BUCKFASTLEIGH 6 - NORTH TAWTON 11

THIS match was the much anticipated top of the table clash after the first attempt was abandoned because of injury.

With a bitterly cold wind blowing across what always feels like the top of the world the hardy few gathered to watch a very good game of rugby at the home of Buckfastleigh Ramblers.

Both teams were keen to get back to winning ways after losses last week. Cold it might be but the playing surface looked like it would lend to a good match.

Add a no nonsense referee and off we go with the home team playing down the slope.

The away support are hoping the Tawts can keep it tight ’til’ it’s our turn to play down hill.

The first chance of points was missed by Buckfastleigh with a missed penalty and it wasn’t long before North Tawton got their first points of the game with a well-taken penalty from the boot of James Bowden to make it 0-3.

It was pretty much end-to-end play, neither side showing any fear in throwing the ball around and it was nip and tuck at scrum time, even though the Buckfast coach seemed to think differently.

This ref was no fool, we let him get on with it.

You would have to say that the home team, while spending more time with the ball in-hand and more time in the Tawton half, didn’t look quite as dangerous as the visitors did ball in-hand.

This was borne out with the best move of the match from either side with a superbly worked try involving the usual suspects at try time Messrs Goss, Mathis, and a must-have Dennis in there somewhere.

It was all finished off very well by Matt Baker with a missed kick. The score is now 0-8 to North Tawton.

Buckfastleigh were not about to give up the top of the league spot without a fight and back they came down the hill looking to get on the board and get back in this match.

If Tawton scored again it could be seen as slipping away from Buckfastleigh.

They needed the next score and went after it with great determination, pinning the away side back in their own 22 for longer than expected.

The Tawts were glad to hear the half-time whistle as the score was 8-0.

The second half got underway and it was not long before Buckfastleigh was rewarded and got a penalty to bring the score to 3-8.

A converted try would have given them the lead - who remembers the home game - surely it couldn’t happen again surely not. Thankfully we held nerves and played well.

As the match went on you got the feeling that the Tawts weren’t going to let this one get away.

They were playing with belief, working and covering for each other. The next three points were added by Craig Dennis with a long range penalty giving them a tad more breathing space taking the score to 3-11.

If you were on the touch line from North Tawton, the ref could blow for full time at any time, the sooner the better in fact for Tawton.

Nothing was so simple and with five minutes to go, Buckfastleigh took an easy kick for three points to bring the difference back to five points, making the score 6-11.

With a mistake from the restart from Buckfastleigh, the Tawts were awarded a penalty and elected to use up the clock and take almost the full minute to take a shot at the posts.

It didn’t really matter if it went over, as long as the ball went dead, but it didn’t, and Buckfastleigh had one more chance to run back at North Tawton.

It was a nervy few moments but that was brought to an end when the ball got back to a Tawton pair of hands and it was hoofed into touch for a very well deserved victory.

The result puts the Tawts back on top of the league.

Everybody who played in the game, including the referee, gave something that added to a very good match and it was another good advert for Devon rugby at its best.

The Chiefs were playing Sarries, Six Nations was on the telly, and I was standing on top a freezing hilltop watching this lot. I knew what was more rewarding, the win made it even sweeter.

Chris Phare