On a dry afternoon and mostly cloudy we took on Old Redcliffians in the first league game for the first team since before Christmas.
I think the feeling was that we could win this one and by a couple of minutes we nearly did.

They kicked off towards us, they were playing towards the school.
We took the ball back to them, won a lineout on about halfway and mauled close to their twenty two, Richard Goldsby-West took it on and sent it to George Pooley who dashed down the right wing in front of the stand to get close to the line, bumping a defender out of the way, and he was able to dive and stretch for the line with the ball in one hand, he could have scored but as he was at full stretch their No 7 tried to tackle him in to touch and the ball was dislodged. It could have been a try inside two minutes.
Old Reds had No8 Daniel Thurston yellow carded.
On about five minutes we got to their line and won a scrum, on the previous scrum we seriously pushed them backwards, this looked like a push over try on the cards, unfortunately the front row slipped and the referee ruled we had dropped it and old Redcliffians kicked clear.
On about six minutes from a scrum to them, the referee said they pushed early, we took a quick tap penalty and sent the ball towards the club side for Rikki Bentham to cross quite easily to score just south of the posts, Richard Goldsby-West converted easily and we were 7~0 up after nine minutes. A great start.
On thirteen minutes and probably the first time they got into our half they kicked for and won a five yard lineout, their pack drove for the line for hooker Thomas Mclean to come off the blind side to dive over for the try. The Ashley Groves conversion from the twenty two and near the sidelines, struggled a little for height and distance but wearily made its way, only just, over the crossbar to level the score at 7~7.
On twenty five minutes we scored our second, from a lineout about ten yards out on the stand side we won a lineout and reasonably easily drove for the line and go over in a heap for Andy Pond to come up with the ball. The Richard Goldsby-West conversion unexpectedly missed but we were 12~7 up.
Twenty seven minutes and a chase for the ball kicked towards their line on the clubhouse side saw Tom Davies pick up and make good ground towards their line, tackled after crossing their twenty two he was able to pass to Charlie Groves supporting who went down the sideline, their No 9 tried to stop him but his speed put the scrum half on his back and the pair went over the line, Charlie was able to touch down then the defender wrestled the ball away and rolled on his back with the ball after the touchdown, but the linesman was there to call “Downward pressure” and the referee blew for the try.
That sideline conversion missed to posts.17~7 up.
So with the half-hour upon us, it was looking good.
Right on half time they scored.
They had had two lineouts inside our twenty two and one way of another we had forced them to mess them up. Once their centre broke away and went for the under the crossbar touch down only to be pulled back by the referee.
Then they won a third one and put it to the backs for Bentley Halpin to cross on the stand side school end corner.
The Ashley Groves conversion attempt from the sideline barely got six feet off the grass and fell two feet short of the try line right in front of the posts. 17~12 at half time.
I would think our management, players and home spectators would have been happy with the score line, probably unhappy with giving away a try moments before the break.
With our scrum mostly pushing their pack backwards, sometimes quite seriously, though they did once push us back seriously, that part of the game was looking good.
The lineouts were on the whole ok, the odd not straight to both teams.
If we kept it tight and kept them on the leash as we had been it was looking good, we had been playing well for the most part.

The second half kicked off, in the first few minutes they had Daniel Thurston yellow carded.
Richard Goldsby-West opted for a kick for the posts from the penalty and from in front of the posts and close in it went over. 20~12.
Then on about twenty minutes they scored an easy try, they were attacking and passing well between themselves, the backs got half way across our twenty two and the final pass went to Oliver Stratton who fairly easily avoided the two defenders with a swerve here and a swerve there to touch down under the crossbar giving Ashley Groves an easy conversion.20~19.
What a few moments before had looked like a reasonably easy lead now suddenly wasn’t.
Sniffing a win Old Reds put on the pressure, we sort of disrupted them here and there, we got into their half and the home spectators were looking for a try that probably should have come, but due to our own unforced errors were not able to make anything of the and a couple of possible chances were lost.
Then in one last hurrah they got into our twenty two and won a scrum, there forwards went for the line but were held out a couple of times so they put it to the backs for Thomas Foggerty to go in under the crossbar, the conversion was simple and with it the final whistle. Old Reds had pulled off a win at the last possible moment by 20~26.
Naturally they and their supporters were delighted having seen their team behind all the match apart from the short time when they were level.
Naturally our players were downcast losing in that manner, that we collected a losing bonus point was welcome but right then it was far from anyone’s thoughts.
The team talk afterwards was very muted, everyone knew we had let the win slip from our grasp.
The Nigel Chivell memorial Man of the match was Olli Symons

1. Rikki Bentham.
2. Aiden Taylor.
3. Oli Symons.
4. Andy Pond.
5. Matt Gregory. (C)
6. Liam Jarvis.
7. James Hocking.
8. Joe Stansfield
9. Dan Goldstone.
10. Richard Goldsby-West.
11. Charlie Groves.
12. Shaun Crawford. (C)
13. Tom Davies.
14. George Pooley.
15. Billy Orchard.
16. Ethan Millard..
17. Tyler Busfield.
18. James McFarlane.
19. Ben Callard.
20. Billy Sutton.

The Management.
Ben Russell.
Rikki Bentham.

Meanwhile, the Seconds took on Tamar Saracens in the league down at Keyham and ran all over them winning by 55~5. It lifted us a place in the league to third with a game in hand.
This is how the scoring went. Apparently Saracens ran out of players and the referee called the game off in the second half early. Not sure how early.

Sam Fincham scored three one after the other, then Dan Beer scored followed by Joe Ryder and Olly Whitfield to make it 36~0 with three Leighton Stark conversions.
Kyle Felon and Jack Jones then both scored so with the Leighton Stark conversions the halftime score stood at 50~0.

In the second half, Sam Fincham scored a fourth try and Saracens scored a try to make it 55~5.
Some time after that the game was stopped.
Back in the club house hopefully Sam Fincham will have had his wallet with him to buy the traditional round for his team mates.
Ethan Hilland was the man of the match.

The Second team v Tamar Saracens. home, 14.30. League.

1. Josh Anderson.
2. Sam Bennett.
3. Jack Jones.
4. Al Thomas.
5. Kyle Felton.
6. Josh Martin.
7. Ethan Hilland.
8. Elliott Lupson. (C)
9. Olly Whitfield.
10. Dan Beer.
11. Sam Fincham (VC).
12. Leighton Stark.
13. Jack Ryder.
14. Luke Stannard.
15. Danny Ronald.
16. Mike Kelly.
17. Jay Warren.
18. Tom Richards.

The Management.
Dickie Duffield esq.
Steve Hilland.