Teignmouth 20pts
Drybrook 34pts
With the breeze coming in from the sea and the Large family topping up their tans in the warming sun at the Bitton Sports Ground, the scene was set for another hard fought encounter in this hotly contested South West One league.
With the coaches on other duties it was left to club chairman Chris Rawlings to take the reins and on this showing he could well be offered the job on a more permanent basis. In all honesty though this Drybrook team are more than capable of looking after themselves.
It was always going to be a hard task to beat a side who have emphatically dispatched Clevedon and Cullumpton already this season. Drybrook’s task was made even more of a struggle as after a good start they fell foul of the Devonshire referee. He awarded a succession of early penalties to the home team allowing them to set up good field position to score an early try close to the posts which they converted to take the lead.
This was quickly followed by a three point penalty after Drybrook were alleged to have not released the tackled player quickly enough.
With fifteen minutes on the clock the visitors were ten points down and the home support were in full voice as they sensed another scalp was theirs for the taking.
Drybrook, however, were in no mood to let their day at the seaside be spoiled by a loss and from the restart they showed their capabilities when Mitch Bourne made a lovely break through the centre and his perfectly timed pass found Tom Treherne in support to put the first points on the board for men in green.
Treherne slotted the conversion and the Green Machine had started to roll.
It was Mitch Bourne himself who was next on the scoresheet after a well-rehearsed catch and
drive move saw him squirm under the defence to touch the ball down. Treherne again converted and on thirty eight minutes added another penalty to his tally to take Drybrook into a seven point lead.
From the restart Drybrook were again on the attack and after a series of battering ram like assaults on the try line it was scrum half Ben George who added the finesse to sell the dummy and touch down.
Treherne once again put the ball between the uprights and the Drybrook supporters celebrated the half time lead with a double scoop of Devonshire clotted cream to go along with their scones and tea.
The second half began with a number of Teignton attacks which were thwarted by the big hits of Greenway and Tingle.
The Drybrook front row were again belligerent mood and backed up their impressive scrummage with some hard running, creating holes in the home defence that the likes of Ben Large and Mitch Baldwin were only too glad to take advantage of.
It was from a break by Large, ten minutes into the half, that the Teignmouth defence were forced to concede a penalty that the deadly boot of Treherne was never in danger of missing.
Almost immediately afterwards Rhys Gardner followed up his own kick to gather the ball and race over the line for the bonus point try that was again Treherne converted.
At thirty four points to ten up you may have thought that Drybrook would have run in a few more scores, but to their credit Teignmouth mounted a spirited response and with twenty minutes left to play they caught the Drybrook midfield in two minds as a miss move created the space for their winger to cross in the corner.
The next fifteen minutes saw the home team
with plenty of possession but not making much headway through a resolute Drybrook defence that was more than equal to all the Devonians could throw at it.
Drybrook then produced the best move of the game when their back line combined to put Rhys Gardner into space, however the ref adjudged his pass to Luke Roberts, who was just about to race over the line to celebrate his twenty first birthday in style, was marginally forward.
Drybrook then had Mitch Bourne sin binned for handling offence in the ruck and Teignmouth took advantage of the numbers to score the last try of the game.
Thirty four points to twenty is an excellent victory away from home, but it was the manner of this victory that was most pleasing.
Drybrook wanted the game more, they played for one another and backed this up with some very enterprising and skilful rugby.
Coach Rawlings said he was very pleased to have won the game but was not planning on repeating his role anytime soon.
It would be unfair to pick a man of the match in such a good team performance but special mention must go to Tom Treherne who once again kicked all of his attempts at goal and rounded off a fine performance by scoring a try in a personal tally of nineteen points.
The Drybrook coach made its departure with the choir on board giving a lovely rendition of “Oh I do like to be beside the Seaside “
Roll on next week’s home game against Bideford.
Dryrook 1st XV: T Treherne, M Baldwin, H Howard, D Price, O Moore, B Large, B George L Boon, A Howells, M Hale, W Greenway, G Nott, L Mullane, J Tingle, M Bourne.
Replacements: L Roberts, C Guest, R Gardner.
