Drybrook R.F.C. 27pts
Barnstaple R.F.C. 17pts
After a run of good results Drybrook faced second in the table Barnstaple, who after being relegated into this league, from the one above at the end of last season, were looking to cement their spot in the play-off position ready for a swift return to the National Divisions.
Anyone who saw the game could have been forgiven for thinking that it was other way around.
Drybrook produced one of their best displays of the season and were never really in trouble against their lofty opponents.
The overnight rain had died away and the prevailing winds dried the ground, so that it was in excellent condition as Barnstaple kicked long away from the clubhouse to start the game.
Drybrook ran the ball in their usual flamboyant style, Mitch Baldwin showed great pace as he picked a lovely line to take play up to the visitors twenty-two, before passing to Will Greenway whose strength and power was enough to see him gallop in, and stretch out for Drybrook’s opening try.
James Clancy was never going to miss the conversion and the home team were seven ahead with barely two minutes on the clock.
Barnstaple attacked from the restart but a mixture of good defence and poor hands led to a scrum in Drybrooks favour.
With Tom Reed back in the front row the Drybrook eight looked as solid as a rock, allowing good ball to be moved up the field.
A rather bizarre incident in the twelfth minute saw Mitch Renton sent to the bin for over zealousness in the lineout. The ref who was filling in at short notice spotted something that no one else at the ground was able to see, and the resulting shortage of numbers meant that Barnstaple were able to use their lumpy pack to
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score two try’s, the first of which was converted to give them a twelve points to seven lead with twenty minutes played.
With Renton back on the field Drybrook were soon on the attack and Clancy reduced the deficit with a well struck penalty after the visitors were caught offside in midfield.
Seven minutes of a pulsating first half remained and Drybrook took the ball to their opponent’s following another strong run from Baldwin, who was hauled down just short of the whitewash. The forwards battered the Devonians and were awarded an attacking scrum after Mitch Bourne was held up over the line. The ball was moved to the right where a looping pass from Tim Stevenson found impressive young fullback Joe Winfield who dived in at the corner.
Clancy nailed the touchline conversion with consummate ease.
Although they continued to press, with good breaks from Kyle Frowen and Ben Large, the home side could not add to their score, but took a well-deserved seventeen points to twelve lead into the break.
Drybrook began the second half as they had finished the first on the attack.
From a scrum on the Barnstaple ten metre line Drybrook earned a free kick which Clancy took quickly to allow Renton, Frowen and Stevenson to make headway towards the visitor’s line. When the ball came back on the blindside it found Baldwin, he passed inside to the returning Joe Tingle who scored with his first touch of the ball.
From the restart Drybrook again took control, and an attacking scrum on the visitors twenty-two provided the ball for the backs to launch Ben Large at the opposition. His pass inside found Clancy who looked certain to score until a head
high tackle felled him a metre short of the line.
Drybrook who looked somewhat surprised that the ref had only awarded them a penalty opted for the scrum.
Their decision was justified as they drove forward and Renton was on hand to force himself over for the five points.
The remainder of the game was played mostly in Barnstaple’s half.
Drybrook should really have added to their score but to be fair to the visitors they defended well, and this combined with a couple of loose passes from the home team prevented them from adding to their twenty-seven-point lead.
Barnstaple were obviously demoralised with the way they had been taken to town by a barnstorming display from the home team, but still had it in them to make the final score-line look a little less one-sided. Despite fantastic defence from the men in green, where Bailey Watts tackled his heart out, Barnstaple eventually crossed the line for a converted try with the last move of the game.
The final score of twenty-seven points to nineteen did little to flatter the Drybrook display, and the five-point victory was nothing more than the team had earned.
Next week will be another big ask as Drybrook travel to top of the table Bournemouth, but as these boy’s have already shown on their day they are as good as anyone.
Drive on Dry!
Drybrook Squad: – WINFIELD, MOORE, PRICE, LARGE, BALDWIN, STEVENSON, CLANCY, BOURNE, FROWEN, WATTS, RENTON, GREENWAY, SEVILLE, STRETCH, REED, HALE, TINGLE, HOWELLS.
