Drybrook Rugby Club

Drybrook R.F.C. 33pts
Okehampton R.F.C. 25pts

On another sunny September afternoon, Drybrook were facing an Okehampton team who have come into the league this season, and had beaten Camborne the week before.
Drybrook kicked off into the wind and a good chase saw them retrieve the ball and quickly spread it wide to attack down the left flank. The ball was lost in contact. But a poor box kick from Okehampton was gathered by Olly Moore who fed Joe Winfield.
Winfield showed his guile to beat several defenders before moving the ball right to Will Greenwood, who drew in the last defender to set Danny Price free to score in the right-hand corner with barely two minutes played. Winfield missed the difficult conversion and the home side led five points to nil.
Credit to Okehampton who regrouped and applied the next ten minutes of pressure. A tenacious Drybrook defence initially repelled the opposition until the eighteenth minute when Okes were awarded a scrum on the Drybrook five metre line. The Okehampton scrum half sneaked in to the right of the set piece to open the visitors account. The conversion was missed and the score tied at five apiece.
Drybrook again took the ball from the restart, Joe Tingle catching and setting up the ruck. Regan Marsh swiftly sent the ball to Will Greenway who fed Kyle Frowen and Frowen sent his captain Ben Large in for Drybrook’s second try.
Typical of the way the game was going back came Oakhampton. On twenty-eight minutes they were awarded a penalty in centre field after Drybrook had strayed offside. The kick was successful and the home team held a slender two-point advantage.
The remainder of the half belonged to Drybrook. They monopolised possession and forced

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Okehampton onto the back foot. Initially the Okes held firm. But the Drybrook boys refused to be denied and got their reward on the stroke of halftime when Regan Marsh dapped down, after the forwards had laid siege to the visitor’s line. Joe Winfield added the extras and Drybrook took a well deserved nine-point cushion into the break.
Drybrook started the second half with the wind behind them and playing towards the clubhouse. Tingle fielded the ball and smashed through a tackle before offloading to Frowen who did the same taking play up to half-way. Marsh was prevented from playing quick ball by an Okehampton straggler and Drybrook were awarded a penalty. The ball was kicked long by Winfield but knocked forward into play by the Okehampton number eight and Drybrook had an attacking scrum five metres out. Drybrook drove for the line but were held up and Okehampton were able to clear. Moments later though Drybrook earned another penalty for an infringement on halfway. Winfield kicked to the corner and Drybrook executed an excellent catch and drive. The ball was then taken on the crash by Ben Large who blasted through the defence for his second try of the game. Winfield converted and it looked as though the home team were coasting at twenty-four points to eight. The referee however had decided to award Okehampton a penalty from the restart as Drybrook had retaliated after an Okes player had dived on Ben Large after he had scored.
Okehampton kicked to the corner and continued pressure was rewarded when after a series of scrums on the Drybrook line they were awarded a penalty try.
With Tingle haven been yellow carded in the build up to the try Drybrook were up against it with a resurgent Oke’s back in the game at

twenty-four points to fifteen. Drybrook, though forced their way back upfield and were able to increase their lead with another well struck penalty by Winfield.
Typically, back came Oke’s and they used their most potent weapon, the scrummage to secure another seven points.
From the restart Drybrook took the ball and fired into their opponents earning another three-point opportunity when Oke’s prevented them from playing the ball quickly at the breakdown. Winfield made no mistake and Drybrook again looked to have made the game safe.
There was still time for another couple of twists however. Firstly, Drybrook conceded a penalty and Okehampton decided that rather than leave with nothing they would take the kick and earn a bonus point. The kick was successful and with only the last play of the game remaining it looked as though they had achieved their objective.
Drybrook had been dominant at the restart all afternoon and sure enough they isolated the Okehampton defender and he was penalised for not releasing. Winfield kicked the penalty and Drybrook had won another pulsating encounter at the Manning’s.
A number of their players stood out, Mitch Hale amongst them, but it was Captain Ben Large who took the plaudits after a deserved Man of the Match performance.
Drybrook will go into next week’s game at old rivals Weston Super Mare with a good deal of confidence following two well deserved back to back bonus point wins.

Drive on Dry and up the Squirrels!

Drybrook Squad: – MOORE, ROBERTS, PRICE, LARGE, BALDWIN, WINFIELD, MARSH, TINGLE, FROWEN, WATTS, NOTT, GREENWAY, HALE, HOWELLS, DAINCY, JELF, PEAPER, POWELL.