OPM v Withycombe

Old Plymothian & Mannameadian 6

Withycombe 13

Family Fortune As Withycombe Sneak Win

Three pairs of brothers helped Withycombe to a laboured victory in fine winter conditions in Plymouth on Saturday. Dave & Mike Richards, John & Joe Parkin, and Aaron and Sam Conway all started at King George V playing fields, watched by their fathers Merv, Shaun and Paul respectively, who have all previously played for the Green & Black.

The game will not likely rank in the fondest of their memories of the club however; both teams will feel they could and should have done a lot better. Withycombe started strongly enough, an early surge from George Toomey forcing OPM to concede a penalty which Jack Pugsley converted.

Withycombe took their foot off the pedal after that, with OPM making inroads into Withy territory. After drawing level, the hosts missed a further two penalty kicks at goal before Withycombe struck with their first meaningful attack since Toomey's break. Jon Axon's workmanlike run barged four defenders out of the way, before a nice piece of skill from Sam Conway kept the ball infield as he was bundled into touch, with Mike Richards' hamstrings somehow allowing him to pick the ball off his bootlaces and flop over from a couple of yards out.

The game turned round at 8-3, and this time it was Withycombe's turn to rue missed penalty opportunities, Jack Pugsley missing three attempts at goal that would have put the game to bed, given the attacking on show. OPM drew themselves to within two points with a penalty kick with 20 minutes to go, only for Joe Parkin to pounce on a ball that squirmed out of the back of an OPM scrum soon after, dashing ten yards to score.

Withycombe held on to escape Plymouth with four points. The first XV have a bye next week but travel to Penzance the following Saturday, whilst the 2nd XV look to return to winning ways when they host Bideford in the Merit Table.

Withycombe v Kingsbridge

Withycombe 3

Kingsbridge 29

Devon Intermediate Cup

Withycombe were taught a lesson in chance-taking as they were humbled by a clinical second-half performance from Western Counties outfit Kingsbridge.

Kings, flying high a league above Withy, were slow out of the blocks as Withycombe heaped pressure at the Brook End of the ground, only for the visitors' first visit to the opposition half to give them the opening points of the game.

Withycombe were spurred to action, and a workmanlike series of phases gave Jack Pugsley the simplest of penalty chances to make it 5-3 at half time. All the talk in the Withycombe huddle was of turning the screw and making hard work pay dividends, however in the second half it was Kings who were to take their chances.

The visitors had been slightly ahead of the game at the breakdown, and it started to pay dividends. Two missed conversions from tries early in the second half ostensibly kept Withycombe in the tie at 15-3, but the lack of a finishing touch prevented them from truly looking like scoring.

A further two tries later in the half put the result to bed. Kingsbridge were by no means far and away the better side, but by taking their chances made the result a very comfortable one. If Withycombe have plans of playing in a higher league next year, this will serve as a good yardstick. The 1st XV are back in league action next week as they visit Old Plymothians & Mannameadians.

Tiverton Athletic 29

Withycombe 2nd XV 10

Withycombe were left cursing their lack of front row experience as Tiverton ended their unbeaten Merit Table run.

Tries from Mark Wilkinson and Glen Layton kept Withycombe in the match, but a lack of forward power meant the backs had very little platform to showcase their superior speed. Next week the 2s host OPM at Raleigh Park.

Withycombe v Tiverton

Withycombe 14

Tiverton 17

Tiverton only led for a total of four minutes but it was enough to secure them four points in a tight encounter at Raleigh Park.

Tivvy stay unbeaten but Withycombe can take heart from a commanding performance in a game that proved a fantastic advert for Devon rugby. Withycombe opened the scoring on 15 minutes after fly half Glenn Channing was hit late, Jack Pugsley kicking the goal. 

The very slight incline on the pitch proved a considerable factor; Channing's boot using it to Withycombe's advantage throughout the first half, and Pugsley was to strike two more penalties before half time to edge Withycombe to a 9-0 lead at the break.

Tiverton started the second half the brighter, a string of rare missed tackles from the Withycombe midfield allowing Johann Van Wyk to score by the posts. With Tivvy using the hill just like the home side had in the first half, Withycombe spent much of their time defending, and a further three points from a penalty niudged Tiverton in front for the first time in the game. 

Withycombe hit straight back after winning their own restart, a clever kick from Jack Pugsley forcing Tiverton to concede a lineout on their own 5m line. From the lineout, the unlikely figure of Glenn Channing emerged from the rubble over the tryline to claim his fourth try of the season. 

The game returned to Withycombe's stout defence holding out wave after wave of Tiverton attack, and with three minutes to go, the levee finally broke. A series of pick-and-go carries and mauls eventually resulted in Tivvy scoring a workmanlike winning try and converting with three minutes to go. The result sets up a mouthwatering return fixture at Coronation Field in March should both teams keep up their current form. Next week Withycombe host Western Counties outfit Kingsbridge in the Devon Cup, while the 2nd XV look to maintain their unbeaten run in the Merit Table at Tiverton.

Newquay Hornets v Withycombe

Rampant Withy Rout Hornets

Newquay Hornets 8
Withycombe 48

First half dominance seals third victory of the campaign on Cornish soil in gale force winds

A game of two halves loomed with the blustery conditions, with Withycombe preparing to batten down the hatches as they played into the wind in the first half. The old cliché never materialised though as the visitors went straight on the offensive.

Receiving the kickoff, Withycombe worked up the pitch, until Freddie Fraser made a decisive break before feeding Jack Pugsley who scored the opener. 

At times Withycombe 's indiscipline cost them big as penalty kicks were carried by the massive winds into green and black territory, but the strong forward display at set piece negated the effect somewhat. Freddie Fraser was sent to the sin bin on twenty minutes as Newquay snatched three points, but Withycombe replied by scoring with 14 men. 

A George Toomey break set Dave Richards in motion to feed "tugboat" Glenn Channing, who pinned his ears back to crash over. 

Withycombe's next score would come from defending a lineout on their own 5 metre line. With the conditions dictating that just about every throw go to the front, the gigantic Jon Axon was a constant thorn in the side of Newquay, and no more so than on this occasion, when the subsequent maul from his steal set the stage for Glenn Channing to bust a hole in the defence on the 22 before offloading to Jack Pugsley who ran in untouched from 50 metres out. Pugsley then converted his own try to make it 17-3. 

The four try bonus point was secured with the last act of the first half as Jon Axon made a delightful midfield half break and Freddie Fraser finished the job undertow posts. Pugsley converted to give Withycombe a 24-3 halftime lead, all but unassailable should the wind keep up! 

Another Channing-Pugsley connection early in the second half essentially secured the win, Withycombe able to sit back and enjoy the fruits of their first half labour, even if Glenn Channing's boot did occasionally overcook! 

Newquay showed they still had some fight in them by scoring a workmanlike try to pull it back to 31-8,but the score was instantly cancelled out as a steal from the ensuing kickoff led to Freddie Fraser scoring an eye-catching individual try. 

A slick backs move put George Toomey in for a late try before Andrei Toma hacked on a loose ball and just managed to get the ball down before it squirmed out of play. With the unbeaten league leaders Tiverton visiting Raleigh Park next week, a 40-point win in Cornwall is sure to raise eyebrows.

Withycombe v Exeter Saracens

Withycombe Nil Sorry Saracens

Withycombe 34
Exeter Saracens 0

Exeter's second club were sent back up the A376 with their tails between their legs as Withy make it three on the trot.

It was a miserable return to their old stomping ground as former Withies Rob Hilton and Martyn Dibble led a dispirited Saracens team to defeat at Raleigh Park.

After scoring their first bonus point of the season last week, Withycombe had this one wrapped up by half time, and it took only seven minutes before Mike Richards worked a crevice in the defence from the scrum base just big enough for John Parkin to penetrate and score the opener, Jack Pugsley adding the conversion. Five minutes later and a quick tap penalty left Saracens short on defence in Clubhouse Corner, Will Cole giving Kevin Rodwell the scoring pass.

Saracens played with intent, though never really looked like scoring into the wind in the first half. It would take until the 35th minute for the home side to score again when Jack Pugsley intercepted and left Rob Hayes to wheel away for the score. The bonus point try came on half time when Glenn Channing followed last week's bump-and-run with a slippery show-and-go to make it two tries in two weeks.

Withycombe put the fixture beyond doubt early in the second half when a Saracens scrum on their own 5m line started a hasty retreat, only for the ball to pop out of the back and Freddie Fraser, who had made a rascal of himself all day moonlighting at openside flanker, dived on the ball adjacent to the posts to give Pugsley the easiest of conversions.

On 65 minutes Withycombe scored again when Phil Sluman showed he is not just a superior scrummager, scoring a workmanlike try from close range. Proving that it really wasn't Sarries' day, a clean run in was not enough to get them on the scoresheet as Ben Mardle chased back and forced a knock-on over Withies goal-line to keep the clean sheet intact.