BRIDGWATER 27 - CREDITON 22

INJURIES and unavailabilities hit us really hard this week in the backs and forwards causing a major headache for selectors.

However, despite the absence of influential players including Ollie Avery-Wright, Mark Lee and Henry Gavin both injured, Lance Palmer (to whom with wife Donna congratulations are in order on the arrival last week of Arthur George Palmer) and having lost Leigh Kinch the previous week with a broken ankle, resources were stretched to the limit.

However, such has been our form and commitment during this season that a trip to much fancied Bridgwater held no real fears. Indeed, in the end, it was only the lack of a kicker that prevented us from winning.

A completely new front row of Phil Holmes, Tom Luxmoore and Wayne Reed were more than a match for the home side in a hard fought game that was in the balance right up to the final whistle.

We were the dominant side in the early stages and a penalty to the corner on five minutes saw winger Josh Woodland go over in the corner from the resulting lineout drive.

The next half hour was evenly contested and the home side reduced the arrears with a 30-metre penalty on the half-hour. The response was fairly swift and full-back Gareth Mason was on the end of a backs move to go over in the corner.

Back came Bridgwater and a break through the middle ended with a score under the posts with the conversion levelling the scores. This was quickly followed by another home try when a quickly taken penalty produced an unconverted try to put the hosts ahead for the first time. However, once again we stormed back with a well-taken try from winger Lewis Warren, converted by Jason Luff to give us an interval lead of 17-15.

On the hour mark, we had a scrum and set up a driving maul for Phil Holmes to touch down. Prop Rob Leach was yellow carded, taking one for the team after a few penalties had been conceded but the home side failed to capitalise on their numerical advantage.

The pressure from Bridgwater began to build and with 10 minutes remaining they got the try and conversion to level things up.

With the clock deep into injury time, a neat handling move from the home backs ended with their winning try although the conversion failed to find its mark and the final whistle blew.

It has to be said, we were as good as the home side even with so many players missing and we did come away with two bonus points which was so nearly five points had the whistle gone 30 seconds earlier.

Eleven points from our opening three games is a great return, we have proved that we are capable of competing at this level, there is no side that we need fear.

Great to see two of last year’s Colts leading the way with try scoring, Lewis Warren three tries in three games and Josh Woodland two, both will score many more for the Club.

Reports from supporters who managed to get to the game was that we were simply excellent and probably deserved to win.

Three games into the new season and two wins plus two bonus points from the defeat puts us in a very healthy position, 11 points from a possible 15 is a great start especially as two of the games were away.

CREDITON SECONDS 5

OKEHAMPTON SECONDS 31

Reigning Merit Table Champions Okehampton look like a side that will be hard to stop from winning the competition again. The opening quarter was actually evenly contested and certainly forward wise we were their equal.

However, their backs were very well drilled and scored some excellent tries. In defence we worked extremely hard but they always seemed to have an extra man somewhere. No disgrace in defeat and we were probably worth more than the solitary Matt Moyes try from a driving maul.

The game was brought to an early end due to a serious injury to Mike Snell who could not be moved from the pitch. Our best wishes to him for a speedy recovery.

CREDITON THIRDS 13

BIDEFORD SECONDS 35

The strength of opposition in Devon Merit Table 2NE gets stronger every season and our Thirds came up against another strong Second Fifteen from Bideford. In all honesty the scoreline does not represent a true reflection of the game.

The forwards were the equal of Bideford and in fact probably edged things but any errors in midfield were pounced on by the slick Bideford backs.

Two Owen Cooper penalties were all we had on the board in response to Bideford’s 35 points. However, with the advantage of the slope in the second period, we penned Biddy into their own ‘22’ for long periods only to be thwarted by some strong defending.

Andy Dafters did eventually bag a try which Cooper converted but in the meantime, the visitors had added 12 more points to their total.

PLYMSTOCK COLTS 5

CREDITON COLTS 43

The Colts enjoyed an emphatic victory at Plymstock in what was a good all-round performance and should provide some encouragement for the remainder of the season.

Winger Toby Jefferys touched down twice and there were other tries from props Tobias Whitaker and Charlie Jarvis, No 8 Ethan Sibley, fly-half Ryan Styles and full-back Joe Warren. Styles and Warren each landed two conversions.

It has to be said that despite all the players that were unavailable, we still had four replacements for the Thirds, a remarkable achievement when you consider that clubs such as Brixham, Newton Abbot and Teignmouth could not raise a second team. We must be doing something right!

On a sad note, it is disappointing to see that a club like St Ives have had to pull out of the league. They have a hugely proud history and it just goes to prove that if clubs do not look after and maintain a Junior section, then this is how things will end up.

To be honest, it is surprising that this was not spotted years ago as it is some time since they had anything other than a First Fifteen. When all the eggs are in one basket and the basket breaks, there is unlikely to be anything left to salvage.

Tomorrow, Saturday, October 5, the First Fifteen entertain Chew Valley who were promoted last season as Champions of Western Counties North. They too have had a good start to the season with two wins from three games and they are a new club on our fixture list.

The Seconds travel to Brixham, who have failed to put out a Seconds team for two consecutive Saturdays, hopefully they will have enough players this week. The Colts have a Merit Table fixture against Okehampton.

Paul Harris