TIVERTON 23 - NORTH TAWTON 8

AFTER a bruising encounter with Sidmouth Seconds away the previous week in the pouring rain it was another trip on the road last Saturday for the new-look North Tawton team to Tiverton, thankfully in the sunshine.

The game started with the young-looking Tiverton side applying all of the pressure with some good passing and line speed.

It was not long before they went in front with a penalty to make it 3-0.

Slowly but surely, aided by a good defence, the North Tawton team started to play their way into the game.

Some good scrummaging with strong rucks and mauls saw North Tawton go over the Tiverton try line with a try by Pete Gillard, a missed kick but the score 3-5.

It looked like an evenly balanced match, one team using its power, the other trying to go round the sides every chance they got.

Some good kicking from hand into the corners by Ryan Goss gave the Tawts some good opportunities to add to their points tally but with a referee who had taken a dislike to the North Tawton line out, many of these chances were squandered.

A penalty in front of the Tiverton posts gave Tawton a 3-8 lead and it looked, for a short while, that the Tawts were getting the upper hand.

Alas, a penalty, followed by a well-worked try, gave the home team a 11-8 lead at half-time.

The second half started in much the same vein, North Tawton busting a gut not to let the home team get any further away.

It was only a boot on the touchline that stopped North Tawton getting what would have been a well worked try.

The line out was still proving to be a problem for Tawton and so the home team ran in another try almost against the play, 16-8.

With the clock ticking down and a few tired bodies the younger looking side ran into the corner to score what was in truth the killer blow and with a good conversion it gave us the final score of 23-8.

Tiverton are a good team and will take some beating in this league.

Its an old saying, maybe, but in truth the score line does not reflect the game, North Tawton deserved more for their efforts.

The main difference was Tiverton played with a settled side, a luxury that, in the main, North Tawton can only dream of.

I can't help feeling if they can get some continuity in the playing squad they could be a team to reckon with.

Chris Phare