The full extent of Cully’s double figure injury list was underlined by the sight of good young players watching from the sidelines as the seconds could not raise a side to travel to Barnstaple. Cullompton welcomed back Sean Mardell, Josh Mammola and Tom Frankpitt to face almost the same Wadebridge team they met in the away leg as that side is hovering just above relegation and their manager was able to muster a rare full turn out to venture across the Tamar

In the opening quarter the strong Wadebridge ball carriers with their well executed lineout sparred with Cullompton’s dominant scrum and good tackling. It was twenty minutes before Cullompton won a penalty, well taken by centre Adam Pearce with the visiting place kicker standoff Danny Thomas, slicing an attempt to equalise four minutes later. On twenty nine minutes Cully gained the upper hand with a try for number eight Sam Harris, converted by Pearce from a ball carried to the line by flanker Mardell. They struck again on thirty nine minutes when scrum half Frankpitt scampered away to the line from a scrum in the shadow of the posts for a 15-0 lead but a penalty for Wadebridge took the game into overtime and their eight Mark Grubb went in from a scrum to make it 15-7at the break with the Thomas conversion.

After another Pearce penalty on fifty minutes stretched the lead to 18-7, play became scrappy. With fifteen minutes left on the clock Wadebridge pressure led to a yellow card for Pearce and with popular official Nigel Boyd, refereeing without fear of favour to provide a level playing field it was a tense finale for Cully supporters. Cullompton held out the visitors during the fourteen man period but a momentary loss of defensive shape on seventy six minutes allowed Wadebridge’s versatile sometimes hooker, Matt Ballard, playing on the flank, to go in like a back for a try converted by Thomas to reduce the deficit to four points 18-14 but increase the tension for the closing minutes

Defence was king in the opening quarter. Wadebridge soon won a penalty in the home twenty two but their attempt to kick to the corner was well caught by winger Sam Budgett and standoff Alex Brooks dispatched the ball up field. Their five metre lineout on fourteen minutes fared no better as they failed to get a grip of the ball which was snaffled by Cully prop John Snell. Cully spent at least twice that amount of time in the Wadebridge twenty two, conducting a five metre lineout and two scrums in that area with nothing on the scoreboard to show for it. Nearing twenty minutes Brooks and Pearce conducted a rush towards the visitor’s line with both of them plus Harris, Frankpitt and Mardell all attempting to break through but the attack was halted by Boyd when play engulfed Club Physio,Vicky, who had rushed on to tend the prostrate Harris. Harris was quickly restored by her touch and participated in the scrum from which flanker Steve Nockles and Frankpitt both attempted the line but Boyd called the advantage which he was holding and Pearce bagged an easy three points. Three points seemed scant reward for the time and effort involved but was better than Wadebridge who sliced their goal opportunity four minutes later and had nothing at all.

A clinical set piece is not easy to defend and as the half hour approached a fine penalty by Brooks gave Cully an attacking position on the opposition twenty two. The throw was well taken in by Lock Ollie Kittow and a longtailed maul was closing in on the line but Harris broke a little too soon and the ball had to be recycled. Brooks’ long pass was well caught by full back Marcus Busch but his pass to Budgett on the wing, bounced at his feet and went into touch. Wadebridge’s lineout was excellent all game but on this occasion their hooker Matt Tarby overthrew the line and the ball dropped into the hands of Mardell who needed no second invitation to make for the line He was stopped just short but Harris was there to pop it over and the score after Pearce’s conversion looked a little more respectable.

As the break neared Budgett broke into the Wadebridge half and Mardell took on the ball. Winger Josh Luxon caught Brook’s crossfield kick and set Busch going towards the opposition line. When Busch knocked on Cully’s superiority in the scrum was clearly demonstrated as they disrupted the Cornish set piece and won one of their own in front the posts. The Cullompton eight were in full control enabling Frankpitt to pick his moment for his rush over the line. Not to be outdone Wadebridge showed that Cully did not have a monopoly on clinical play and 15-0 became 15-7 just before the half time whistle. Their five metre lineout was faultless and the maul was unstoppable but Cully got something under the ball. On shakier ground the visitor’s got the ball out of the scrum quickly with their big eight Grubb barging over and Thomas converting with his first decent kick of the day

The second half saw the introduction of the bench. Josh Mammola made a welcome return and was soon in the thick of the action tackling well as was Jeremy Turner who set out to use up eighty minutes energy in half that time. Wesley Keywood came on for his first XV debut and soon showed his strength by initiating the holding up of a Wadebridge player to turn over possession. A Pearce penalty on fifty minutes for 18-7 gave Cully a slightly thicker cushion but the opposition pressed strongly and tension was heightened by a yellow card for Pearce when Wadebridge came knocking. The good work on defence of Ben Moon and Will Chudley was in evidence especially during this period of the game as the strong Cornish forwards took some tackling and the fast backs strung some challenging moves together. Just as the Cully defenders began to look invincible with only five minutes left to go and two scores needed Wadebridge sprung a surprise. That old campaigner Matt Ballard who has scored many tries against Cullompton in the past, decided it was time for one more. Ballard, usually a hooker, was revelling in the freedom of the flank and got involved in a backs move to run in a try through heavy traffic as well as any centre. Cully endured a nervous four minutes to the whistle.

“A win is a win” said Cully team manager Steve Luxon as he mopped a trace of perspiration from his brow after the game but perspective was provided by one of his predecessors, Andy Knowles who remarked that a manager will be rewarded for getting the best possible team available on the day onto the field. This week’s side will do nicely for the game down at Devonport Services next Saturday. Will Luxy be able to play darts with his fingers crossed?

The Colts travelled to Barnstaple on Saturday and lost by a creditable 20-12 Congratulations to the U13s for a great 40-0 win for the Devon Plate over Totnes at Topsham on Sunday. The 1stXV are away to Devonport and the 2nds have Ivybridge at home this Saturday coming