Cleve R.F.C. 15pts
Drybrook R.F.C. 38pts
Drybrook will be playing in the South West Premier Division next season!
This is without doubt the biggest achievement in the club’s history.
Week after week the players come against semi-professional rugby clubs, not only can they match them, but with the spirit they have within this very special team, they are able to produce an exciting brand of rugby that at times is just too good for their rivals to cope with.
On top of this the majority of the team are in their early twenties or under, which means they will hopefully be together for a long time to come.
Though all the good wins they have achieved have been memorable, it is when they have had their backs against the wall that the true spirit of Drybrook has shone through. The Exmouth debacle, when we were forced to play three days before Christmas, the lads who stepped up for that game to ensure we never lost points, made it feel more important than a lot of the wins we have had this season. Players like Neil Morgan, who got to play first team rugby with his son Bradley, Tom Reed, Tom Smith, Andy Milner and Dean Jelf epitomise what this club is all about.
To say we are immensely proud of all the players at this club would be a complete understatement.
The work that Tim Stevenson and Chris Fortey do week in and week out, to ensure we are prepared for what we need to do has once again shown how important it is to have two top quality coaches, who bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the club.
All that said, it all came down to this weekends game away at Cleve.
A win for Drybrook would mean safety and a chance to enjoy the last two home games of the season. Defeat for Cleve would mean their relegation from the league.
The weather was perfect, blue skies, a hint of a breeze and warm Spring sunshine.
The large Drybrook contingent in the crowd cheered their team onto the pitch, but even then, you could sense the nervous tension in the atmosphere.
The Drybrook boys started well, chasing their own kick-off they ensured that Cleve could not
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relieve the pressure and when they got their hands on the ball it was deftly moved to the wing where Luke Roberts was on hand to race over the whitewash and open Drybrooks account. James Clancy added the conversion from wide out on the left and Drybrook had an early seven-point lead.
Back came Cleve and their big forwards made life difficult for the away team as they battled for their survival at this level. The defence held out until the twenty fourth minute when the Cleve blind-side wing-forward showed good pace to go through the middle and score between the posts. Their winger added the conversion and the game was tied at seven apiece.
Drybrook came roaring back from the restart. Good carries from Renton and Greenway made the ball available for Marsh to unleash the backline. Captain Ben Large made the incisive break and found Joe Tingle storming up on his outside to score the try. Clancy added the extra’s and the Green Army were back in front at fourteen points to seven. Drybrook continued to pressurise their opponents, with Danny Price and Mitch Renton both having big games they earned a couple of penalties that should have been rewarded with another six points. Clancy’s usual reliability wavered, which meant that Drybrook were unable to add to their score before the break.
Cleve kicked off the second half, and early pressure earned them a shot at goal to reduce the deficit to four points with their winger slotting the kick.
Drybrook looked to be feeling the pressure and their usual fluidity was being hampered by series of unusual handling errors.
That said they still managed to keep on top of the game and on forty-eight minutes Joe Winfield, who was having an assured game at outside-half, kicked a penalty to restore the seven-point advantage.
From the Cleve restart the ball was recycled to Mitch Renton who bludgeoned his way through the Cleve defences to set up play on the Cleve twenty-two. Lovely hands from Winfield and Large set free Price who capped an outstanding performance with a try on the left-hand side.
Winfield made no mistake with the conversion and at twenty-four points to ten Drybrook looked to be heading for a comfortable victory.
Cleve were not quite ready to throw in the towel and took advantage when Drybrook had to reorganise at the scrum due to injuries to Beatie and Hale in the front row.
They disrupted the Drybrook make-shift scrum and earned a penalty which they kicked to the corner. Their hard-working number two was then able to barge over from the lineout, to give his team a hint of a chance with twenty minutes left to play.
Four minutes later though Drybrook snubbed out the threat with another well worked converted try. James Clancy claimed the touchdown and Joe Winfield kicked the conversion.
Cleve were still battling but with three minutes left a good break by Tingle supported by Bailey Watts was finished off by fellow back-row man Mitch Bourne who along with Kyle Frowen was part of a formidable loose forward performance.
Cleve had time to restart but the ball came under the control of Mitch Renton, who had also put in another stand-out performance, and when it came back to Regan Marsh he belted the ball into touch to end the game and secure not only a five-point win, but the knowledge that his team had earned the right to ply their trade at this level again next season.
Every player who has represented the team this year has done more than what was expected of them and thoroughly deserve the plaudits that have come their way.
The support has been great and it will be nice to be able to watch the last two games that are at home without the threat of relegation hanging around in the background.
Drive on Dry and well-done boys!
DRYBROOK: CLANCY, ROBERTS, PRICE, LARGE, BALDWIN, WINFIELD, MARSH, TINGLE, FROWEN, BOURNE, RENTON, GREENWAY, HALE, HOWELLS, BEATIE, SEVILLE, STRETCH WATTS.
