Barnstaple 19 - 3 Exmouth

Exmouth started this newly formed National Three (SW) side with a local derby against Barnstaple with the home side running out victors.

The Cockles were up against it right from the word go when the Barum’s kick off wasn’t fielded successfully resulting in an early scrum for the home team.  This led to a try from full back Mark Galliford and a conversion by Neil Giddy after only 90 seconds. Exmouth shook themselves down and tried to put together some passages of play and following 2 penalties awarded to the Cockles, Exmouth had a chance to be on the scoresheet from their new Kiwi fly half Andrew Powell but unfortunately kicking into a strong wind, the kick fell short.

With the wind behind them Barnstaple were continually putting the Exmouth defence to the test and after 20 minutes a dropped pass enabled Cockles winger Jack Downie to break out of defence and chip through but the Barnstaple full back fielded the ball well only for him to be penalized for holding on when Downie tried to rip the ball away.  From the ensuing line out, Ash Stevens took good ball down to Adam Hooper but from the ruck the ball was lost and the relieving Barnstaple kick put them on the attack again.

Within minutes, Barum were launching yet a further attack on the Exmouth line and only a superb tackle from full back Mark Wathes saved a further score. The Exmouth scrum was solid throughout this half and the team put the Barnstaple back line under continuing pressure.  After 35 minutes, the Cockles managed a rare excursion into the Barnstaple 22, but following a line out the ball was lost at a driving maul and the Barnstaple line remained intact.  Giddy continued to put in some long wind assisted kicks up field and in the dying minutes of the half, winger Winston Kuva scored under the posts, Giddy missed the conversion giving a half time score of 12-0.

The long kick off by Exmouth’s Powell was fielded well and the home side attacked up field but good tackling from centres Paul Morgan and Dale Sleeman brought this to a halt on the halfway line, only for Exmouth to come in from the side yet again to be penalized.  Unfortunately for Exmouth, the referee yellow carded Ash Stevens as the offender.  The Exmouth side continued to defend well and from a Barnstaple chip through, a superb break by Wathes supported by Downie, who took the ball on but he was tackled 5 metres from the line.  Following a scrum at this breakdown, Exmouth were penalized for breaking too early allowing Barnstaple to clear their lines yet again. 

After 20 minutes, Exmouth finally got on the scoresheet with a penalty kick by Powell resulting from Barnstaple handling on the ground which put their hooker Leon Incledown in the bin.

Straight from the restart, a break by Downie who ran through the Barnstaple pack, linked up with Andrew Smith for him to be taken into touch on the Barum 22.  Barnstaple’s line out held firm and they relieved the pressure to the halfway line. 

On the half hour, Downie put up a high kick into the Barnstaple half but was late tackled and unfortunately Powell was unable to increase the Cockles score when the penalty kick went wide.

The Cockles upped their pace at this stage and put together some running rugby but were denied any further points.  It was from one of these attacks that the ball was retrieved by Barnstaple for Jack Elliott to score under the posts, Giddy converting in the 6th minute of added on time to give a final score Barnstaple 19 Exmouth 3.