Ivybridge 25 - 12 Exmouth

The Exmouth RFC Quins squad travelled to Ivybridge on Saturday, hoping to continue their hundred percent league form of six wins from six games played.

 
With six changes to the squad from the previous Saturday, due to first team duties and unavailabilities it wasn't going to be easy and they didn't make it easy for themselves by conceding a penalty with in the first minute of the game which Ivybridge converted. Playing up the slope in the first half the young Exmouth forwards found it hard going playing against a much bigger pack, however it took Ivybridge twenty five minutes to break down the Exmouth defence with a well worked three quarter move which saw their left wing going over in the corner virtually untouched. Ten points to nil to Ivybridge.

Exmouth slowly worked their way up the pitch with some good inter play between the forwards and backs, only to be punished by some good positional kicking down the slope by Ivybridge when Exmouth lost the ball due to some basic errors. With half time approaching the Quins were unlucky not to score when the ball was spilled after a series of forward drives and Ivybridge cleared their line with yet another kick and chase down field. The half time score line was ten point to nil in Ivybridge's favour not a huge problem for Exmouth considering the slope would be in their favour for the second half.

 
The second half started well for the Quins, with the forwards putting Ivybridge under pressure, producing good quality quick ball for the three quarter to use, however they could not make the pressure tell and failed to cross the Ivybridge line. With Exmouth's failure to score Ivybrdge delivered two sucker blows when they score two tries in quick succession one of which was converted making the score line twenty two points to nil to Ivybridge, with twenty minutes of the second half played, things weren't looking too good for the Quins.

With nothing to loose Exmouth put everything into attacking rugby, forwards and backs running with the ball which eventually paid dividend when scrum half Brad Stone over the Ivybridge line to score under the posts, Lloyd Murrin added the two points with the conversion. Then five minutes later John Bird scored a try, unfortunately Lloyd was wide with the kick, the score was twenty two points to twelve to Ivybridge. Could the Quins pull off a victory or was it too late. From yet another Quins attack the ball was spilled and Ivybridge set up a counter attack, unfortunately the scrambling defence conceded a penalty which Ivybridge converted. The final score was twenty five points to twelve to Ivybridge.

 
The Quins where hugely disappointed to loose their one hundred percent record but they can hold their heads high, it was a young side disrupted by the changes but everyone gave their all in a very competitive game.