November 28

CREDITON 23

STITHIANS 6

CREDITON maintained their momentum to record their seventh successive league victory against visiting Stithians.

In rapidly deteriorating conditions, it was fortunate that the game went ahead thanks to the hard work of the Crediton ground staff who managed to ensure the school pitch was playable.

Taking the option to play up the slope in the first half seemed to pay off as the home side took the lead in the fourth minute courtesy of a pushover try from No 8 Jay Harris, converted by winger Ross Gillon.

Within minutes Gillon landed a penalty and a comfortable home win looked well and truly on the cards.

Forward domination was the key as most scrums went the hosts way and the power of the driving maul also created problems for the visitors. Prop Wayne Reed grabbed at try from a maul and a rout looked inevitable. 

Stithians, however, did not buckle under the pressure but were unable to get themselves in positions to create an attacking platform, although they did reduce the arrears with a Martin Strick penalty leaving the hosts 15-3 up at the interval.

Within a couple of minutes of the second period, Gillon added a second penalty to restore the Crediton 15 point advantage.

Stithians began to get more into the game during the second period and some surging runs from No 8 Steven Roach who had a fine game especially in the second half, kept them in the game and when Strick added his second penalty they found renewed energy and did put pressure on the home defence.

The weather eventually took control but Crediton still looked to run the ball when perhaps the better option might have been to keep things tight.

The favourable slope seemed to offer no advantage as they continually ran into trouble against some good defending. 

Kicking for the corners and pinning the opposition in their own '22' would probably have been more productive.

The last word went to Jay Harris, voted man of the match by sponsor Toby Newstead, as he was forced over from a driving maul to give Crediton a decent if not totally comfortable victory.

Crediton Tries: Harris 2, Reed; Con: Gillon; Pen: Gillon 2.

Stithians Pen – Strick 2.

Ivybridge Seconds 0

Crediton Seconds 17

Crediton adapted better to the conditions than their hosts and were perhaps a bit keener to play. Conditions were certainly grim but the visitors recorded a well deserved victory.

With a combination of youth and experience, it was certainly the experience players who grabbed the headlines. Hooker Shane Bayley, back from injury suffered during the opening league game of the season, touched down from 22 metres to prove he still has the pace.

Centre Andy Bluff, no spring chicken also touched down from long range and of course it was inevitable that evergreen fly-half Dan Howard would get on the scoresheet with two conversions and a penalty. Who said this was a young mans game?

Crediton – Tries: Bayley, Bluff; Con: Howard 2; Pen: Howard.

On further investigation, it seems that Andy Bluff was the youngest try scorer at the weekend at the ripe old age of 33 (although he was not quite sure of his age himself).

December 5

Crediton 'Quins 22

Newton Abbot

Seconds 7

With all other games off due to the weather, the 'Quins took centre stage and showed just how much they are improving with this impressive win against fourth placed Newton Abbot. This is the second successive week where we have defeated opponents whose First Fifteen play in leagues above us.

From the start though a win looked unlikely as Newton scythed through the Kirton defence to take a very early 7-0 lead.

However that was as good as it got for them. The Crediton pack was in excellent form and the backs too played some attractive rugby in difficult conditions.

Four tries through prop Wayne Reed, No 8 Greg Lewis, centre Jordan Pring and replacement George Savage, plus a conversion from Rob Milton ensured a comfortable win.

The visitors apparently did have a whinge about the number of First Fifteen players in the Crediton side. The reality was though that from the selected sides for that weekend, only player coach Wayne Reed came into the side from the Firsts.

Of course there were plenty of players with First Fifteen experience but is that not the object of the exercise.

I noted the previous week that Newton Abbot themselves brought in two players from Redruth for their First Fifteen so the players they displaced must have played somewhere!

PH