Herald Express (Torbay, Brixham & South Hams Edition)
Wait over: Teignmouth get winning break in Truro
TEIGNMOUTH ended a longwait for a win at Truro by beating the city side 19-14 in front of their own supporters.
It had been nearly nine years since Teignmouth came away with a win from St Clements Hill – and the last two visits ended in big defeats.
Truro are certainly not the force they were last season when they finished third in South West Two and have now lost six on the spin.
The Teigns started brightly with a try on five minutes by Jack Bowen from a driving maul. The conversion was kicked by Rio Cooper.
After a brief spell in the Teigns 22 the home side scored through winger Tom Duncan. Scrum-half Ash Hosking converted.
While Truro were handicapped by two yellow cards, Teignmouth were unable to take advantage of extra men on the field.
The reverse proved true with Truro taking the lead with a Dave Riches try converted by Hosking.
Fresh legs – Dan Allison and Dane Layton – gave the Teigns renewed momentum. After an excellent move by the backs Faolan Lidstone scored under the posts. Cooper’s kick levelled it at 14-all.
Good work by the forwards moved the ball to the left for George Bond to score in the corner.
In the time left last-ditch tackles by Will Sowden and Pete Bilham snuffed out a potential Truro salvage operation.
Pete Parsons, the Teignmouth skipper, said a win on the road seldom felt so good.
“We have always found Truro a very difficult place to win or collect league points,” said Parsons.
“It was just as well we took a strong team because Truro had reinforced theirs with a bunch of first-team regulars who had been away or unavailable so far this season.
“It was a very physical and scrappy match, but were delighted to come away with four points.
“The point of difference was probably our discipline and our stronger set piece.”
Newton Abbot won for only the second time this season in South West Two when they defeated Chard 48-31.
The All Whites have had a tough first six weeks of the season and their fortunes hit a low point when Wadebridge trashed them 107-6 the last time they hit the road.
Selection problems were largely responsible for Newton’s battering at Wadebridge – and there were pick problems in the pack for the trip to Chard.
Simon Morrell, the Newton Abbot coach, said this time the team more than rose to the challenge.
Said Morrell: “Across the opening fixtures we have only really shown patches of what we are capable of as availability, or a somewhat lack of it, being our biggest downfall.
“More than 30 players were unavailable last weekend and, adding to the headache, was there must have been cheap flights going [to the World Cup] for those over 100kg as the majority of those missing were forwards.
“Our pack had a Barbarian feel as we called in veterans Paul Warren and Ian Milton as well as an abundance of last year’s colts.”
Morrell said so much chopping and changing was ‘hardly ideal preparation,’ but the mix of youth and experience in the pack went well.
“It takes a significant shift upfront to overcome Chard and that is exactly what the boys put in,” said Morrell.
“The likes of Jack and Toby Cox came through with flying colours – and the old guard also showed they still had a few miles left on the clock.”
It may be forwards who win rugby matches, but it is the back division that decides by how many.
Morrell said there may have been gaps plugged in the pack, but outside it was more than business as usual.
“Our backline, was arguably the strongest named in the four years I have been at the helm,” said Morrell.
“The accumulation of 40-plus points suggests we have the making of a side worthy of level-six rugby.
“And if the boys get their social diaries ‘synced’ a good season awaits.”
The All Whites led 20-19 at half time then pulled away in the second half.
Tries were scored by Lloyd Radford, Charlie Dore, Jed Grifin, Jack Cox, Luke Moore and Josh Smith. Tom Steer kicked all six conversions and two penalties.
Fourteen-man Dartmouth pulled away in the second half to defeat
Salcombe 37-8 in the South Hams derby at Norton.
It was the Riversiders’ seventh win on the spin in Devon Two and keeps them tucked in behind leaders Tamar Saracens.
Dartmouth were 8-5 down at the half-time break and down to 14 men after Kyle McGhee was sent-off following a flare-up between the sides. Myles Churchill was the Dartmouth try scorer.
Liam Hitchcock, the two-try hero of Dartmouth’s Devon Junior Bowl win over Plymouth Argaum seven days earlier, got the scoreboard ticking over with a try that put the side in front.
Sam Churchill penalties stretched the Dartmouth lead, as did Lewis Sharam with two in a row. Birthday boy Billy Colthart scored the final try.
Andrew Tomkinson, the Dartmouth team manager, said a halftime roasting from skipper Karl Caunter clearly turned things round.
“After a good half-time chat, and a rallying call from the captain, the team stepped up a gear and played more like a unit and cut out all the errors of the first half,” he said.
“In the end, it was a great result.”