NORTH TAWTON 18 - TORRINGTON 12

A SUNNY afternoon, a good fair referee that lets the game flow, and two sides that went at it full bore for the whole 80 minutes - what more do you want if you like your Saturday afternoon rugby fix?

This was one of the best games seen at Taw Meadow for a long time, both teams giving it their all in defence as well as attack heart on your sleeve type rugby that even the supporters, home and away got well into.

It would be fair to say that the high-flying Torrington started out as favourites for another win especially if you listened to the travelling crowd but somebody forgot to tell North Tawton who came out of the blocks at least as equals to the side at the top of the league.

The first 20 minutes saw close hard tackling rugby but no score. Torrington were the first to break the deadlock with a penalty kick to the corner, lineout and over for a converted try - 0-7.

Far from letting their heads drop the Tawton team seemed to take it up a level. You could feel the commitment from the touchline and it wasn’t long before they got a well-worked try of their own scored by Bill Sharp but a missed kick, the score now 5-7.

Unfortunately a bad injury to the Torry No 6 held up the game for 10 minutes just before half-time giving both sides a bit of a breather on the restart.

A Dave Fewings penalty gave the Tawts the lead for the first time 8-7. Back came Torrington right on half-time with another try but no kick into the break. It was 12-8 to the away side - the Torry fans with bigger smiles at half-time.

Tawts supporters were hoping that the next score would be a Tawton one - can’t let this Torry side get comfortable.

Off we go with the second half underway. Torrington, with all the early pressure, but maybe against the run of play, a bad pass by Torry well-read by Dave Fewings and he’s under the post for a try plus the conversion.

North Tawton back in front 15-12.

Now it’s who holds their discipline and nerves. This is going down to the wire, Tawts trying to play all the rugby in the Torry half, keep kicking keep turning them and it was working. A flash of magic in the form of a drop goal from Alex Dennis made the score 18-12 and the need for Torrington to get a converted try to win.

Tawton might have started the match as equals but they finished it the better team on the day and a very sweet well-deserved victory was theirs. That’s not to say the home fans weren’t glad to hear the final whistle and the smiles change faces - that’s rugby!

Talking well above a scribes position I viewed the whole team as the man of the match but having spoke to coach Dan Bennett, the man of the match was the skipper Simon Quick who played a captain’s role in the engine room of the team. Nothing got away from him all match, some hard tackling when needed.

This match was such a good advert for Devon rugby and reminds me why I go every week, plus its cheaper than Sandy Park!

Chris Phare