CREDITON RFC COLTS XV 24-54 TEIGNMOUTH RFC

WE returned to Merit Table action on Sunday and took centre stage at Blagdon as the club's only home side.

A shortage of Devon Rugby Referees' Society officials had threatened the fixture, but thanks to a Teignmouth club member stepping in to referee, the game was able to go ahead. We are extremely grateful for his efforts and the excellent job he did throughout the afternoon.

Results haven't always gone our way this season, but with wins in our previous two matches, confidence was high going into the game.

We couldn't have asked for a better start. After winning an early penalty, we kicked to the corner and, from the resulting lineout, Leo Maddick finished off a powerful driving maul to score after just a couple of minutes. Ollie Harris added the extras and we led 7-0.

Our lead was short-lived, however. From the restart we conceded a penalty, allowing Teignmouth to gain territory, and after a couple of phases from a lineout they crossed for an unconverted try.

A few minutes later the visitors took the lead at 12-7. Attacking from deep inside their own half, they broke away and went the length of the field to score. As we would discover throughout the afternoon, their pace out wide made them a constant threat.

Despite the scoreline, we were enjoying the better of the possession and territory. Up front we were beginning to gain the upper hand, with the driving maul proving particularly effective, while Teignmouth looked to move the ball quickly to the edges and attack us out wide.

After 20 minutes, another well-executed lineout gave us the platform we needed. The ball was moved through the backs, with Ben Powlesland and Toby Pennington combining well before it was shifted out to Jacob Kyffin, who crossed in the corner to level the scores at 12-12.

The remainder of the half was closely contested. Our defence around the fringes was strong, but whenever Teignmouth's back three found space, they looked dangerous.

Then, right on the stroke of half-time, came a significant moment. We were turned over on the Teignmouth 10-metre line and the visitors counter-attacked down the right to score, taking a 19-12 lead into the break.

There was still everything to play for and we were very much in the contest.

Unfortunately, the opening 15 minutes of the second half proved decisive. Four Teignmouth tries in quick succession turned a tight game into a daunting challenge, with the score stretching to 47-12. In truth, we were partly the architects of our own downfall, with missed tackles and lapses in concentration giving their pacey backs too many opportunities to run.

A few stern words under the posts sparked a response and we showed plenty of character to fight our way back into the game. Tries from Zack Blewett and Hayden Vooght, along with a conversion from Harris, reduced the deficit to 47-24 and gave us something to build on.

With 10 minutes remaining, there was a renewed sense of belief, but it was Teignmouth who had the final say, crossing for a late converted try to secure a 54-24 victory.

Credit must go to Teignmouth, who took their chances well and punished our mistakes. However, the disappointment among our players was clear. Aside from that costly 15-minute spell early in the second half, we were very much in the game and showed plenty of what we're capable of. There were encouraging signs throughout, and with a little more belief in ourselves and greater consistency across the full 80 minutes, the outcome might have looked very different.

Scorers: Tries – Leo Maddick, Jacob Kyffin, Zack Blewett, Hayen Vooght; Conversions – Ollie Harris (2).

Next Saturday: 1st XV v Teignmouth (H), 3rd XV v Exeter Saracens II (H), Colts XV v Bideford (A).

Jay Harris