ONCE again Jack Frost appeared on Saturday, December 17 and thwarted the efforts of most clubs to get games played and as a consequence, Crediton Rugby Club’s league games for the Firsts and Seconds at Chard and Torrington respectively were postponed.

Although not confirmed, the likely rescheduled dates will be January 21 for the Seconds at Torrington whilst the Firsts are probably due to play Bridgwater at home on February 4 and Chard away on February 25.

As promised in last week’s “Courier” a review of the Third XV season to-date and if any side deserves a few accolades then the Hornets, as they were affectionally known, would fall into that category.

A few words of explanation are certainly required in order to explain just how well this side has done.

Firstly, it is the side that suffers the most when players are unavailable in the First XV and Second XV’s.

The players are drawn upwards to fill the gaps but for the Thirds, there is no team to draw up from and as a result are often left with a bare 15 players.

Secondly, their opponents in the Merit Table are almost all Second XV’s of other clubs and will contain players who have played at a much higher level. Thirdly, they also suffer from a lack of games mainly because opponents are often unable to raise a team.

Last season, the Thirds finished at the bottom of the North East Merit Table. More importantly they fulfilled fixtures and generally enjoyed their rugby and so to start this Merit Table campaign with a home game against last seasons NE Champions Exmouth Thirds, was something of a daunting task especially in view of the fact that last season over two games Crediton were beaten by an aggregate of 134-8!

However, John Gurzynski and his team were in no mood to allow a repeat and shocked everyone (with the possible exception of themselves) by winning 21-17 to get their Merit Table season off to a flier.

Two weeks later, Tiverton Thirds were unable to raise a team so a hastily arranged friendly fixture was played against Bideford Second XV and was lost 35-38 in a game which provided some superb entertainment and as the score suggests could have gone either way.

A trip to Honiton Seconds for a Merit Table game was lost 15-31 and a second game against Bideford Seconds, this time in the Merit Table, was also lost 12-31.

Two weeks later the second Merit Table fixture against Bideford in North Devon was lost 15-48.

The team then seemed to enjoy their travels as visits to South Molton Seconds and Ilfracombe Firsts ended with two victories, 15-10 and 17-7. Barnstaple Thirds, making a return to the Merit Table after an absence of a few years, then brought Crediton back to earth with something of a bump as the team came a cropper 0-57.

Once again, opponents were unable to raise a team, this time Exeter Saracens could not travel to Crediton.

To say Crediton looked forward to the visit of Exeter Engineers would perhaps be something of an exaggeration, after all they had just defeated Barnstaple Thirds, and indeed, were the only side to have managed that to-date.

However, adversity often brings out the best in people and, although Crediton lost 22-34 this was a hugely spirited performance and one of the best Third team games Crediton has seen and was certainly worthy of playing on the main pitch.

In that it was the pace of the students that did for Crediton, but they certainly gave them a fright ,and indeed a run for their money.

Unfortunately, the following week, South Molton were unable to raise a side but the weather intervened anyway.

To-date, Brad Baker, Lewis Cook, Richard Gray, Dan Vertenten and Jon Gurzynski have appeared in all nine games, Aiden White, Elliott White and Travis Baker with seven appearances each.

Hayden Hill leads the points scoring with 34 from three tries, eight conversions and a penalty closely followed by Elliott White on 33 from four tries, five conversions and a penalty.

Huge credit must go to skipper John Gurzynski who, rather like the magicians who pull rabbits from hats, seems to find a way of producing players from nowhere, well done Gizza, as always a tremendous effort from you.

The next rugby is on Boxing Day when a Ben Wonnacott XV will battle it out with a Kevin Ellis XV so expect some quality running rugby from both sides.

The New Year, so far as league rugby is concerned, will not start until January 7 when the First XV host Wellington, the Second XV host Cullompton Seconds, the Thirds have no fixture at the moment, but no doubt something will crop up, and the Colts travel to Withycombe.

Finally, the Directors and Committee of Crediton RFC would like to wish all their members, players, supporters, sponsors and indeed the people of Crediton a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Paul Harris