Newton Abbot 37pts
Drybrook 43pts
What a beautiful day for a trip to Devon, blue sky’s warm Autumnal sunshine and another new club to visit for the Drybrook faithful.
Things started a little shaky as the post code on the Newton Abbot website is apparently not the one it is supposed to be. So a flotilla of cars made their way to house number 10 on a housing estate just outside Teignmouth. Once we realised their back garden was never big enough for a full sized pitch David Donaldson decided to lead us to the actual ground in double quick time. Ignoring all give way signs and traffic lights he made sure we were there well before kick-off.
Drybrook kicked off playing towards the clubhouse and the opening exchanges were fairly even. Newton had the first chance to open the scoring with a penalty that was missed to the left.
Drybrook were playing off the back of a vastly improved set piece and this gave the backs more time to utilise the space given to them.
Their first try came on sixteen minutes when Luke Roberts cruised in after intercepting the ball on his own twenty two. Tim Stevenson converted and the away team were seven up.
Newton restarted, Drybrook caught the ball and scored again this time Olly Moore being the recipient after a succession of good hands combining forwards and backs, Stevenson added the extras and the away fans were singing and dancing on the touchline.
The only blip in the first half came when the All Whites hooker Dean Avery stole over for a try converted by Rob Avery-Wright to halve the deficit.
.
This was soon followed however by another try for Moore who made the most of good ball delivered by the forwards to score in the corner.
Newton came back and managed a penalty to move them onto double figures but the Drybrook Young Guns were on a roll and by half time had added another two try’s. The first came from Danny Price who received the final ball to go over near the posts and the second came on the stroke of half time when Kyle Frowen scored a well-deserved five pointer. Both were converted by the reliable boot of Stevenson and the half time score of thirty three points to ten was nothing more than Drybrook deserved.
The away support, who were missing a few turn-coats that had gone to watch Cinderford after Barry Holmes had told them he would let them in for half price and give them a free hot dog, were full of the local brew and looking forward to the next forty where they expected their team to finish the job in style.
This league however show’s that every team is more than capable of playing good rugby and whatever was put into the All Whites half time cuppa certainly payed dividends as they came out blazing with winger Jack Bond racing in after four minutes.
Newton had nothing to lose and were playing with full abandon and they added fifteen points following some great running led by former Exeter Chiefs fullback Matt Jess and winger Kyle Browne. The scores coming from Fogden, Browne and Bond. Fortunately for Drybrook the home team’s kicker was not on song and all the conversions were missed.
With the score at thirty three points to thirty in favour of Drybrook and the game in the balance all of the away teams resolve was going to have to be brought to the party if they were going to stop the All Whites revival and go home with the win.
Firstly Kyle Frowen added his second try to cap a fine performance, before the replacements bench was thrown into the fray, and on twenty eight minutes Bailey Watts tore down the blind-side to score in the corner.
Back came Newton through a converted Matt Jess try to set up a grand stand finish with the score at forty three points to thirty seven.
Drybrook defended gallantly for the remainder and made sure that they held on for an excellent five point victory away from home.
Bag lady and captains mum Karen Large said she was so delighted that she would let Phil have chips with his Chinese on the way home.
It was a bit tight in the end but this was a great result for the men in green who will be back at the Manning’s next week where they entertain Old Pats.
Drive on Dry!
Drybrook: O Moore, M Baldwin, D Price, B Large (Capt) L Roberts, T Stevenson, J Clancy, R Seville, A Howells, E Beatie, W Greenway, M Renton, S Peaper, K Frowen, M Bourne, M Hale, A Stretch, B Watts.
