The first league game of the season, a lovely sunny day but rather breezy, and we take on an old friend, Sidmouth, with whom we have had many close games over the years.
They have been in this league for two seasons so far, having been relegated from above and last season ended up sixth. So clearly no mugs.
This one started well for us, and it looked like we might steam roller over them, but they came alive and scored a converted try. From then on, the game became tight, with us just able to keep our noses in front, most of the time.

We kicked off to them playing towards the school, they worked back into our half but we stole the ball and quickly put it to the backs with Tom Davies taking the final pass, he had to be nimble to avoid various defenders to dive over on two minutes by the scoreboard giving Sam Potts, relaxing in his chair and enjoying a pint in the sun a front seat view.
The conversion, as it went over the tree top line, was caught by the east south east stiff breeze and just missed the far post. 5~0.
On twelve minutes, we scored again. We had been attacking their line a number of times, winning penalties but not making much of them because Sidmouth were defending well. Eventually, Mike Rickard got the ball and crossed under the pressure of two defenders ten feet south of the posts.
Richard Goldsby-West had an easy conversion. 12~0.
At this early point, we were all over Sidmouth, and it was not looking good for them.
But, they came back and attacked down the stand side a number of times, not having much luck there, they sent the ball to the clubhouse side with Dan Armstrong going over fifteen feet south of the post. The conversion, considering the breeze, was a good one. 12~7.
This seemed to hearten Sidmouth, and they started to take the game to us.
On twenty minutes a yellow card to Sidmouth’s No14 Tom Price.
Following the sending off, we took a five-yard lineout, Mike Rickard took it, and the forwards mauled for the line. The Sidmouth counter first forced us closer to the posts, then seemed to shave a few of our players off the side of it and as a consequence, it slowed to a halt.
But the blindside was quite wide and from it Billy Sutton broke away from four defenders to pass to Toby Knowles, who with one defender to beat, ran in and dived for the corner flag to score.
A welcome return for Toby after a long time out injured.
The conversion from out wide and across the strong breeze, missed. Twenty-three minutes, 17~5.
On twenty-six minutes, a promising attack in their half saw the final pass to Tom Davies ruled as forward.
From the scrum their scrum half, Richard Drewitt, broke off and into open space, running at pace towards the defenders on our twenty-two. He made three elegant small sidesteps, but it was his undoing because it slowed him such that he was caught, and the promising solo attack stopped.

On thirty-six minutes, Sidmouth won a short lineout on the stand side and mauled for the line. They attacked seven or eight times, then gave up and put the ball wide, three times they went for the line getting within a couple of feet each time; then on the last one George Locke went over to score. Again, the conversion, with the breeze behind it went over. 17~14.
We seemed to have stalled a little and let them back in.
Worse was to come, on forty minutes and with maybe five minutes injury time to play, they had another five-yard lineout, this time the forwards drove on and over at the turnstile corner for Shaun Molton score, another excellent conversion went over for them to take the lead at this vital point at 17~21.
That must have stung our players into a strong reply, and we attacked their line with injury time running out, for the ball to get to Dan Lilley, on the right wing, who sped in beating the covering defence to dive over feet high in the air to score. The conversion went wide.
So at half time, much to Sidmouth’s annoyance having thought they had won a half time lead and maybe relaxed because of it, we had a narrow lead at 22~21.
The scrums had been even with little between the packs, a nudge here and there from one or the other. Our lineouts were going well, and the ball handling and support were really good.
The penalty count was refreshingly low for us.

They kicked off the second half with us now playing towards the entrance end.
Toby Knowles had an excellent run down the left wing, he was tip tackled, said the referee and the tipper, Shaum Molton, went off with a yellow card to his name.
From that there were about four or five five-yard scrums, each being reset a couple of times for this and that.
On the last, they won a five-yard scrum on the clubhouse side of the posts.
It did not go well for them, for the first and maybe only time in the game, one pack completely dominated the other. We drove them seriously back; their number eight had difficulty gathering the ball with their pack going back at speed, and he was forced to touch down over his own line.
From the scrum that came from that, they actually pushed us back a little, but the ball was sent away ending with Mike Rickard who had to drive hard to take himself and two defenders across the line.
The referee, in a dazzling yellow shirt, blew and raised his arm to signal Mike’s second try.
The conversion missed, but we were 27~21 ahead, not far enough to be safe by any means.
Some while afterwards, Sidmouth collected their third yellow card and we won a penalty in front of the posts, sensibly Richard Goldsby-West went for the posts and it went over to give us a vital two-score lead. at 30~21.

On twenty-one minutes, Sidmouth came back with a try following a five-yard catch and drive, we sort of held them but then they shifted to the left, moved on and Martin Keywood came off and went in by the corner flag. Their conversion kick was on line but not strong enough as it faltered at its peak and fell short, but nonetheless they had closed the gap to 30~26.
“We are playing better with fourteen men”, said their linesman cheerfully to me.
On twenty-nine minutes, a catch and drive to us in the turnstile corner gave Aiden Taylor a try. The Richard-Goldsby-West conversion went over. 37~26.
Running in towards the end, both teams came close to scoring, but neither did so that is how it remained, five points from our first league game of the season, which puts us in second place by points difference behind Brixham and in front of Chew Valley.

Mike Rickard was presented with the Nigel Chivell Memorial Man of the Match award by the Sidmouth Chairman.
Good to see him and Toby Knowles back in the team and scoring.

Also good to see Harrison Coonick back after his nasty injury and easing himself in playing in the second team and scoring two tries against Tavistock.
Then another welcome arrival hove into sight, former President Tiny Lister, good to see him back and in the pink. Sadly, without his little dog, I always felt he, the dog, seemed to understand the offside law, but as Tiny said, “He never realised the game was of two halves and was always keen to go home”.

The Team.
1. Tyler Busfield,
2. Aiden Taylor
3. Oli Symons.
4. Mike Rickard
5. Kyle Felton.
6. Liam Jarvis.
7. Bertie Fordham.
8. James Hocking.
9. Billy Sutton.
10. Richard Goldsby-West.(cc).
11. Toby Knowles.
12. Sam Brown.
13. Dan Liley.
14. Tom Davies.
15. Matt Neyle.
16. James McFarlane.
17. Matt Gregory (c).
18. Tom Richards.
The Management.
Ben Russell & Aiden Taylor.