Drybrook Rugby Club

Drybrook R.F.C. 17pts
Ivybridge R.F.C. 10pts

With a number of players still on the Piste, Drybrook were faced with the team currently lying second in the table for their opening game of the New Year.
Under a crisp blue sky a good crowd were gathered at the resplendent Manning’s ground to see their boys take on the high flyers from Devon.
A few of the supporters thought they had been transported back to the nineties as Neil Morgan and Tom Reed strutted on to the field to take their place in the starting line-up.
Stevenson started the game kicking long towards the clubhouse.
The Ivybridge forwards took the ball into contact and made space for their outside half to clear the ball into touch ten metres from halfway.
A good throw from Jelf found Greenway and Drybrook set up their first attacking drive. The ball came back to Stevenson who deftly switched the ball inside to captain Ben Large who broke the defensive line to take play up to the visitors twenty-two. Quick ball from the forwards was again shipped to Stevenson who foiled the onrushing defenders with a neat chip over the top. Olly Moore outstripped his opposite number and collected the ball to go over the whitewash in the right-hand corner to open the Drybrook account with barely four minutes on the clock. Stevenson nailed the conversion from the touchline and the home team were seven points in front.
Stung by the opening score Ivybridge were soon on the attack and aided by some bewildering decisions in their favour they set up good field position in the Drybrook half.
With quarter of an hour played the Ivybridge number eight broke blind from a scrum to set up good ball just outside the Drybrook twenty-two. The ball was moved to the right where the Devon winger found just enough space to squeeze in at the corner. The difficult conversion was missed and the score was seven points to five in favour of the home team.
The game swung two and fro with both teams attacking and defending well.
It was obvious that this was going to be a close encounter and the exuberance of the players was on a couple of occasions brought to the attention of the referee.

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The solid Ivybridge forwards were making their extra weight in the scrums tell and it was down to the excellent work of Frowen,Peaper and Bourne in the loose, that denied the visitors any worthwhile quick possession to add to their score.
Drybrook absorbed the pressure well and the calm heads of Morgan and Reed who had seen it all before, ensured that they left the field at half time good value for their two-point lead.
The sizable home crowd warmed by their half-time cuppa and their team’s performance, were eagerly anticipating the second half and five minutes into it they were again cheering another Drybrook try.
The forwards had rumbled upfield and were awarded a penalty in front of the Ivybridge posts after the visitors were forced to illegally halt their progression.
Whilst everyone was expecting Stevenson to step up and take the three points the ever-alert Mitch Baldwin took a quick tap and used his strength to cross beneath the posts.
Stevenson made no mistake with the kick and the home team were in front by fourteen points to five.
The disgruntled Ivybridge team were now finding it hard to make headway against a committed Drybrook side, whose superior scrummaging nouse was making up for the discrepancy in weight advantage.
Price and Large had the midfield sewn up and the ref who had seemed to change allegiance at the break made sure that there was no way through for the Devonians.
Frowen was having a tremendous game in the Drybrook back-row and backed up by the strong running of Greenway, Drybrook were gaining the ascendency of field position to set up numerous attacks.
The Ivybridge team were showing that their league position was no fluke and were always dangerous on the break and solid in defence.
The game had developed into a tense affair with both teams knowing that the next score could be crucial in the final outcome.
The inevitable happened and again the referee had to step in. The result of his intervention was a yellow card apiece for the opposite players and more importantly a Drybrook penalty.

Stevenson slotted the ball between the posts and the home team were now seventeen points to five in front with a quarter of the match left to play.
Mitch Hale and Bailey Watts had arrived from the bench, and were making their presence known with some powerful hits and big carries, which resulted in a couple of long-range penalties, that were just off target but resulted in keeping the opposition firmly pegged back in their own half.
With three minutes left on the clock Drybrook were dealt a double blow when they lost Stevenson to the bin for a minor indiscretion, and Captain Ben Large with a head injury.
Ivybridge made the most of their numerical advantage and crossed for their second try to bring them within seven points of the home team.
Drybrook kicked long from the restart and a good chase was rewarded, when Ivybridge, forced into attacking from deep failed to release in the tackle.
With the clock ticking down up stepped Clancy to take the pot at goal.
His attempt drifted just to the right of the posts, and although Ivybridge recovered the ball, the Drybrook chase was good enough to ensure they were unable to make any ground.
Rather than risk their losing bonus point to another Drybrook score the Devonians kicked the ball over their own dead ball line to end the game.
Drybrook thoroughly deserved their win, which owed more to courage and toil than finesse, and will see this as the mark they have to achieve in the coming weeks to make headway up the table.
Next week they face a difficult trip to Maidenhead, but make no mistake this team will not be going down without a fight.

Drive on Dry !

DRYBROOK SQUAD: WINFIELD, CLANCY, PRICE, LARGE, BALDWIN, STEVENSON, MARSH, BOURNE, FROWEN, PEAPER, MORGAN, GREENWAY, SEVILLE, JELF, REED, HALE, WATTS, MARSH.