CREDITON RUGBY CLUB NOTES

CREDITON 30

WADEBRIDGE 3

THE First Fifteen produced probably their best performance since returning to Western Counties West a couple of seasons ago. It was a complete team performance and one that had been on the cards for a few weeks now.

This was not against an ordinary side either, Wadebridge were fourth in the table having suffered only one defeat in their opening seven games and that was at St Ives earlier in the season. Our second successive bonus point victory against Cornish opponents has moved us to a very creditable eighth position in the league and there is definitely a feeling around the club that there is much more to come from this group of players.

Success in any team sport is built around solid defending and in that aspect of the game we have been outstanding all season, indeed only two sides have conceded fewer points. Conversely, we are pretty well down the list of points scored although that is becoming less of an issue having posted more than 50 points in the last two games.

We are now almost at the one third stage of the season and things are looking so much healthier than they were at the same stage last year when we were constantly looking over our shoulders trying to stay out of the bottom two and whilst there is no room for complacency, we are fast becoming a side that no one else in the league will look forward to playing either at home or away.

The early stages of the contest were evenly contested and, despite a much heavier pack of forwards, the visitors made no impression in the scrum. The first try went to the vastly improving hooker Dan Yendall as he stood off a ruck and as first receiver, took his chance from 10 metres out to force his way over. Fullback Oli Down converted and landed a penalty.

Prop Henry Gavin was next on the scoresheet after a magnificent driving maul took play from the Wadebridge 10 metre mark to the try line where Gavin got the touch down.

Wadebridge responded with a penalty but for all their labours, that was about as good as it got for them. Down then cut a good angle to outpace the visiting defenders to give us a 20-3 interval lead.

Lock Josh Lee secured the bonus point with another close range try as we continued to dominate proceedings. Whatever Wadebridge tried, they were thwarted with some excellent first up tackling and whilst they did put pressure on in the final quarter, they were getting nowhere and, as with Falmouth the previous week simply ran out of ideas. It was no real surprise when a long miss pass found winger Charlie Luxton who rounded his opposite number to score out wide in the last move of the game.

We have now played most of the sides that sit above us in the table although two difficult tasks lay ahead of us before Christmas with a trip to very much in form St Austell this Saturday, and a home game against big spending St Ives early in December.

However, with games against Sidmouth, Paignton and Tiverton who all find themselves below us at the moment, then the form book says we could well be in the top six at Christmas. Having said that, this league is already producing some surprise results and we can take nothing for granted because on their day everyone is capable of beating the other sides in this league.

IVYBRIDGE COLTS 27

CREDITON COLTS 18

The Colts were disappointed to come away from Ivybridge having suffered a defeat. We were in the lead for much of the game but two late Ivybridge tries took victory from us. Barrie Karrea grabbed two tries and there was one for Josh Woodland. Conrad Saunders landed a penalty.

CREDITON THIRDS 26

EXETER ENGINEERS 35

The opening five minutes looked very ominous for the Thirds as the Engineers literally raced into a 14-point lead with two tries from their explosive backs. However, the visitors were not quite so good when it came to taking on the forwards and once we realised where our strength lay, we began to get into the game. By half time though, despite pulling a score back, we were behind 5-21.

The second half saw a huge improvement but another three tries were not enough to gain the win as the Engineers added two more of their own. Nonetheless a very entertaining game under floodlights which was enjoyed by quite a few spectators.

Tries came from Tom Luxmoore (two), Ed Marshall and Maca Jones with Phil Anning adding three conversions.

Paul Harris