Veor v Withycombe

Ten-Try Withies Crush Veor

Veor 10

Withycombe 62

Withycombe move to sixth with smash-and-grab raid on basement boys Veor

Withycombe had the unenviable task of visiting Veor for what would prove to be a real test of nerves this weekend.

The sides have contrasting fortunes so far this season, Withycombe on the up except for a forgettable trip to Hayle two weeks ago, and Veor without a win since the opening weekend of the season. A hostile reception awaited the visitors, and they responded with a truly workmanlike performance, earning their first bonus point of the season and escaping without injury or sending off!

Withycombe proved they were in no mood to mess around when given an early penalty opportunity in front of the posts; with the wind at his back, skipper Dave Richards opted to kick the corner, with brother Mike the benficiary from the rolling maul to score the game's opening try.

Fly-half Glenn Channing was sent to the sin bin on 14 minutes, gifting Veor an easy three points for a perceived block on the kicker, however this would make little difference to the direction of traffic. John Parkin fed Jon Axon on the blindside for the big man to barge three defenders out of the way on his way over the line. Jack Pugsley made the most of the narrow pitch by converting from the sideline. Rob Hayes would be next to score for Withycombe from close range after being put in by Andrei Toma, Pugsley again converting from the touchline.

Veor hit back with a well-taken interception try but the conversion was to be the last of their scoring for the day. First Glenn Channing put Aaron Conway through to score in the corner, before scoring himself with the patented "Channing Bump-and-Run". Veor tried to change their luck by kicking the opposite way at the restart, making the ill-advised decision to put the ball directly into the hands of Rob Hayes, who returned the ball with interest to the home 22, paving the way for Freddie Fraser to score the last try of the half.

The second half continued in much the same vein as the first, to the extent that Mike Richards scored the half's opening try in exactly the same fashion. Freddie Fraser then put Sam Conway in for his third try of the season to make it 50-10, before Chris "Fridge" Gibbons turned up on the wing to pop the ball inside for Kev Rodwell to score.

The game was marred by an inevitable sending off on 72 minutes. Fraser, who had been the subject of an assault by a spectator early in the first half, was sin binned whilst a Veor player was red carded for punching Withycombe's Will Cole. Withycombe made sure the game ended on a much happier note when Rob Hayes took off on a mazy run before flinging a miss pass out to the one and only Fridge Gibbons who flew up the wing to score with the game's final action.

Next week Withycombe 1st XV host Exeter Saracens for what promises to be an intriguing local derby.

Withycombe v Honiton

Withycombe 25

Honiton 8

The humiliation of last week's 40-point drubbing at Hayle seems a long time ago now! After a shaky start, Withycombe saw off Honiton in a comprehensive manner.

The villagers drew first blood through an early Jack Pugsley penalty, before Honiton responded with a penalty of their own and a soft try. Fortunately for Withycombe the Honiton kicking from the spot wasn't up to much, so 8-3 it stayed. Those would be the last points Honiton scored as Withycombe's defence woke up and kept a clean sheet for the remaining 68 minutes.

Withycombe drew level on 30 minutes when Phil Sluman rolled back the years and scored a try that by next week will surely be a 30-yard screamer, but for now was a close quarters battering. Pugsley missed the conversion but made no mistake five minutes later when Mike Richards scored underneath the posts after breaking from the back of a scrum.

The second half was a story of "what could have been" for both sides. Having missed a couple of shots at goal in the first half, Honiton's luck with the boot didn't improve, and Withycombe can count themselves lucky on the one hand that the score was not a closer affair in the end.

On the other hand, however, the home side had many opportunities to score, but whether it was a bad final pass, a questionable forward pass decision or a dropped ball, something was stopping Withycombe from scoring their first bonus point of the season.

Discipline has been a Withy virtue of late, but today the penalty count was extremely high, and Withies can perhaps count themselves lucky that the referee was not more judicious with the cards. Returning skipper Dave Richards was sent to the sin bin on 60 minutes, as was Aaron Conway on 72, ending the centre's involvement in the game. The saving grace was Withycombe's tackling, so ferocious that Honiton didn't look like scoring a try, and failed to kick any points. 

Withycombe started to edge away on 60 minutes when Jack Pugsley put them ten points in front. After a tense period, Withycombe put the game beyond doubt as some clever play from Glenn Channing put Danny Sansom away on the outside from deep, and man of the match Sansom's strong running saw him beat the remaining Honiton defence to score a late try under the posts, Pugsley converting.

The 1st XV travel to Veor next week, site of a stirring 18-16 victory two years ago, whilst the 2nd XV entertain Brixham at Raleigh Park.

Hayle v Withycombe

Hayle 55

Withycombe 12

Withycombe's Cornish blues returned on a miserable trip down the A30 where they endured a first-half battering from Hayle.

Having won at Falmouth two weeks ago, and with three crucial trips to Cornwall this side of Christmas, Withy were hoping for a strong performance against a home side whose results had been unconvincing until this point.

Wins in Cornwall are never easy to come by, and with Danny Parry spending a long time in the sin bin having been sent from the field after two minutes, Withycombe's task was not being made any easier. In fact, the visitors were not even awarded a penalty until 33 minutes, by which point the game as a contest looked long over. Withycombe coach Mark Tomlinson was controversially sent off on 38 minutes to cap a first half horror show, Hayle going in 36-0 up at the break.

The second half proved to be more of a contest, Withycombe scoring first after a Mike Richards break allowed Sam Conway to crash over in the corner, and although Hayle replied with three soft tries, Withycombe had the last word when Danny Parry sniped from the fringes to run in untouched from the Hayle 22. Withycombe host Honiton this week at Raleigh Park looking to bounce back.

Withycombe 2nd XV 13

Exmouth Nomads 24

Withycombe's 2nd XV welcomed the Nomads to Raleigh Park for match that tends to bring many old faces crawling out of the woodwork. Despite a committed performance, Two Lee Tanton penalties were not enough to prevent the Nomads going in at halftime 12-6 up. In the second half, Brian Fardoe's first try for Withycombe, converted by Tanton, was negated by the introduction of Navy centre Dale Sleeman, who scored a try and set one up to put Exmouth out of reach on 24 points.

The 2nd XV visit Topsham next week for their latest Merit Table game.