CREDITON RFC 3RD XV 31-19 TEIGNMOUTH RFC 2ND XV

THE 3rd XV welcomed Teignmouth 2nds to the River Pitch on Saturday, a new opponent for us, although a few familiar faces from their 1st XV fixture the week before made an appearance.

Teignmouth arrived as a big, physical unit and it was clear from the first whistle that we were in for a high-intensity contest.

Unfortunately, within the opening five minutes, we lost Josh Noon to a broken collarbone. Josh has been learning his trade in the centre recently and is a player who gives nothing less than 100 per cent. He’ll be missed in the final games of the season and we wish him a speedy recovery.

After a quick reshuffle, Teignmouth opened the scoring with a neat chip-and-chase to the corner. They crossed again soon after, their powerful runners drawing in defenders and freeing space out wide.

We responded by applying pressure of our own, forcing Teignmouth to play from deep. A five-metre scrum gave us the platform we needed, steady, strong, and controlled, allowing skipper Ben Rodd to break from the base and score.

Sustained pressure in the Teignmouth 22 followed, and after a string of penalties, Harry Poole spotted a gap and charged over for our second try.

Teignmouth hit back with a long spell of phases, eventually breaking through our defence to retake the lead.

The game had become a genuine back-and-forth battle, and next it was the turn of our backs to shine. Owen Cooper delivered an almost perfect cross-field kick, gathered brilliantly by the ever-improving Danny Parcell, who powered through two defenders to score.

With Cooper matching the opposition kicker and slotting two conversions, the sides went into half time level at 19–19.

The lads knew they had more to give. Straight from the restart, Kieran Jones led the charge — catching the kick and setting off on a powerful run. Rodd was on his shoulder, and the pair made huge ground. Scrum-half Ben Wallis then fed Ashley Bradnock, who set off on a 20-metre canter before being halted by a high tackle.

The forwards laid siege to the Teignmouth line. Tom Ayre, enjoying his first outing with the 3rds, made strong carries but the defence held firm. Time to release the backs and Corban Beckett obliged, running in his first try for the club. Cooper added the extras.

A quick apology must go to the Teignmouth touch judge, who found herself caught up in the action. While making a tackle, Parcell collided with her and sent her tumbling. Danny assures us he’s happy to cover the dry-cleaning bill for the muddy jeans.

Tempers flared on both sides, resulting in a Teignmouth yellow card. Parcell, never far from the action, then produced a moment of brilliance. Collecting a kick on our 10-metre line under pressure, he kicked ahead, regathered in their 22, threw a dummy to beat one defender and stepped another to score in the corner. That sealed the full-time score at 31–19.

Every player gave absolutely everything. They showed what the badge means to them, and several were in contention for man of the match. But it was Kieran Jones who earned the nod, stepping up for his first ever game in the front row at hooker, carrying hard, supporting superbly, and defending with real intent.

We thank Teignmouth for a great game and for bringing a strong side to test us. We wish them all the best for the rest of the season.

A final word of credit goes to the young match official, who took excellent control of the game, especially when things got heated. It’s fantastic to see YMOs in the middle, and we look forward to seeing him again as he progresses through the ranks.

Coming up on Saturday, March 21: 1st XV – Penzance and Newlyn (A), 2nd XV v Dartmouth (H), 3rd XV v Penzance and Newlyn (A), Colts XV v Barnstaple (H) – Devon Colts Cup semi-final.