Pirates Amateurs v Withycombe

Danny signs off in style!

Parry Swansong Ends Pirates Unbeaten Run

Pirates Amateurs 10
Withycombe 15

Danny Parry’s last game in Withycombe colours left the Green & Black as the lone unbeaten team atop the Cornwall and Devon league last Saturday. The Forest of Dean native is heading home and will be sorely missed but left with a bang at the Mennaye.

With that said, the abiding memory of the game might not be Parry’s last involvement, but rather another Gloucester boy’s contribution. Five minutes in, Dave Sims ripped the ball from a Pirates maul close to their own line and found himself one-on-one with the tryline looming. Sims threw a dummy and walked over untouched to open the scoring.

The other big feature which dominated proceedings was the physicality, reflected in the four yellow cards picked up by Withycombe players. The first to take a rest was Joe Parkin on ten minutes for a tackle on a player deemed to be still in the air. The Withycombe defence held firm as Pirates failed to make use of the one-man advantage.

There was a flurry of yellow cards just before half time, with the home side’s Steve Evans going on 36 minutes before Danny Parry and his opposite number saw yellow for little more than handbags at scrum time. The hosts could count themselves lucky to be going in just 8 points down, Glenn Channing kicking the only penalty goal of Withycombe’s three attempts at the posts.

Pirates looked a different side right after half time, and as Withycombe’s physicality temporarily deserted them, they scored a smash-and-grab try to get themselves back in it. Ten minutes later Withycombe had restored the balance as Simon Tozer scored his first try on English soil from the back of a rolling maul. Channing converted to leave Withycombe two scores in front, both of which they would need! Pirates hit back with a penalty to bring themselves within five points with 23 minutes left on the clock, the majority of which was spent inside the Withycombe half.

Two more yellow cards didn’t help, one for a Tozer tip tackle and one for a high tackle by Dave Wellbeloved with two minutes remaining, but despite some heroics one the tryline, at the scrum and a lot of pressure at the breakdown, the visitors somehow kept conceding penalties. On reflection the hosts might kick themselves for not shooting at goal but the gutsy Withycombe defence held out for the finest win of their eight on the trot this year. Next week Falmouth visit Raleigh Park before a real test of Withycombe’s ambition comes in the form of a cup tie at Teignmouth, high flyers in Western Counties.

Withycombe: Jack Pugsley, Sam Conway, Aaron Conway, Joe Parkin (YC), Kevin Rodwell, Glenn Channing (1C, 1P), John Parkin, David Wellbeloved (YC), Liam Cullen, Phil Sluman, Jon Axon, Dave Sims (1T), Simon Tozer (1T, YC), Danny Parry (YC, MoM), Mike Richards. Reps: Eugene Badenhorst, Adam Morris, Danny Sansom.

Withycombe v Exeter Saracens

All Roads Lead to Penzance

Withycombe brush aside struggling Saracens on their way to Pirates D-Day

Withycombe 47
Exeter Saracens 0

Withycombe made it seven from seven and secured the bonus point to stay top, but all eyes will be on this Saturday's crunch visit to deepest Cornwall. Pirates Amateurs are the only other unbeaten side in the league, and will surely have designs on taking the Green & Black down a notch, whilst Withycombe will be looking to put daylight between themselves and the chasing pack.

This was no victory parade though; Saracens came to play and made life difficult for the home side early on. Indeed, it was twenty minutes before the first score when Jack Pugsley seized the initiative on a kick chase to touch down before converting his own try. Saracens then suffered the twin blows of missing a penalty shot at goal and being hit with the immediate counterpunch of a Withycombe breakaway try. With the home pack in trouble, Leo Hood worked some space before a nice one-two between Joe Parkin and Danny Sansom ended with the former putting the finishing touches on an eighty metre score. Withycombe lost Aaron Conway to the sin bin just before the break but headed in 14 points to the good.

Starting the half with only 14 men, Withycombe showed their intent by their penalty decisions: there would be no running down of the clock. Twice they kicked to the corner, the second ultimately ending in a powerful try for Dave Wellbeloved, but their set drive looked beleaguered. Overall, niggling injuries to veteran lock pairing Dave Sims and Jon Axon remain a worry, though Tim Wils and Max Cooke acquitted themselves well as the pack held steady against a resilient Saracens front eight.

The hosts wrapped up the bonus point on the quarter hour when Kevin Rodwell ran in the simplest of finishes from a set piece move as Withycombe's dynamism in the back division continued to prove the difference between the sides. Withycombe then scored three more tries in a frantic last twelve minutes as first a chip through by Eugene Badenhorst saw Adam Morris keep up his impressive scoring record, before the supersub turned provider for Aaron Conway to run under the posts unchallenged. Kevin Rodwell added the cherry in the best fashion possible by scoring in clubhouse corner; a quick tap after skipper John Parkin was taken out off the ball caught Saracens napping and Withycombe put the ball through the hands until the visitors ran out of defenders. Withycombe wil be looking to run Pirates ragged in a similar fashion next week, while the second XV look to bounce back from a disappointing 7-3 defeat at Brixham as the Exmouth Nomads make the long trip up Marine Way to Raleigh Park.

Withycombe: Danny Sansom, Leo Hood, Aaron Conway (1T, YC), Joe Parkin (1T), Kevin Rodwell (2T), Jack Pugsley (1T, 6C), John Parkin, Dave Wellbeloved (1T), Liam Cullen, Max Cooke, Tim Wills, Mike Richards, Richard Hodges, Ben Clarke, Simon Tozer. Reps: Eugene Badenhorst, Danny Parry, Adam Morris (1T).

Paignton v Withycombe

Paignton 28

Withycombe 37

Withycombe escaped Queens Park with a bonus point win to keep themselves top, but Paignton gave them plenty to think about before D-Day in Penzance in two weeks.

The visitors started strongly, with a Mike Richards run setting the platform for John Parkin to score a smash-and-grab try with just three minutes on the clock. Paignton replied soon after with a counter-attack try to level the scores at 7-7.

Withycombe's scrum dominance may be on the wane but Ben Clarke found a gap with a pick-and-go and raced over to put Withycombe back in front. Paignton fought their way back into the game and a period of ill discipline from Withycombe saw the hosts kick one penalty and miss two more as Mike Richards was the man in green and black who finally wore out the referee's patience, being sent for a ten minute rest just before the half hour.

Paignton made the most of their advantage as they scored ten points with the extra man. First they hit back with a try after making some inroads with their forwards, before adding another penalty. With the sides even again, Withycombe managed to win a penalty just inside ther own half which Glenn Channing pushed wide to see out the half.

The second half started with Withycombe in the unfamiliar position of chasing the lead, but they played their best rugby when it mattered. A Joe Parkin break was snuffed out with a high tackle, resulting in a yellow card for Paignton's full back. Mike Richards scored two trademark close range tries to put Withycombe back in control but Glenn Channing's wayward boot kept Paignton within reach.

Paignton hit back with a try from their Number 8, his fleetness of foot outrunning the Withycombe forwards to give Paignton the lead back in what was fast becoming a ding-dong affair. Withycombe's suffocating back line defence then hit back with another counterpunch as Aaron Conway's charge-down gave him a short range score Mike Richards would have been proud of!

A Glenn Channing penalty with five minutes remaining put Withycombe two scores in front, and the sides traded penalties as Paignton battled to get something from the game. They looked as though they would get their bonus point reward, alas the kick was pushed wide after the clock had run out.

Withycombe now march to six wins from six and welcome Exeter Saracens to Raleigh Park next weekend for what should be a formality, if they can keep their front eight fit. Injuries to Dave Sims and Jon Axon will not help matters but strength in depth is growing and the second team had plenty of players stake their claim as the overcame Cullompton 34-22. Roll on next week!

Withycombe: Danny Sansom, Sam Conway, Aaron Conway (1T), Joe Parkin, Kevin Rodwell, Glenn Channing (3C, 2P), John Parkin (1T), Dave Wellbeloved, Liam Cullen, Phil Sluman, Dave Sims, Tim Wills, Ben Clarke (1T), Danny Parry, Mike Richards (2T, YC). Reps: Max Cooke, Richard Hodges, Jack Pugsley.

Withycombe v Crediton

Withycombe 11

Crediton 10

Withycombe captain John Parkin praised his troops for the "commitment, effort and passion they are showing" after grinding out a win in the trenches at Raleigh Park to make it five wins from five.

It was only the fifth game of the season, but this fixture between the two unbeaten free-scoring teams was already being talked up as though it could have promotion ramifications later in the season. Unfortunately what promised to be a mouthwatering spectacle turned into a dribbling mess at times, with nerves appearing to get the better of both sides at crucial moments and officiating which didn't allow either side to show what they were really capable of.

After Crediton missed a penalty in the first minute, Withycombe had the better of the opening exchanges, and a scrum taken against the head on 12 minutes gave quick ball to Glenn Channing who powered over the tryline in trademark fashion. Three minutes later Channing added a penalty to take the score to 8-0, but that would spell the end of Withycombe's dominance for a while. The second quarter turned into a real slobber knocker, with Crediton making the most of some soft penalties against veteran lock Dave Sims' destructive work in the maul to keep Withycombe penned in.

After the first of many controversial breakdown penalties, Crediton kicked to the corner and their rolling maul took them over, a touchline conversion maing it 8-7. Withycombe would have to hold on another 12 minutes resiting further Crediton forays into Clubhouse Corner but tehir stoic defence held strong.

After half time a game of rugby threatened to break out between the lineout infringements and breakdown penalties as both sides attempted to build some rhythm. The ruck area became something of a lottery and both sides made the most of the lenient offside line as defence smothered attack on both sides and shut down the creativity trying to break out.

The only points produced in the workmanlike second half came from the boots of Channing and Mark Lee as they traded penalties two minutes apart with an hour on the clock, although Withycombe dominated the territory battle and came closest to scoring with a 40-metre rolling maul which was pulled down with the tryline begging. Lee missed two more penalties including a speculative punt from his own half with the last kick of the game, but both sides will come away thinking they could have done better.

Still, Parkin was delighted with the win he described an an "8-pointer" and Withycombe's winning start to the season continues. Next week Withycombe travel to Paignton hoping to make it six from six.

Withycombe: Jack Pugsley, Sam Conway, Danny Sansom, Joe Parkin, Kevin Rodwell, Glenn Channing (1T, 2PG), John Parkin, Dave Wellbeloved, Liam Cullen, Phil Sluman, Jon Axon, Dave Sims, Danny Parry, Simon Tozer, Mike Richards. Reps: Andrei Toma, Ben Clarke, Aaron Conway.