Drybrook Rugby Club

Drybrook 1st XV 24pts
Brixham 1st XV 33pts

The Fishermen came to the Manning’s on a beautiful afternoon with conditions perfect for rugby.
Drybrook were once again forced to make several changes to their side and with the new dynamics taking time to gel the organised power of the Brixham team had the early advantage.
Good defence by Drybrook managed to keep the visitors at bay for the first ten minutes, but a penalty rebounding off the Drybrook posts forced the home team to scramble the ball into touch on their own ten metre line.
From the lineout the ball was moved wide to the Brixham winger who all too easily beat three defenders on his way to touch down under the Drybrook posts.
Brixham had now taken a strangle hold on possession and series of drives from their big forwards resulted in a lineout being forced five metres from the Drybrook line.
The initial catch and drive was well repelled but Brixham were able to recycle the ball quickly to their number fourteen who squeezed in at the corner to make it twelve nil to the visitors after seventeen minutes of play.
The next passage of play again saw Brixham attacking and Drybrook doing all they could to stop them from adding to their score.
A penalty on the Drybrook ten metre line allowed them to kick the ball to touch five metres out and the inevitable catch and drive resulted in an easy converted try for their number eight.
With quarter of an hour still to play of the first half and Brixham already nineteen points to the good things were looking rather ominous for the readjusted home fifteen, but if Drybrook have one thing in their favour it is a built in resilience that sees them at their best when their backs are against the wall.
From the restart the Drybrook forwards took the ball to the opposition and good play by Greenway, Renton and Howells meant that Brixham were forced to concede a penalty on

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their ten metre line. The ball was put into touch on the Brixham twenty two.
Drybrook drove the lineout forward and then scrum-half Regan Marsh kicked the ball through for winger Luke Roberts to dive on over the Brixham line.
Clancy was on target with the conversion and Drybrook were back in the game after twenty eight minutes with the score at nineteen points to seven in favour of the Fishermen.
The next ten minutes were full of attrition with both teams putting in great defensive hits.
Clancy was just off target with a difficult kick after a good break by Renton had forced the opposition to go off their feet at the ruck, and likewise the opposition outside-half sent a penalty wide after Drybrook committed a similar offence on their ten metre line.

Half time arrived with the visitors holding the lead at nineteen points to seven.
Oscar and Taffy had been given the responsibility of looking after Ashley’s young son Kaydon for the afternoon. Whoever thought this was a good idea was surely deluded. By the time his Grandmother had arrived to collect him Kaydon had already smoked ten cigarettes, drank three cans of Stowfords and was in tears as Oscar had stolen his dummy.
Drybrook started the second half kicking towards the clubhouse, the sun was dipping below the bus stop stands and the air had certainly taken on a chillier aspect as the home team went on the attack.
A good break by outside half Winfield was marred when he lacked support and was penalised for not releasing in the tackle.
Undaunted Drybrook attacked again and this time they were rewarded with a penalty of their own following a high tackle on Frowen. Clancy made no mistake with the kick and Drybrook were into double figures.
This seemed to rally the Brixham team and they scored two quick try’s. The first coming as a

result of a poor tackle and the Brixham winger was clear to go in unopposed for a converted try, the second after a number of drives from the forwards was finished by their hooker who stole in close to the posts for another seven pointer.
At thirty three points to ten down Drybrook had a mountain the size of Everest to climb, but they gave it an almighty good attempt.
Twenty eight minutes of the half had been played and Drybrook moved up-field to set up an attacking lineout about fifteen metres from the Brixham line. The ball was won and the pack drove in-field where the outstanding Will Greenway was on hand to finish off the move with a try close to the posts.
Clancy converted and the home team were up to seventeen.
Next came the biggest cheer of the afternoon as Old man Morg came on off the bench to add his experience to the team and also raise the average age by a number of years!
Five minutes of the game remained and it was not long before Tim Stevenson playing in the unaccustomed role of centre used his pace and power to go in for another Drybrook try. Clancy again nailed the kick and with two minutes left to play Drybrook were just one try and conversion away from grabbing a share of the spoils.
Try as they might Drybrook just fell short of pulling off a memorable comeback in a thrilling and hard game, but they can hold their heads high in the knowledge that none of the eighteen in the squad let their team down.
All we need now is for all of our players to be available on the same weekend and who knows we could well cause a few upsets.

Drive on Dry!

DRYBROOK: CLANCY, ROBERTS, KELL, STEVENSON, PEAPER,WINFIELD, MARSH, BOURNE, FROWEN, WATTS, RENTON, GREENWAY, SEVILLE, HOWELLS, HALE, STRETCH, MORGAN