Drybrook Rugby Club

Okehampton 5pts
Drybrook 53pts

On a bright but cold afternoon the Drybrook bandwagon rolled into Okehampton on the next leg of this season’s magical mystery tour.
The players went to the changing rooms and the officials went in search of the pre match buffet. Imagine their reaction when they arrived at the banquet hall only to find that Karen Large the team captains Mum had beaten them to it!
Karen, who said she was giving this week’s weigh in at Slimming World a miss, had polished of the cheese and onion quiche and was happily putting away the cucumber sandwiches, much to the horror of the travelling lunch break brigade.
Thankfully out on the pitch there were no such upsets to spoil the day.
The Drybrook team found themselves playing up the slope on a tacky pitch that has obviously had a lot of wear this season.
The young and eager Okehampton team started well, regathering the ball from the kick-off and going on the attack. Good defence from Drybrook saw them repel the initial Okehampton surge and turnover ball led to Joe Tingle making a good break down the centre of the field. From the ensuing ruck young scrum half, Regan Marsh, sent quick ball out to the wing where the power of Mitch Baldwin proved too great for the Okehampton rear-guard to stop and he scored the first try for his team in the left hand corner.
Tom Treherne back on kicking duty sent a delightful conversion between the posts and with seven minutes on the clock Drybrook were seven points in front.
After this bright start the next twenty minutes were frustrating with a couple of kicks going out on the full and some overzealous passing proving the downfall of the Drybrook attack.
Okehampton for their part were putting together some good interplay and it took some big hits from Mitch Hale and Mitch Bourne to prevent them from breaching the Drybrook line.
With twenty five minutes played the Okehampton forwards took the ball into a ruck on the Drybrook ten metre line. Joe Tingle turned the ball over and Regan Marsh linked well with Treherne to set up an attack in the oppositions twenty two. Okehampton were penalised for failing to release the tackled player and Treherne sent the penalty kick between the posts for a ten point lead.
From the resulting restart Drybrook back rowers Bourne and Peaper combined well to set up good ball in the Okehampton half. Okehampton counter rucked well but knocked the ball on in

.
attempting to pick up and Drybrook had head and feed to the scrum in the middle of the field, ten metres from the oppositions line. A solid platform enabled Marsh to break blind and send his captain Ben Large over for Drybrook’s second try. Treherne had no problem adding the extras and the visitors had extended their lead to seventeen points.
This should have been added to after the Okehampton team had been penalised on a couple of occasions and the pressure led to Drybrook crossing the line only for the official to deem the ball had been held up.
From a lineout on halfway, Drybrook stole the home team’s ball and good runs from Baldwin and Hubert resulted in Okehampton giving away another penalty in front of their posts.
Treherne nailed the kick and at half time Drybrook were twenty points to nil in front.
Karen Large finished her half time pasty and Drybrook kicked off the second period down the slope.
After some good handling by the backs, a lovely break by Danny Price set up Mitch Baldwin for his second try of the afternoon. The conversion was missed but Drybrook were now intent on scoring the bonus point try.

It came about after Ben large scythed his way through the home defence to set up a ruck on the Okehampton twenty two. Good pick and drives from the Drybrook pack saw powerful prop forward, Mitch Hale, bulldoze his way over for a converted try.
Tim Stevenson was struggling with an earlier calf injury but could not leave the field as the only back replacement was Chairman Chris Rawlings and he was hiding in the nearby woods.
Halfway through the home team number twelve was penalised for not releasing and after some backchat to referee, received a yellow card to add to his teams woes.
The penalty was taken quickly and the ever reliable Mitch Renton was on hand to force his way over for another Drybrook try. Treherne iced the cake with another fine kick and the Green Army were thirty nine points in front.
Okehampton kicked long from the restart and a lapse in concentration allowed their winger to over for a well-deserved consolation try. It was not long before Drybrook were back on the scoreboard and this time the try was scored by Danny Price after he had made a good break following good work by Greenway and fans favourite Luke Boon.
On thirty eight minutes the game changed completely after Chris Rawlings was found and entered the fray.
He drew the defence who were expecting him to use his speed to outpace them to take attention away from Large who was then able to cross for his second and Drybrook’s last try. Treherne was once again on target with the conversion and Drybrook were celebrating another well-earned bonus point victory.
There were a number of notable performances. Young Regan Marsh is improving with every game, Tingle, Peaper and Bourne worked tirelessly all afternoon in the backrow and Boon, Hale and Guest were powerful up front.
Man of the match however had to be the replacement winger who was outstanding for the two minutes he was on the pitch.
It had been a good day and not even the fact that Scotland were just too good for England (even with the help of the world’s best referee) could spoil the homeward bound celebrations.

Drybrook 1st XV: C Hubert, T, Treherne, D. Price, B. Large, M. Baldwin T. Stevenson, R.Marsh, M.Hale, C,Guest, L Boon, G. Nott, W. Greenway, S. Peaper, J.Tingle, M. Bourne
Replacements: C.Rawlings, M.Renton, D.Jelf