BUDE 38 - NORTH TAWTON 15

NOBODY in this league said it was going to be easy this year and another big loss for North Tawton sort of proves the point.

I say sort of because I can’t help feeling that this North Tawton team, while suffering two heavy defeats in their last two games, haven’t gone bad overnight.

The club is having a cruel run of injuries to key players and as I always say and mean with great respect to those that did play, this doesn’t help the cause.

Also the last two games have been against top of the table sides, as in Truro and Bude.

With respect to Bude who ran out comfortable winners they were made to look good by a North Tawton side who seem to fall into the trap set by the home team of the slower power play type of rugby.

Tawton all-game struggled to get the ball out to the backs and use their speed on the wings.

You could have built houses on the left side wing all match.

The match started well enough, a penalty from Will Lethbridge and a try from Matt Baker giving the Tawts early hope and an eight point lead.

Alas this seemed to be the wake up call the home side required and we soon settled into the pattern of win scrum in Tawts 10 yard and push over for the try. We were then 21-8 down at half-time.

The second half got underway with more of the same, Bude using their forward size and strength to great advantage, adding two more tries and taking the score to 33-8, the game now well out of the reach of North Tawton.

At one stage Bude were down to 12 men with three yellow cards, the referee having had enough of the way Bude were winning the ball in the tackle.

It has to be said I am afraid that even playing against 12 men, North Tawton laboured to make any headway.

Another Matt Baker try was added, taking the score to 33-15, but you got the feeling “too little, too late” and as if to rub salt into the wounds a 13-man Bude side got the final say with the last try of the match making the final score 38-13.

It was a day to forget for North Tawton, nothing a good training session and a new Saturday can’t fix.

I am sure when the going gets tough there is enough character in the Tawts camp to turn the corner when we are away to Exeter in our next game.

Chris Phare