SOUTH MOLTON 37

NORTH TAWTON 5

IF you ignored the fact it was typical rugby weather, ie raining and cold, it all started brightly enough for North Tawton who from their own kick off had the better of the play for the first 20 minutes of the game.

A well-worked move resulting in the captain Simon Quick scoring in the bottom down the hill corner (those of you who have been to South Molton know where I mean), a missed kick making the score 0-5 to Tawts.

And for a while it looked like the away side could build on that first try but it has to be said the lack of a bigger front row and a bit of grunt up front started to show and Molton applied the pressure to favour the way they wanted the game played.

Having said that the half-time score read 5-5 with South Molton scoring a try just before the referee blew to end the first half.

The biggest problem for Tawts at this time was the loss of their in-form winger Ben Sharp with a painful shoulder injury.

If Tawts were going to add to their score you had the feeling it was going to come from a move worked by the backs getting around a powerful heavier looking Molton pack, the loss of Ben being a big blow.

The second half got underway with a penalty for South Molton (not rolling away) when 8-5 soon followed by another penalty for the same offence, 11-5 the ref seeming to be strict on the Tawton players for not making enough effort to move when he felt they should.

Most on the touchline from both camps felt it was the same from both teams but as we respect in rugby the ref’s the man in charge and where would we be without one not getting wet, at home I suspect.

At this point the game really went away from North Tawton and a strong period of play from South Molton and four tries and three conversions later the final score read 37-5.

A good win by a strong South Molton team who will now be looking to finish top in the group.

It has to be said that the Tawts heads never dropped and they kept going to the end. Scrum-half Jack Phare was man of the match for Tawton, he put in a good shift and never stopped throughout the match.

Tomorrow, Saturday, October 8, sees North Tawton away to Torrington.

Chris Phare