WITH the outbreak of the Coronavirus bringing a premature end to the rugby season, decisions had to be made as to how the final league standings would look.

As it happens and once the calculations had been made, from our perspective, it looked no different than simply drawing a line under the season when it was suspended.

We can therefore look forward to starting another season in South West One West having finished in 10th place with four games remaining, a fair reflection on our season which, in terms of performances, suffered peaks and troughs so widely varied that predicting results became almost impossible.

The opening game of the season for the First XV saw North Petherton visit Blagdon for the first time and for the first half they wondered what had hit them.

We played some superb rugby for the first 40 minutes and established a 29-5 lead at the interval. So what was all the fuss about?

A league higher and here we are completely outplaying the side that had consistently finished in the top five for the past five seasons. Unfortunately, the second half did not live up to the standard set in the first and the visitors came back to within four points and we were left hanging on until the final whistle eventually winning 29-25.

Next up was a trip to Sidmouth, also promoted with us the previous season and something of our nemesis on their own ground.

However, with the lead changing hands several times during the game, time was up when we had a 30-28 lead, two games, two wins and nine points from a possible 10.

Bring on St Ives, well sadly not as two games into the season the Cornish side withdrew from the league, a sad state of affairs but a problem that for them was a few years in the making and seemingly ignored until their demise.

Next up was a trip to Bridgwater, another Club that has enjoyed days at a much higher level. This was not to be our day and one which was to prove the point that kicks win games.

With the consistently reliable Ollie Avery-Wright not available for this trip, we did score four tries but converting only one before losing out in the dying moments of the game to the tune of 22-27. Still two bonus points was not a bad return but it could have been so much better.

Chew Valley were the next visitors to Crediton, again a side we had never met before and they certainly showed what we could expect over the coming few months, they had a good all round side and went home to South Bristol with all five points in a 29-19 win.

We then fared no better at Cleve, in fact it was a particularly poor display and we were comprehensively beaten 7-38.

A fourth successive game with Bristol based sides, this time against Thornbury the current table toppers, brought no respite, easy games in this league are non existent.

The prospect of the team heading the table visiting after the performance against Cleve, did not inspire confidence especially with one or two regulars missing.

However, we rose to the challenge and managed a bonus point win with Josh Davey stepping up to the mark converting all four, 28-24, great result.

Devonport Services provided the opposition the following week and, having done them a favour by defeating Thornbury, Services had moved to the top of the table.

An extremely tight game ended in victory for us 13-7 courtesy of an outstanding defensive display which frustrated the visitors. As a consequence, Thornbury moved back to the top of the table and we were becoming the destroyers of reputations!

The trip to Hornets on their 3G pitch proved something of a nightmare, we led 3-0 fairly early on but that is as good as it got losing 3-55.

The pitch is a huge advantage for the home side and no doubt contributed in no small way to them ultimately winning the league.

Keynsham were next on the list at home and we had to shake off the disappointment of the previous week. A scrappy game which was brightened by two moments of excellence from scrum-half Ed Brady.

The first a 40-metre dash to score a try from nothing to put us in the lead which we never surrendered and the second was a try saving tackle which ultimately saved the game for us. Two moments that were worth at least 10 points to us. The 17-8 victory could so easily have been a narrow defeat but for Brady’s interventions.

The trip to Lydney is best forgotten 9-71 so we will pass on to the visit of Newent, their first time trip to Crediton and who were languishing near the foot of the table along with Newton Abbot.

They actually proved to be a very useful side and whilst we did record a bonus point victory, it was by a mere three points 31-28.

The trip to bottom placed Newton Abbot brought another bonus point win 29-23 but once again we were made to battle hard for victory. That brought us to the half-way point of the season with seven wins and five defeats that was as good a return as we might have expected and we were in sixth position in the league with 34 points.

The second half of the season began with the visit of a vastly improved Sidmouth and we were looking for our first double of the season. Unfortunately, it was not to be and Sidmouth romped home with a 33-5 win.

There followed a succession of defeats some narrow some not so. Bridgwater at home 17-19 was a losing bonus point as were defeats against Hornets 18-22 and Devonport Services 15-22. A 26-57 defeat at Chew Valley earned a four try bonus point but a hefty defeat at Thornbury 0-78 was particularly disappointing.

Equally disappointing was the home defeat by Cleve by 20-35. Cleve ended up being relegated and yet they did the double over us which was incredibly frustrating. The curtain was brought down on the season after the 13-25 loss at Keynsham.

A good first half of the season showed that we were more than capable of competing at this level although some of the victories may have been laced with good fortune.

In too many games we played exceptionally well for the first 40 minutes but fell away in the second half and were left hanging on for victory. Whether that was a fitness issue only the players will know. The game is 80 minutes long and we must learn to be competitive for every one of those 80 minutes.

There are some good sides in this league and most are very clinical with their finishing and we have conceded far too many tries as our points against column will testify.

However, it also has to be said that for our first season back at this level since 2004 we can be pleased that we will have a second opportunity to establish ourselves at this level, we have certainly deserved that opportunity and hopefully we shall grasp it with both hands.

There is no doubt that we have the players capable of playing in this league we just need to be more consistent.

It was a good season for young Josh Woodland who led the try scoring in the First XV with 11 in his first full season at senior level.

He also played for Devon Under 21s as did Ethan Pearce. Ollie Avery-Wright scored 131 points with the boot from 16 games.

Woodland also played in all 20 league games with Ben Wonnacott appearing in 19.

The second half of the season proved difficult especially for training with so much rain rendering the outside areas almost impossible to use.

The school gym proved a useful alternative but no more than that and, when combined with dwindling numbers it is perhaps not surprising that the result was a dip in form.

Paul Harris