Salcombe 2nds 15 Kingsbridge A 12 - played 18 Oct 2008
Last Saturday saw the first meeting between the Kingsbridge and Salcombe rugby clubs for this season and the game drew a large crowd of vocal supporters. This might have been just a second team friendly but it was played with no less passion than a premier cup final game. The conditions were ideal for good running rugby and both teams had that in mind.
Kingsbridge were keen to dominate and had Salcombe pinned in their own 22 for the first five minutes before a clearance kick from behind a five metre scrum by fly half Favis put the Crabs temporarily out of trouble.
Kingsbridge player Roger Honeywill took a lot of line-out ball from Salcombe with aggresive jumping but Salcombe proved strong in the scrums with the combination of Trant and Barlow in second row, pushing Kings back several times. With both No 8's having personal tussles for the ball and the forwards going head-to-head in the mauls neither team could make ground.
A penalty awarded to Salcombe gave them the opportunity to kick for points which Lee Clarke unfortunately missed but in an amazing off-chance his father playing winger chased up and when the Kingsbridge player miss-cued his kick away, Clarke Snr collected the ball and in a hit and spin movement from the tackle dived over the line. Clarke Jnr then added the conversion.
From the restart Kings came back fast and furious but Salcombe defended well with massive tackles coming from all players. For ten minutes or so play stuck in mid-field as neither team gave way. As scrum half Alan Thomas left the field with a hamstring pull the home team was shuffled to bring Guest in at outside centre as Hopkins took the full back position.
An organised Kings pack pushed into the Crabs territory and pressure on Lee Clarke as replacement scrum half forced a miss-pass sending Favis, Hopkins and George scurrying back. With Kingsbridge scrum half Jake Brooking in hot pursuit, Hopkins collected the ball off the tryline handing off the youngster and neatly side-stepping the tackle while Salcombe supporters were able to breathe once again.
Salcombe tried to be more inventive by running the ball wide but Kings backs Gibbons, Scott and Eva wanted to play their own expansive game and eventually it was centre Matt Gibbons who scored two tries in quick succession, the first from a quick tap and go penalty and the second a neat cut through the Salcombe line. With one try converted the halftime score was 7-12.
Although three forward substitutions gave Salcombe a lighter pack, advantages were gained from the excellent timing of line-out ball from Roberts being collected off the top by Matt Read giving Salcombe better possession into second and third phase. Good end to end running rugby gave the backs from both teams chance to stretch their legs
A vital decision to kick a penalty awarded to Salcombe for handling in the ruck on the half way line brought rapturous delight from the home crowd when it crossed the bar. With the score at 10-12 Salcombe were spurred on with strong runs by Bastin and Guest taking forays into Kings half while they in turn had a full five minutes of barraging Salcombe's line bringing immense tackles from Pike, George, Hopkins and Guest.
Salcombe's winning points suddenly came from nowhere as a combined Favis and Williamson tackle on Kingsbridge's Lethbridge turned the ball over and quick hands took the ball across the pitch and out to Guest who ran forty five metres down the five metre line to put the try away in the clubhouse corner with George running in support and vocal encouragement from onlookers.
With no conversion the score stood at 15-12 and fifteen minutes on the clock Kingsbridge still had a chance to steal a win. The Crabs solid rucking was matched by Kingsbridge's relentless defence and when the ball was taken out, the hosts bursting with confidence were twice unlucky not score wide when the ball was knocked on.
Kingsbridge pushed back to within ten metres of the tryline and players came in waves taking the ball individually as they tried to break through Salcombe's stalwart defence. The game came to a close with visiting fans disappointed that their team were unable to secure a win but home supporters concluded that it was one of the best games of rugby seen at Twomeads recently.
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