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.