THE second round of fixtures of the new season saw Crediton RFC girls turn out under stormy skies with the possibility of horizontal rain and/or equal measures of sunshine, but apart from a little rain during the warm up, the weather held for another great afternoon of rugby.

The visitors to Blagdon were formed from a majority of Exeter Saracens with players from Ivybridge and, for the U15s girls from Teignmouth also.

Crediton Girls U13 vs Exeter Saracens/Ivybridge

Those Crediton girls that had played last season were eager to get in amongst it as Sarries had been during their last fixture at the end of 2020/21 and on first inspection, appeared the physically bigger team.

Crediton kicked off and at the first breakdown, were immediately met with strong and efficient rucking from Sarries, which momentarily put them on the back foot, but the Kirton girls were quick to rally, and some decisive tackling showed they were very much in the game.

They quickly got their rucking in order and the game settled into a fast, vigorous and overall, evenly matched game of rugby, which made for some great entertainment for the friends and families watching.

The Crediton girls attacked with a number of strong runs that were met with some effective tackling by the visitors, but their determination, teamwork, and ability to create continuity whilst retaining possession, allowed them to score a number of tries, putting them ahead at the start of the game.

As the game progressed, the visitors countered with their own strong running and despite some strong tackling, particularly from some of the newer Kirton girls, the game remained very much level with the visitors pushing ahead as we entered the second half.

The half-time team talk was very much about being quicker and more decisive to ruck and use the ball quickly when it became available, and to improve our rate of offloads to create more continuity and encourage more open play in the loose.

The girls came back on with renewed vigour and although tired, dug deep in the rucks, produced some excellent defensive tackling and started to offload, allowing a number of players to put points on the board.

Overall, both teams put on an excellent display of entertaining rugby, which was commented on by several spectators, with one even saying it was more entertaining to watch than some premiership games!

The performance of the girls that are new to rugby really does deserve special mention, with most of the tries coming from those who have not played rugby before this, or the very end of last season.

The overriding element was the Crediton girls’ exemplary display of the core values of English rugby. Their teamwork was clear when both attacking and defending, their respect and discipline was commendable even when challenged, their sportsmanship remained intact even when under pressure, and the enjoyment was just plain for everyone to see.

This team continues to bond and grow and as already mentioned, it was phenomenal to see all the newer and less experienced players tackling, running, and scoring points as if they had been playing for some time now.

The day’s hard graft, teamwork and commitment enabled the girls to come away with a 40-35 win. As stated after last week’s game, exciting times ahead.

U15s - Results -

Crediton 25 - 5 Exeter Saracens

Crediton 10 - 10 Ivybridge/Teignmouth

U18s

Crediton Girls do themselves and the game proud

Rugby is renowned for its community spirit and the girls from Crediton U18s lived that ethos in spades as they welcomed visitors from both Exeter Saracens and Ivybridge.

Before the game had even started the forwards from the visiting teams worked with the Creddy girls and coaches in a scrummaging session to improve the techniques of the inexperienced opposition.

With some last minute withdrawals from the Saracens squad leaving them short, two Kirton girls donned the black and red kit to make the game a full 15-a-side.

Indeed across the course of the 60 minute game, five Crediton girls played against their team mates to maintain a full game, and pleased their coaches no end by giving their all in doing so.

The game itself proved an even affair for the first 15 minutes. Crediton, playing up the slope and into the wind, were the dominant side but, in a repeat of last week’s slow start, struggled to find consistency with handling errors, penalties and slow breakdown work holding them at bay.

Sarries also provided a new problem for the girls to work out with a player that could kick well and hard gained yards were lost quickly as turned over ball was kicked back over their heads, meaning they had to start again.

It wasn’t until 20 minutes into the game that some quick thinking caught the red and blacks napping and provided the first points of the day.

The second try, just before the break, was the first of four eye catching efforts from the black and ambers in the afternoon.

The ball was spread out wide and as it looked like the touchline would defend for the opposition the Crediton winger stepped inside, received a perfect pass on the scissors, and powered through the gap left in the defence, with a side step to boot to touchdown under the posts, despite the last ditch tackle made by a Crediton girl in a Saracens shirt.

The opening 15 minutes of the second half was all Kirton’s. With the slope and the wind now in their favour they kicked deep from the restart and fantastic pressure caught Saracens five metres from their own line.

The ensuing exchanges saw the black and ambers work the ball across the pitch and eventually going over just to the side of the posts.

The next score came very soon after and in very similar fashion. Creddy girls worked the ball forwards through direct running and great support, both off loads and breakdown, before a cut back through the defensive line from five metres out saw the ball touched down again mid-way between posts and touchline.

Sarries started to come back into the game and there were various exchanges either side of the half-way line before a strong run and line break, from the Crediton girl that the opposition voted their player of the day, saw her crash through and clear chased down all the way to the posts by another Creddy girl in red and black.

Crediton’s final try of the day was a piece of rugby that any side, at any level, would have been proud to have scored.

Kirton girls crossed the half-way line before winning breakdown ball. This fed another strong run that gained another 20 metres.

With an overload of black and amber shirts out wide to their left, all screaming about the advantage they had, the ball was fed to them and with three quick intelligent passes the try just inside the line became a formality. Superb rugby by any standards.

The last period of the game became fractured by a series of injuries and stoppages and neither side really got going again. The last action of the game being the three points claimed by the visitors to get on the board for a final score of 34-3.

And, whilst the win and performance were good, solid improvements, yet again it was the spirit and attitude of the Kirton girls that brought out the pride of the coaches.

They enthused about the commitment shown by every girl that played for the opposition which, indeed, prompted the Saracens coach to comment, “… your girls were superb for coming over so willingly today. Please pass on my thanks to them, they are a credit to you and the club.”

Results can go either way but that kind of comment is only achieved by a collection of girls who take pride in themselves, the game that they play, and the club that they play for. From your coaches; It is an absolute pleasure to be involved with you all.

Thank you to all of the parents involved in delivering the Match Days; kitchen duty, subs collection, running the line and for a loud and supportive crowd.

The fields of Blagdon will quieten on Sunday afternoons now as the Kirton girls take their talents on the road for the next few weeks, starting with the return fixtures from this week at Exeter Saracens.

Andrew Drayton