Launceston RFC 27pts
Drybrook RFC 31pts
The party bus set off for Plymouth on Friday evening with all on board in good spirits, but well aware that Launceston was sure to be a serious test of Drybrook’s ambitions on challenging Exeter University for the league title.
The hotel was located and Chairman Chris Rawlings read all the players a bedtime story and tucked them into bed, before leading a scouting party down to the Barbican to make sure that all would be in order for the players the next evening. This took far longer than expected and it was not until the early hours that they could be sure all was well and they were able to return to the hotel for a couple of hours of sleep.
The plan Saturday morning was to enjoy a leisurely breakfast and a stroll around Plymouth Hoe before departing for the game. Some of the scouting party from the previous evening decided to for-go these activities in favour of a lie in!
The bus left the hotel in plenty of time to reach Launceston for the players to warm up for the three o-clock kick-off.
What hadn’t been taken into consideration was that the coach was being driven by a member of the Rawlings family, who are not renowned for their Motability and map reading skills. After causing a major traffic jam in Tavistock the coach had to reverse over a mile to make it back to the turning we should have made. Thankfully Tom proved much better at going backwards than forwards and time was made up to get everyone to the ground with an hour to go until the start of the match.
The ground staff had been working all morning to clear the water from the overnight rain and although heavy in places the pitch was suitable to play on.
Launceston were on the attack from the start and with the wind and slope in their favour they put the Drybrook ranks under pressure. After just three minutes Drybrook were penalised on their twenty two for coming in at the side of the ruck and the Launceston kicker took advantage to put his team in front.
The Drybrook pack were struggling to cope with the pressure applied by their opponents at the scrum and with eight minutes on the clock a disrupted Drybrook scrummage led to a break down the blind-side by the home team where their pacey winger was on hand to squeeze over in the corner despite the covering tackle of Mitch Baldwin.
Launceston were now in control of the game and the stand were buoyantly vociferous in support of their team.
As for Drybrook it had to be questioned how many of the players had broken curfew the previous evening, especially after Launceston increased their lead to fifteen points following a
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well worked try through the centre of the park which they duly converted.
This galvanised the Drybrook players into making a huge effort to get back into the game, and with effects of the late night poker school eventually wearing off they came storming back into the fray.
Renton, Greenway and Beatie began to batter down the Launceston defence, and with Mitch Hale and the double act of Bourne and Peaper adding support it was not long before the home team had to concede a penalty for trying to slow down the ball from a ruck in front of their posts. Dead Eye Treherne was on hand to get the visitors up and running with a well struck kick.
With twenty eight minutes played it was Treherne who was on hand to cross the line following good work from Large and Howard. He also nailed the conversion to get his side back to within five points. Drybrook continued to press and Mitch Baldwin went close as the game neared the half way point. The referee adjudged him to have gone into the tackle with a leading forearm and baffled the away supporters by sending him to the sin bin on the stroke of half time, the score fifteen points to ten in favour of Launceston.
With the wind and slope advantage Drybrook despite only having fourteen players on the pitch continued where they left off and tore into opposition. With nine minutes elapsed Large showed blistering pace to slice open the Launceston defence and cross beneath the posts. Treherne converted and Drybrook nudged into the lead for the first time in the game by two points.
The visitors were now showing the form that had them vying for top spot. Marsh at scrum half is gaining in confidence with every game and was providing the backs with good possession. Price, Hubert and Baldwin all looked threatening and it was not long before the home team were forced to concede another score.
The backs took play deep into opposition territory and after a number of drives by Greenwood and Tingle it was the ever reliable Glen Nott who stretched out an arm to celebrate his birthday with a well-deserved try. Treherne took the Drybrook score to twenty four with another well struck conversion.
Four minutes later Mitch Baldwin out-paced his opposite player after being put into space by an elaborate Howard pass. Treherne converted and the travelling supporters were all convinced that the game had been put to bed at thirty one points to fifteen.
A pitch invasion by the away coach Chris Forteys children caused a small delay in proceedings while his wife had to take control and keep the kids under better supervision.
Despite the buffer Drybrook had built up the remaining twenty minutes proved to be very uncomfortable for the away team.
The Launceston scrum had been a potent weapon all game and a series of five metre scrummages on the Drybrook line were rewarded with first a yellow card for Joe Tingle for deliberately preventing the quick play of the ball and finally a penalty try awarded on the fortieth minute of play. With injury time only to be played Drybrook still felt they had the points sewn up but the counting of chickens is always best done after the eggs have hatched!
From the restart Launceston attacked from deep and when they went through a gap in the middle of the field and put their winger into space to score the threat of unlikely victory seemed all too real.
Tingle came back on and Drybrook restarted the game with less than two minutes to play. They immediately won a penalty in the midfield and Treherne stepped up to take what was hopefully the last kick of the game. The kick however was his first miss of the afternoon and to add insult to injury the Launceston fullback fielded the ball just inside the dead ball area and set off on the attack. Drybrook this time though were determined in their defence and took the attacker into touch in his half. The referee then decided there was still time left to play the lineout. The ball was thankfully knocked on in the air by the Launceston jumper and the ref at last called time on a thrilling eighty minutes of rugby.
Drybrook had earnt five points and Launceston two, which in all honesty was a justifiable outcome. More good news was to come when in the clubhouse we were told that Keynsham had beaten Exeter and Drybrook were now in pole position with two games to play. Matson at home this weekend followed by a trip to Newent will be no easy way for Drybrook to secure the title but at least their fate is now in their own hands.
The Kangaroo court was played out in a packed and appreciative clubhouse and the journey back to Plymouth was far less adventurous than the outward journey had proved.
A lively evening in the seaside port was enjoyed by all.
Sunday breakfast was attended with some sore bodies and aching heads but the atmosphere could not have been happier. A nice trip home with a little refreshment taken on board in Teague’s bar brought to an end a very enjoyable and rewarding weekend for all involved.
Drybrook 1st XV: C Hubert, M Baldwin D Price, H Howard T Treherne, B Large (Captain), R Marsh, M Hale, A Howells, E Beatie, W Greenway, G Nott, M Bourne, S Peaper, M Renton.
Replacements: J Tingle, D Jelf, R Gardner.
