the posts for a simple seven points when Olly Mytton’s conversion went over. 26~15 after six minutes.
I dared to think that we were in charge, now we were playing well and might pull away, when Exmouth hit back with a try.
They got to our line and attacked it ten times or so without luck. I thought on the last one the referee said held up, but not so, he gave them a penalty, they tapped and with the second thrust went over, the conversion also went over, and they had pulled us back to 26~22.

By now, our lineouts were working well.
We then had a simple penalty, just outside their twenty-two and right in front of the posts. I am not sure who took it, but it was not Olly Mytton, as it should have been. The kick was low; it had enough height to go over the crossbar, but it curved too much to the kickers' left and missed the left post. It could have been a game-changing miss.
On twenty-five minutes, Exmouth took the lead. They had a scrum on their twenty-two they held our shove, the ball went to the backs on the stand side and one of their really fast runners took it and off he went, none of his team mates could catch him to offer support, as it was he didn’t need it as our defence were never going to catch him as he angled his run aiming for the corner on the club house side drive in entrance.
Our defence did, fortunately, stop him getting closer to the posts, so the side line conversion missed, but now they were one point ahead at 26~27.
As time ticked on, we threw everything at it, but we made silly choices, at least from my point of view, kicking for the corners rather than keeping the ball in hand. We had the speed in the backs to score, but chose to kick the ball back to them, then once a forward pass prevented a possible score,
I have never shouted so loudly, “Don’t kick the ball”. I don’t suppose any of the players were listening to me.
Still, the time ticked away, and it was looking like they might win by a point.
With five minutes to go of normal time, Exmouth won a kickable penalty, understandably they took their time over it. ‘That’s it', I thought and put my camera away. ‘We’ve lost all because of a few silly choices.’
Oh no we haven’t, with a couple of minutes to go, Dylan Harbour scored his forth try, We won a lineout in our twenty-two and put the ball to the backs, “Don’t kick it” I shouted, they didn’t, not because if my advice, it got to Dylan Harbour on halfway who once again sped in and behind the posts, Olly Mytton put over an easy conversion. We had regained the lead at 33~27.
Exmouth would have to have a converted try or a try and a penalty to win.
The afternoon became very tense.
With three or four minutes of injury time to go, the restart was vital, vital we didn’t drop it.
We didn’t, and we attacked just outside their twenty-two; they infringed, and we had the kick. Matt Witcher had the ball and was clearly going to kick the ball onto the scrummage training area. He prepared to kick it out, an Exmouth player rushed at him, but he managed to keep clear of the advancing player trying to charge the kick down and kicked it out for the win.
Exmouth must have been downcast at so nearly winning; we were overjoyed at winning when all seemed just about lost.
The teams never did the normal clapping off through the tunnel; it just got forgotten about, which I was disappointed at because I had decided to walk through the clapping tunnel for my first and only time.
The medals and a small shield were presented to Exmouth first by Devon’s Hon secretary Tim Warren, then to our team, with Mac Bayliss handing him the medals.
A group photo with the cup, and with that, the season ended on a joyous note.
Everyone said that both teams were smiling at the end, which was the sign of a really good game to watch and a nail-biter to the end.

For those who were not there to watch, you missed a real cracker and one of the great games of the season. You will just have to watch it on the VEO video, but it won’t be the same.
The men of the match were Mike Kelly and Alfie Smith.
Thanks from the team must go to Roberta Scott-Scotland for doing much of the team's physio this season.

The Team.
1. Sam Winfield.
2. Mike Kelly.
3. Alfie Smith.
4. Dan Chugg.
5. Nathan Todd.
6. Oli Knapman.
7. Jake MacKenzie.
8. Charlie Newcombe.
9. Ben Whysall.
10. Oli Whitfield (Capt).
11. Josh Jarvis.
12. Olly Mytton.
13. Elliott Pocknell.
14. Owen Kerswell.
15. Dylan Harbour.
16. Rohan Johnson.
17. Khane Taylor-Young.
18. Joseph Hicks.
19. Skull KariKaritu.
20. Ross Taylor.
21. Matt Witcher.
22. Kaff Simakoloyi.

The Management.
Jim Moss, Esq.
Coach.
Sam Bennett.