Herald Express (Torbay, Brixham & South Hams Edition)
Newton Abbot had no Plan B to deal with the intense pressure we put them under
SOUTH WEST PREMIER
So said Brixham coach Martin Worthington after the Fisherman dominated Newton Abbot in the big South West Premier derby on Saturday
BRIXHAM thumped Newton Abbot 44-13 to get off the mark in the South West Premier Division at the second attempt.
Newton Abbot’s opening day win over Bracknell, in which Matt Jess scored five tries, counted for nothing as the Fishermen took them apart on Sat- urday.
Overjoyed Martin Worthington, the experience Brixham player-coach, described it as the team’s best performance in his three years at the club.
He added: “We looked dangerous every time our backs touched the ball.
“We controlled the pace of the game, dominated the scrums and put in a great shift in defence, where Kyle Kane was outstanding.
“Newton Abbot had no Plan B to deal with the intense pressure we put them under.”
Brixham paraded new signing Mitch Pinkus at stand-off for the first time and Worthington said the ex-Ivybridge player fitted in well.
“JP Simonetti look comfortable in his first game for us at 12 and he and Mitch looked like they had played together for years,” said Worthington.
Pinkus, an Ivybridge youth system graduate, arrived at Brixham last week via a summer training and trailing with National One side Plymouth Albion, who decided they did not want him.
The Fishermen had a vacancy at stand-off following the departure of Tom Putt to Newton Abbot and Pinkus was a perfect fit.
With 20 minutes on the clock it was 6-3 to Newton Abbot: two penalties from Rob Avery-Wright to one back in reply from Pinkus.
Brixham set up a line-out catch-and-drive move, from which scrum-half Jamie Hext crossed.
A second try followed off a scrum for Simonetti, which was converted by Pinkus,
With Newton down to 14 men after Luke Mingo had been sin-binned, missed tackles let Brixham No 8 Sam Thomas in for a try.
The conversion took the half-time score to 25-6.
Six minutes into the second half Hext scored a passing-move try to earn Brixham a bonus point.
Newton came back with a catch-drive try by Mat Dowrick on 63 minutes that Avery-Wright improved for 30-13 down.
Brixham finished the stronger side with two more tries for full-back Connor Bedwell. Pinkus converted both.
Matt Jess, the Newton Abbot player-coach, had no complaints about the result.
“Brixham played very well from 1-15 – full credit to them,” said Jess.
“What we can’t be doing with is two yellow cards (Mingo and Jarryd Harris) in the first half.
“The first one we rode out pretty well, but they capitalised on the second with a few tries that hurt us going into the second half.
“Some significant injuries did not help our cause, but that is not an excuse.
“We will be looking to come back at home to Camborne this Saturday with an improved performance.”
Brixham are away to newly promoted Old Patesians on Saturday.
Newton Spartans were given a tough test by Brixham Crusaders before notching their second bonus-point win of the season.
The home side included a pair of Croatians in their squad with Filip Perica scoring a try on his debut in a 31-21 win.
His compatriot Dino Bozic came on as a replacement and made an instant impression first at full back and then at No. 10.
Perica and Bozic both featured regularly in the Teignmouth 1st XV last season.
Will Throgmorton, who started at 10, also had a good afternoon as he converted all four tries as well as kicking a penalty.
Apart from Perica, the tries went to full-back Jake Monnington, prop Charlie Dore and flanker Angus Paterson..
The Spartans have a break this Saturday before taking on Cullompton at Rackehayes next Saturday.