Cleve 14 - 15 Exmouth

Last weekend Exmouth travelled to the The Hayfields, the impressive complex in the Mangotsfield area of Bristol that is the home of Cleve Rugby Club. The Cockles completed their first double of the season with this win and the result lifted them another place in the League. Just above Barnstaple and with four sides now below them with a game in hand, a mid table position now beckons in this twelve side league. Not a classic game of rugby the Cockles had enough opportunities in the first half to put the game out of reach but they let Cleve back into the game in the second half and only a last ditch penalty in injury time allowed them to come home with the points. With over twenty odd penalties and three yellow cards referee Richard Jones of the Hampshire RRS had a busy afternoon.

 
Exmouth were ahead within two minutes when Nick Grant slotted over a penalty from the Cleve 22 and the rest of the first quarter was littered with infringements and missed opportunities. By the half hour Nick Grant had kicked two more penalties and taken the score to 9pts- nil and Exmouth seemed to have things under control. It continued to be a stop start affair and as the half time break approached Cleve started to get their act together. When Mr Jones blew for half time the home side were back in the game with two Lee Audis penalties and Exmouth were down to fourteen players with Joe Heaver in the bin.

Exmouth kicked off the second half and during the first ten minutes or so they had the opportunity to take control of the game. Nick Grant extended the lead to 12pts-6 after five minutes and with two Cleve players now sin binned different penalty options might have produced the try they desperately needed. They opted for kicks which produced nothing and when an Exmouth scrum was turned over on their own 22 centre Nathan Huntley punished Exmouth with the only try of the game. The Cockles scrum was starting to feel the pressure and Cleve were starting to gain some momentum. With ten minutes left to play Audis kicked his third penalty and at 14pts- 12 Cleve had taken the lead for the first time and had rested control from the Cockles. The Bristol side seemed to be coasting to a win when a poor kick out of the hands gifted the ball to Exmouth and allowed them to set up an attack.

With injury time being played Cleve were penalised on their own 22 and Nick Grant coped with what was a pressure kick to secure two valuable points. Overall the Cockles will be delighted to pick up points on the road but they will need to ask themselves why they had control for so long and yet needed a last gasp kick to get a result.