Exmouth 22 - 15 Barnstaple

On Saturday the Exmouth RFC Quins took on league leaders Barnstaple in the last league match of the season and saw the Quins come away winners of a very keenly contested game of rugby.

 
It was the Quins that started the game on the front foot with only two minutes on the clock, skipper Tony Emmins finished off a forward drive from an Exmouth lineout, to cross the Barnstaple line and score the first try, with the conversion being missed it was five nil to Exmouth. Ten minutes later Barnstaple took advantage of some poor tackling by Exmouth and crossed the Quins try line to level the scores.

Both teams were playing some exciting open rugby, putting each others defense's under pressure but neither team would crack, it took until the final couple of minutes of the first half and it was Exmouth who cracked, giving away a penalty close to their posts, the Barnstaple kicker converted the penalty making it five points to eight in Barnstaple's favour at half time.

 
The second half continued much the same as the first with both teams playing open, fast running rugby.  It was the Quins that opened up the scoring in the second half when prop Paul Flower went over to score in the seventeenth minute, finishing off a five minute spell of Exmouth forward pressure on the Barnstaple try line, with Ed Kirk adding the two points from the conversion it was twelve points to eight to the Quins. On the half hour mark of the second half and some very tired players on the park it was Sam Bull the replacement No 8 who scored next, taking the Barnstaple defense by surprise he picked up on a loose ball from a ruck and ran in under the post unopposed, Ed Kirk, with another conversion kicked made it nineteen eight to Exmouth.

Barnstaple weren't lying down just yet and quickly responded with another try and conversion, nineteen fifteen to Exmouth. With the game drawing to a close every body both playing and watching new that the next team to score were sure to win, when out of the blue centre Dave MaCarthy received the ball from broken play on the Barnstaple ten metre line, steadied himself and took a drop kick at goal, as the ball sailed over the cross bar to give Exmouth a further three points the ref blew the whistle for full time and a score line of the Quins twenty two Barnstaple fifteen.

 
The Exmouth Quins came out winners of a very hard fought but attractive game of rugby, full credit has to go to every player involved. Unfortunately as Barnstaple started the game league leaders and were four points ahead of Exmouth, the three points from this win were not enough to overhaul Barnstaple, so Exmouth had to settle for second in the league, for the second season running.