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FIVE VERY HARD POINTS

FIVE VERY HARD POINTS

Edwin Baker12 Dec 2016 - 15:37
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prop John Snell declared himself totally knackered

Bude are not a side to be taken lightly, as apart from Torquay, they are the only other team to have to have beaten Devonport Services this season and have performed well at home for much of this term. With the exception of full back Dan Pearce the Bude side lacks pace but have a big strong pack who can take away a game on a wetter heavier surface such as their home Bencoollen Meadow pitch which can become sticky after a moderate dew. Unsurprisingly the more pessimistic supporters at Cully were apprehensive as the forecast for Saturday was rain all day and Playing Chairman, Steve Luxon, the same as before the Burnham game, had again tempted providence by calling for a five point victory.

Although the entire game was shrouded in mist with visibility very poor towards the end, metaphorically the sun shone on Cullompton as the match was one of the few in the county to escape the rain. Past expenditure for sand on the pitch, an amount which barely exceeded a good weekends bartakings and was not unanimously supported, looked like an excellent investment as the surface remained firm despite the wet conditions and Cully’s quicker backs and light pack found plenty of grip and delivered a fine win. In the dressing room after the game prop John Snell declared himself totally knackered and felt that the 33-0 score was no reflection of how tough the game had been for the Cully players.

The first half was dominated by fly half Alex Brooks’ kicking game which carried the risk of Bude’s Pearce running the ball back through a broken field, the Achilles heel of Cullllompton this season, but in the event he was supported by fine chasing of the back division and in the second minute the opposition was caught offside and centre Adam Pearce, on kicking duty for the game, slotted the three points. Five minutes later Pearce made it 6-0 after a controlled approach from a Cully scrum in the home twenty two. Flankers Sam Harris and Sean Mardell, eight Steve Nockles, centre Lewys Ryan and hooker Jeremy Turner shared carrying duties up field before a knock on by Bude was dispatched by Brooks and chased down by winger Paul Baker who gave Turner a pick and go to the opposing five. Although it was Bude’s scrum the Cully pack drew the easy penalty.

On thirteen minutes 6-0 became 13-0 when one of Brook’s many kicks was collected by Bude’s dangerous Pearce and run back at speed. A fine tackle by Ryan right in front the grandstand, halted his progress and winger Josh Luxon and scrum half Tom Cole immediately arrived in support. Cole was quick to put boot to ball as it rolled out the back of the ruck and he proceeded to show fine pace and footballing skills by dribbling from halfway to the Bude in goal area before diving on the ball for the try well converted by Pearce.

Cullompton had their tails up and all the play remained in Bude territory until after the half hour. Josh Luxon had a great break up the wing but under estimated Bude’s Pearce, failed to pass to support on the inside and was knocked into touch. Cully kept up the pressure with a five metre lineout and a Bude scrum in the five with the ball won back and kicked forcing the Bude touch down in goal which gave them the twenty two dropout as relief. Bude then had six minutes at the other end during which they had a player held up in gaol but the end of this phase was marked by a Bude five metre lineout that was taken down for a maul. Cully anxiety grew in the stand to be suddenly relieved when, like a video game super hero, the bearded Harris complete with ball in hand, suddenly erupted from between the opposition players.

After a Cully scrum just inside the home ten the ball moved to Baker who set up a position in the Bude twenty two with a good break up his wing. There followed a number of well executed phases with incisive passing from Brooks and Ryan putting away Luxon on the overlap for a score near the posts converted by Pearce. The Cully purple patch continued after the break when shortly after Tom Frankpitt came on at nine, Cole moved to eleven and Baker went off, a break by Pearce into the Bude twenty two saw Bude second row Will Kingdon binned for an offense in the ruck. Pressing home their advantage over a seven man pack Cully went for the lineout and maul but were held up in goal. Even although Cully’s resulting scrum was turned over when the Bude eight carriedoff the base of the ensuing Bude set piece, Mardell tackled him so hard that he dropped the ball and Nockles popped it up for Brooks to go over for 28-0 on the forty eighth minute

Bude then took charge for the next twenty minutes with some tight possession which kept the ball away from Brooks. With no relieving kicks this phase of the game was conducted entirely in Cully territory and whilst Bude only penetrated to the home five on two occasions, the period was quite a severe test for the stamina of the Cully defenders. At last on seventy four minutes a speedy Cole break down the wing which Bude’s Pearce only managed to stop by grabbing the hem of his shirt, signalled the start of the offensive that resulted in the bonus point try. Cully harried the Bude twenty two and won a lineout just outside the Bude five which was taken down for a maul. Bude conceded a penalty, a quick tap was taken and a ruck was formed on the five. Luxon and forwards coach Harry Williams were delighted with the rapid pick and go drill, practiced in recent training sessions, which opened a nice gap for Frankpitt when it was his turn and he popped the ball over the line for the final score of 33-0 and the five point victory

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