Withycombe 41
Withycombe travelled to Plymouth buoyed by the previous week's win over Crediton and looking to make their mark in the league this year. However things got off to an unconvincing start. Withycombe heads appeared to be still on the bus until Mike Symons poached a loose ball from the back of a Babarians scrum before showing his electric pace in finishing from 50 metres out, leaving a simple conversion for Jack Pugsley. Sloppy play from the kickoff allowed Babas the immediate chance to reply though, a penalty being awarded for obstruction which was duly converted by Finley Gilding to make it 7-3.
Withy were full of invention but at times lacked the finishing touch. However when things did come together, the results were stunning. Jamie Rose fed the returning John Parkin who shimmied, dummied and feigned his way to the line with twenty minutes gone. The score remained 12-3 for 15 minutes, with Barbarians not really threatening to score and Withycombe making poor use of good possession. On 33 minutes a botched Barbarians clearance kick was collected by Mike Richards, with the ball going through Neil Williams and Jamie Rose to allow Adam Morris to waltz over in the corner. The offloads were coming thick and fast now and another flowing move five minutes later gave Ben Tuckett a similar run-in to Morris', Pugsley this time slotting the touchline conversion attempt to make it 24-3 at the half with the bonus point already secured.
The second half brought more of the same, Withycombe again looking untroubled by the Barbarians attack, creating plenty of chances but too often lacking the finishing touch. After 60 minutes, period of sustained pressure in the opposition 22 led Jack Pugsley to slot a drop goal in order to get the scoreboard ticking over again. It seemed to pay dividende as shortly afterward, good inroads by the forwards gave Neil Williams the chance to make a trademark line break and dart over the tryline, Pugsley again converting.
Withycombe's scoring was rounded off with a nice bit of forward interplay, flanker Brad Perkins offloading to prop Sam Manning who popped inside for No. 8 Mike Richards to flop over the line having been disallowed a "stonewaller" some five minutes earlier. Pugsley converted to make it 41-3. Barbarians did score a late consolation try as Withycombe struggled to clean up some quick-won ruck ball in their own half; their willingness to offload went from being their biggest strength to the rope by which they hung themselves as Steve Hammon pounced on a loose pass and darted under the posts, converting his own try to leave it 41-10 at the final whistle. Plenty to work on, but 2 from 2 and still not convincingly out of third gear leaves Withycombe well placed; results suggest that Falmouth may prove a sterner test this weekend at Raleigh Park.
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