NORTH TAWTON 12 VEOR 7

ON reflection I think this was a game most in attendance would have chosen to forget, notwithstanding the weather which poured with heavy rain for most of the match, but also for the way the referee barely kept control of the proceedings.

There seemed to be more happening off the ball than on it at times.

I’ve never seen a team argue back to a rugby referee more than I witnessed than in this game without any sanctions.

I am not sure if the team from Cornwall had a bad journey up from the Duchy, but from the very first whistle the team members seemed to be in a bad mood verbally, contesting everything that North Tawton did and every decision that the referee made.

By the end of the game most had had enough of their antics, the final whistle coming not a minute too soon.

As for the rugby North Tawton took to the field yet again with several faces missing.

Those that did play, did the shirt proud not only with the win but keeping their own discipline in difficult conditions.

The home team soon settled into their stride, some good running line breaks, slick passing, some good chips over the heads turning the visitors back towards their own half.

Jordan Cornthwaite gathered the ball on or about the Veor 22 and sheer strength took him over for the first try, the kick added by Gary Sizmur to make it 7-0 to Tawton.

Then, only 15 minutes in, it started getting a bit feisty, Veor coming back with everything they could think of.

The ref really had his work cut out, some decisions you might feel being made under pressure so it’s a brace of penalties awarded to the men from Cornwall albeit both missed that had to keep the Tawts honest with their tackles etc.

It was Veor that scored next, a good try of their own with the conversion taking us to the oranges, 7-7.

We got the second half underway, rain still hammering down and it seemed more of the same, both teams trying to break the dead lock.

It was the home team playing the attacking game. The team likes to put some inter play between forwards and backs and it was Matty Dennis that went over for the five points, a missed kick making it 12-7.

While Veor did spend long periods in the Tawton red zone towards the end of the match, try as they might, tempers getting more frazzled, the North Tawton defence held firm for another home win against Cornish opposition.

Anybody reading this with a Veor hat on could point out that the penalty count was pretty even, although I would respectfully suggest that Tawton’s penalties were of a technical nature, off side etc, while Veors were more of a discipline nature, one to forget in truth.

Man of the Match was James Miller, good under the high ball, always breaking the gain line and so strong in the tackle.

Chris Phare