Sidmouth Chiefs v Camborne 1st
SIDMOUTH 1ST XV 23pts v CAMBORNE 1st XV 50pts
Despite this heavy defeat at Camborne, the Chiefs will play in the South West One West league again next season. This was confirmed by Penryn’s defeat at Brixham.
The Chiefs were competitive for much of this entertaining game played in perfect conditions. In the end a failure to receive kick offs effectively gave Camborne three simple scoring opportunities, and a lack of fitness allowed them to run away with things in the final 15 minutes.
The Chiefs failed to catch the opening kick off and Camborne regained possession to build up pressure in the Sidmouth 22. Eventually the number eight drove over from close range. The try was unconverted.
The Chiefs struck back almost immediately with an excellent try of their own. Following a turnover at a ruck, the ball was moved quickly to the right. With the defence stretched, the ball was switched back to the left where accurate handling sent James Powell in at the corner to level the scores.
Camborne’s influential number seven put his side back in front with a strong individual run following a quick lineout. The scrum half converted. Sidmouth kept in touch with two Tom Whelan penalties. However, after the second of these, the restart kick was dropped. Camborne snapped up the loose ball and their forwards drove on to set up a try by the hooker. Just before halftime the Chiefs lost possession on their own 22 and the Camborne number six scored with a powerful run. The conversion made the score 11-24 at the break.
Ten minutes into the second half, the Chiefs got themselves back into contention when Sam Richardson scored from the back of a scrum on the 22. Whelan added the conversion. The good work was immediately undone by a lack of concentration at the restart. Spotting a gap in front of him, the fly half took a short grubber kick. The number seven followed up and was only brought down a few metres short of the line. When the ball emerged from the resulting ruck it was moved to an overlap on the left for the winger to score.
Play was evenly contested for the middle part of the half until the Camborne full back joined the line at pace in the 22 to burst over for a converted try. Two more tries followed in quick succession, both from counterattacks started inside the home 22, which exposed some lacklustre Sidmouth defence. Both were converted.
Showing good spirit, the Chiefs fought back to score in the closing minutes. Jack Pyne drove over after a lineout maul had been driven 20 metres to the line.
Sidmouth 1st v Cleve 1st
SIDMOUTH 1st XV 22pts v CLEVE 1st XV 29pts
Mistakes one minutes either side of half time proved costly in a closely fought contest between two well-matched teams. However, the result leaves the Chiefs still needing one more point from their last two games to remove any mathematical possibility of relegation.
Both sides showed a good deal of attacking ambition, but will be disappointed by the high error count. The scoring for both sides owed more to mistakes and opportunism than creativity. The one try of real quality, scored by the Chiefs late in the game, was deserving of the bonus point it earned them.
Play in the first quarter resembled the trench warfare of the First World War. It was confined mainly around the halfway line with small gains in territory by one side being quickly regained by the other.
The game eventually came to life in the twentieth minute when a Cleve knock on found its way straight into the hands of Tom Whelan, who sprinted in unopposed for an unconverted try.
Five minutes later Cleve had taken the lead thanks to a penalty and drop goal by the inside centre. Both resulted from attacking positions gained following long range counterattacks through some fragile Sidmouth defence.
The Chiefs regained the lead on the half hour when a quick tap penalty gave Harry Chesterton the opportunity to step and stretch his way to the line past the close attention of defenders. Tom Whelan added the conversion. Minutes later a Jack Pyne break set up a superb handling move, but a foot in touch a few metres short prevented a score.
At the other end, Cleve almost profited when they set up an attack after the Chiefs had lost control of the ball in a scrum. They were denied by a last ditch cover tackle by Harry Chesterton. However, they maintained the attacking position for the number 12 to kick a second drop goal. Tom Whelan restored the six point advantage with a penalty but, from the restart kick, a loose pass found its way into the hands of the Cleve openside, who ran in unopposed. The conversion gave them a 16-15 lead at the break.
The Cleve forwards gathered in the kick to open the second half. The ball was transferred to the fly half, who launched a high kick. The Chiefs failed to make the catch and the ball bounced into the hands of an advancing player. The fly half was on hand to apply the finishing touch. The try was converted to open up an eight point lead.
The next half hour resembled the first quarter with neither side posing a serious threat to the other’s try line. Two penalties extended the visitors lead before the Chiefs raised hope of a dramatic comeback with the try of the game. Tom Seward field a kick inside his own half to set up a move going left. James Powell was up in the line to make the initial break before James Perry produced a run of pace and power to score in the corner. Tom Whelan converted from the touchline to put his side within seven points. Cleve played out time comfortably for a win which takes them clear of any threat of relegation. The Chiefs still need one more point, but two wins could see them finish in the top half such is the competitive nature of this league.
Sidmouth 1st v Honiton 1st Home
SIDMOUTH 1st XV 29pts v HONITON 1st XV 8pts
The Chiefs regained the David Turner trophy, but with less ease than the score line would suggest against a very skilful and committed Honiton team. The Lacemen showed why they are heading for promotion from the Cornwall and Devon League, particularly in the second half when they had the Chiefs under pressure for long periods.
Sidmouth dominated the first quarter, playing at a pace and intensity Honiton struggled to copy with, to score 19 unanswered points. They opened the scoring after six minutes when Honiton failed to deal with a high kick and Sam Meadham finished off some good approach work by the forwards. Wade Cooper started and finished off a move which went out to the right wing before switching back left. Chris Higgs touched down on the end of a counterattack started by Sam Meadham from his own 22. Tom Whelan converted two of the tries.
Undaunted, Honiton had their best spell of the half to get themselves on the scoreboard with a well-taken try by right wing Ben Webber after a long period of pressure on the Sidmouth line. Late in the half, Chris Higgs scored with a classic outside break to make the score 24-5 at halftime.
Heavy rain made life difficult in the second half and Honiton coped with the conditions better to dominate territory for long periods. However, they failed to break down the well-organised Sidmouth defence and their only reward was a Glenn Channing penalty. In the closing minutes, the Chiefs scored a breakaway try when a James Powell kick was followed up and hacked on over the line for Sam Richardson to win the chase for an unconverted try to complete the scoring.
Sidmouth Chiefs v Oldfield Old Boys 1st
SIDMOUTH 1st XV 8pts v OLDFIELD OLD BOYS 1st XV 33pts
Thanks to some very determined defensive work, the Chiefs stayed in contention until the final 15 minutes of this very entertaining game. However, Oldfield’s superior fitness and speed to the breakdown proved decisive as they ran in three late tries.
With a breeze at their backs, Oldfield showed their intentions to run the ball wide at every opportunity right from the start. The Sidmouth defence was stretched a few times but successfully kept their line intact and Oldfield had to be content with the reward of a penalty for their early pressure.
As the game progressed, the Chiefs produced some promising moves of their own, but they were mostly from long range. When one broke down, the ball was hacked on and a try looked certain until James Powell produced a crunching last-ditch tackle. Minutes later the Chiefs took the lead with an excellent try. From a lineout on their own half the ball was moved along the backline with Barney Goss joining in from the blindside wing. Superb inter-passing down the left wing was finished off by Tom Seward. The try was unconverted.
The lead was short-lived as Oldfield replied with a move down the blindside of a scrum to create a try for the left winger. A second penalty made the halftime score 5-11.
From the restart, Sidmouth were unable to capitalise on the breeze in their favour and were pinned back inside their own half. Oldfield increased their lead with a second unconverted try by the left winger when the Sidmouth defence was outflanked following a five metre scrum.
The Chiefs at last gained some territorial advantage and Tom Whelan reduced the arrears with a penalty. Further good work raised hopes of a comeback, but any slim hopes disappeared when Barney Goss was sent to the sin-bin for a high tackle midway through the half. Oldfield capitalised on the extra man to score two tries to earn them a bonus point. First the full back joined the line to cut through a gap, then the outside centre was on hand to finish off after the right winger had made the running. In the closing minutes, the right winger, who had been a threat all game, scored a try of his own following a scrum half break down the blindside of a scrum. The conversion completed the scoring.
On Saturday the Chiefs entertain Cleve at the Blackmore with a 3.00pm kick off.
The Quins travel to play Newton Abbot 2nds.
At Sidford the Colts take on Torquay Colts kicking off at 3.00pm.
On Wednesday 4th April, at the Blackmore, the Chiefs play Honiton for the David Turner Cup. The kick off is at 6.00pm. The Lacemen are the holders having won it two seasons ago when it was contested by the respective Colts teams. Honiton will arrive in confident mood. They are having a most successful season, having already secured promotion from the Cornwall and Devon League.
