CREDITON RFC COLTS XV 52-7 TORRINGTON RFC

WE welcomed Torrington Colts to Blagdon, with the visitors fielding a Colts side for the first time in 15 years.

Torrington made the trip with just 13 players, so we matched their numbers and played with uncontested scrums from the outset.

From the first whistle to the last, the game was played at a high tempo as we hunted our first win of the season. Some clever territorial play and flowing attacking rugby earned us a 5-metre lineout. Quick thinking from Hayden Vooght caught Torrington napping, as his rapid throw was carried to within a metre of the line before being stopped. Hayden then picked from the base to dive over for the opening try.

Hayden added his second score shortly afterwards, while Leo Maddick and Aidan Baker also crossed before the break. Charlie Broomfield converted three of the four tries to give us a healthy 26-0 lead at half-time.

The second half brought more of the same despite us now playing uphill and into the wind. Torrington enjoyed a strong spell around ten minutes after the restart and put us under sustained pressure. In truth, they probably deserved more than the seven points they eventually came away with, but our defence stood firm when it mattered and worked hard to keep them out.

We responded well and continued to play with ambition. Will Lewis, Aidan Baker, Oscar Philip and Zack Blewett all crossed for second-half tries. Toby Pennington added two conversions, while Blewett converted his own score to cap off an excellent afternoon for the side.

Our backs looked sharp throughout and played some fantastic rugby in attack. Up front, the lineout and maul worked well, while the forwards carried hard and linked superbly with the backs to create a number of scoring opportunities.

Credit must also go to Torrington, who continued to battle right until the final whistle despite the scoreline. We wish them every success for the rest of the season and look forward to the return fixture.

Scorers: Tries – Hayden Vooght (2), Aiden Baker (2), Will Lewis, Leo Maddick, Oscar Philip, Zack Blewett; Conversions – Charlie Broomfield (3), Toby Pennington (2), Zack Blewett.

Guy Courage

Next Saturday: 1st XV v North Petherton (A), 2nd XV v Honiton 1st XV (A), 3rd XV v Honiton 2nd XV (H), Colts XV v Tiverton (H).

Next Sunday: Women’s XV v Paignton (A).