Teignmouth 27 - Crediton 28

CREDITON RFC Firsts travelled to Teignmouth knowing that a bonus point win was necessary to keep some sort of pressure on Topsham, who are 18 points clear at the top of the table and promotion is almost guaranteed for them.

However, as they say many a slip twixt cup and lip! That old saying could well have applied to this game as the formbook was almost turned on its head.

Teignmouth certainly did not look like a side languishing third from bottom in the league and our performance was well below the quality that we have seen and become accustomed to over the past few weeks.

There is another old saying though and that is “if you play poorly and win it is generally a sign of a good team” so I think we shall run with that one.

The home side took an early lead on five minutes when they caught us with a dash down the blind side have recycled from a ruck some 15 metres out, in fact at that point we had not touched the ball.

Three minutes later though we did produce a sign of our capabilities when, after a brief period of pressure, the pass from a ruck was perfectly timed to find hooker Dan Yendell running a great line down the middle to score at the posts, Ollie Avery-Wright converting.

That should have given us the momentum to keep the pressure on although our hosts had different ideas. They defended superbly and yet always look a threat with ball in hand.

We began to fall off tackles and on 15 minutes, Teigns took the lead again when our clearance did not find touch and they ran back at us with a counter attack down the middle and some neat interpassing allowed them to score out wide, the conversion missed but they were 10-7 up.

We responded with another attack and it was winger Freddie Borthen who finished off the move with a try out wide which went unconverted.

Teignmouth continued to be a threat and earned a penalty when we filed to release the ball in the tackle and it was duly converted for a 13-12 interval lead.

From the restart, we were very much on the front foot but the hosts refused to buckle under the pressure.

The pressure did offer up a couple of penalties which OAW landed and we were ahead 18-13.

From the restart after the second penalty, we again camped in the home line and when OAW squeezed over we had a 10-point advantage which should have eased the nerves of the travelling supporters.

Teignmouth responded and their lineout moves had caused us a few problems during the game eventually earning a try with a ball to the front and another dash down the blind side for a try in the corner which was well converted and it was back to a three point game.

With their tails up, the hosts set about on another attack but spilled the ball on half way.

The referee allowed an advantage and it was Yendell who seized the loose ball and broke down the middle before offloading to Josh Goldman who then sent winger Josh Woodman away to score in the corner.

With time running out we had a two score lead and it was a question of seeing out the game. Teignmouth however had other ideas and hit back with a catch and drive try which was converted and it was now only a single point in it. We did end the game on the attack but were grateful to hear the final whistle.

Teignmouth looked a far better side than their league position would indicate and we were never comfortable at any time during the game.

Too many missed tackles was certainly an issue and we had sufficient possession especially in the second half to have scored a few more tries.

We were held up over the line a couple of times and gifted the hosts with some easy exits by conceding penalties when in good positions.

Victory meant we retained the Geoff Warne Memorial Cup which so far has only visited Teignmouth and never resided there.

A week off for the First XV on Saturday. We should have been hosting Exmouth First XV in the Devon Senior Shield semi-final but they have sent the white feather to Crediton and withdrawn from the game. That means we play the final away at either Ivybridge or Okehampton on Sunday, March 30.

Paul Harris