Top Drawer!

Exeter University 24pts
Drybrook R.F.C 34pts

Drybrook served up their best performance of the season to beat an excellent Exeter team, and avenge the defeat they suffered earlier in the season to the students.
The game was played on the University’s artificial Three G pitch and the pace and dry conditions provided the platform for an exhilarating eighty minutes of rugby.
Drybrook kicked off and immediately the home team showed their intent by running the ball from deep. The Drybrook defence was of the highest standard and big hits from Bailey Watts and Bradley Morgan prevented an early score.
Drybrook then showed they also had plenty to offer in attack as a good break by skipper Ben Large led to the Uni slowing down the ball at the ruck and conceding a penalty. Tim Stevenson nailed the kick and on ten minutes Drybrook took the lead.
From the restart the Exeter team regathered the ball and set their backline into motion. Drybrook were caught off-side and the home ten equalled the scores with an easy shot at goal.
The following period of play was full of endeavour from both teams, but the hits coming in were big and hard and neither team could find a breakthrough.
Drybrook’s set piece work has improved dramatically in the last couple of games and their scrum had the home team under pressure. As the Uni was shunted back the ref awarded a penalty which Stevenson kicked to the corner.
A good catch and drive took the visitors to within striking distance and Glen Nott was on hand to

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drive over for the first try which Stevenson converted.
Seven minutes later a ten-points to three lead was turned into a fourteen-point advantage as Kyle Frowen powered his way to the line for a try which Stevenson again converted.
Back came the Students and they took play deep into the Drybrook half with some superb handling. Joe Tingle was guilty of slowing down their ball and received a yellow card for doing so. The Uni took advantage and scored through their blindside wing-forward. The home ten converted and a whirlwind first forty ended with Drybrook leading seventeen-points to ten.
The second half started and within four minutes the Students were back on level terms following a converted try from their full-back.
The pace of the game was unrelenting and sure enough back came the visitors. A good break up-field by Mitch Hale was taken on well by the forwards. From the breakdown a nice dart inside from scrum-half Olly Moore led to the ball coming out to the backs and impressive Bradley Morgan found the space out wide to grab a try.
The University boy’s may have been hoping the pace of the game would take it’s toll on the away team, but the extra intensity in training over the last couple of weeks showed it’s rewards, with Drybrook starting to dominate up front, which led to Olly Moore sniping in for a try on twenty minutes, earning his team a try bonus point.
Stevenson converted and the score moved to twenty-nine points to seventeen in Drybrooks favour.

Bailey Watts who had been putting in shots for fun all afternoon, then showed he can also move a bit as he dived in at the corner to extend the lead to thirty-four points to seventeen. With Renton, Daynes and Coburn coming on for the visitors the Drybrook team kept up it’s momentum and were unlucky not to add more points to their already impressive tally.
The Exeter boys to their credit mounted a fine defensive effort and were rewarded for their hard work when the home team blind-side grabbed his second try of the afternoon, converted by the ten.
The come-back was short-lived though as Drybrook controlled the final minutes to run out worthy thirty-four points to twenty-four winners.
This was an excellent game of rugby and credit must go to both sets of players who would surely have been aching Sunday morning.
Drybrook now have a week off to recover before they face Exmouth at home on the twenty first of this month.
There were too many great performances to pick anyone for the man of the match, but Bailey Watts deserves a special mention for his end of game speech, a truly inspiring piece of oration much appreciated by his peers.

Drive on Dry!

Drybrook – Jelf, Addis, Hale, Nott, Tingle, Bailey, Frowen, Bourne, Moore, Stevenson, Peaper, Large, Price, Roberts, Morgan, Daynes, Cobbett, Renton