EVEN the blustering wind and intermittent downpours could not dampen the spirits of Crediton RFC Walking Rugby’s resilient and makeshift squad taking part in the Topsham Walking Rugby Festival on August 7.

Indeed, our performances improved steadily throughout the day. Despite Dave Evans getting himself binned for placing his shoulder in the path of a charging Ivybridge player, Crediton stoutly resisted their attacks and did not concede a point in his absence.

Ernie Lloyd undertook additional refereeing responsibilities which meant he swapped in and out of the team with Martin Rich during the half-time intervals.

So unlike other squads, everyone played in all five of the matches with six of the eight players always starting.

Tries proved hard to come by with all the matches being low scoring and three with Crediton losing by a single point.

Credit must go to Phil Thicthener who scored two tries and would have scored a third but for the Torfaen player conceding a penalty try with a deliberate knock on.

This, our final and most accomplished match, resulted in a 1-1 draw against a talented, all-male Welsh outfit.

Paul Faulkener perplexed defences with his serpentine thrusts. Jo Jones was stalwart in defence and probed with neatly angled runs and crisp passing. Ernie Lloyd, Phil Parry and Martin Rich kept the ball alive, becoming increasingly effective at transferring it to the wider channels while Dave Powlesland brought his deft offloads to the games and but for some curious laws would have been the architect of several well worked tries in the red zone.

Overall, this was an enormously enjoyable event and great praise should go to Topsham for organising it under challenging circumstances.

I can’t thank my team mates enough for bringing great humour and bonhomie to a day in which I, personally, did not cover myself in glory.

Dave Evans