BOTH sides contributed to a very good game on Saturday, March 19, in typical local derby style. The opening quarter was a fairly intense affair and the defences were in excellent form.
Tivvy opened the scoring midway through the first half and added a penalty for a 10-0 lead. However, tries from Phil Holmes and Chris Hooper, both converted by Tom Ronchetti, gave us the advantage at half-time, 14-10.
On the hour mark, Hopper went over for his second try and Ronchetti added the extras.
We had dominated scrums throughout but struggled to make that dominance count and some promising moves were let down with handling errors. Tivvy pulled a try and conversion back with seven minutes left on the clock leaving a fairly tense finish.
We managed to hold out for a good win which cemented our fifth place in the Merit Table.
Tiverton Thirds 21 - Crediton Thirds 20
Irrespective of the level that the games are played, local derbies against Tiverton generally produce some entertaining rugby with no quarter asked or given and this trip over the hills for the Third XV was no different.
As the score suggests it was a game that could have gone either way.
Both sides had their periods of pressure as the lead changed hands.
The early exchanges were dominated by the heavier Tiverton pack as they forced us into reverse gear at the scrums and we conceded a few penalties in the process.
An early Josh Woodland drop goal put us ahead but the home side responded with a converted try.
Pressure on the Tiverton line ended with some strong running from Mike Sherring-Lucas, Dan Vertenten and Lewis Cook to put Jamie Acton in for a try at the posts which Woodland converted.
Tiverton fought back but some excellent defence from Rob Somerwill and Lewis Cook kept them at bay. Woodland then went over for another score to put us 15-7 ahead at the interval.
As reported last week, the Thirds tend to take a post interval nap and allow opposition back into the game. However, unlike previous weeks, the wake-up call never came although Woodland added a second try, Tivvy then reduced the arrears to six points and the momentum was with them. With time running out, they scored a try out wide to get back to 19-20 with the conversion to come.
Surely third team kickers don’t convert from the touchline? Seems they do as the excellent kick struck the post and bounced the wrong side for us but the right side for Tivvy to give them victory.
Both sides are looking forward to the return game in a couple of weeks.
Bideford Colts 24 - Crediton Colts 25 - by a single point.
The Colts game was indeed the close encounter of the third kind over the weekend and it was only good fortune that the Bideford goal kicker failed with an easy conversion right at the death that ensured we came away with five points. The win consolidated second place in the Shield Competition and with the home game against Devonport tomorrow (Saturday), a win will confirm a place in the Shield Final.
The five tries against Bideford came from Kofi Firth with two and one apiece from Tom Gray, James Dodge and Tariq Sayers.
On Saturday the First XV host Old Patesians, the Second XV travel to Newton Abbot for a Merit Table fixture, the Thirds go to South Molton for a Merit Table fixture and the Colts host Devonport in the Colts Shield where a victory should see them into the final of the Shield Competition.
Paul Harris