Sat 21 Sep 2019
NORTH TAWTON 9 v TORQUAY ATHLETIC 13
Torquay Athletic needed to overcome a number of hurdles before completing a really hard earned win at newly promoted North Tawton.
This was probably Tics' first visit to the recently promoted Mid Devon Club, who had started life in Cornwall & Devon League by winning both of their games, including a seven try, fifty-point win away to Topsham a week earlier.
The first hurdle was one of selection: Tics' showed eight changes from the 18-man squad that had comfortably won at home to Liskeard and Looe the previous Saturday. Such changes were due to four players being away on holiday or at a wedding and another three understandably accepting an opportunity to play for an invitation Team at Twickenham.
Lloyd Penhalagan returned to the front row after a post-concussion rest period, to replace Sonny Rowe, who has returned to Loughborough University. Tics' also welcomed back the influential Martin Harrison-Brown at no. 8.
Other changes were very much enforced with former player Ed Cribb (now returned to the area) replacing holiday absentee Gavin Blacoe at scrum half. A lack of recognised forwards meant that at some stage backs Harvey Piper, Tony Brierley and Nathan Pring had to play in the pack, with Pring permanently on the flank and Piper in the second row. In fact, to allow the Extras to put out a full fifteen players at the Rec. the Firsts travelled with only two replacements, both backs.
The match was played in dry and sunny conditions with a strong breeze blowing end to end and which Tics' had first use of.
In the second minute a Penrice penalty kicked from hand took Tics' up to 25 metres out and following the lineout strong runs down centrefield from Brown and Penhalagan yielded another penalty and a five metre attacking lineout on the right.
A second comfortable catch by Captain Tom Whitford enabled the drive to be adopted as the weapon of choice. Tawton could not stop a swift maul to the line with Lewis Harben getting the touchdown and Penrice adding the extras with a well struck conversion for
0 – 7 in the 6th minute.
From the re-start a Torquay punt ahead drew advantage from a good ball chase and holding up of a defender brought a Tics' scrum put-in. Despite Tawton possessing a not dissimilar eight in terms of overall size Tics' were never bested at this set piece all game; allied to which the visitors’ lineout functioned efficiently throughout.
Tawton then worked some phases to get to Tics' 22' where the visitors went offside and No. 10 Gary Sizmur slotted a penalty kick for 3 – 7 in the 13th minute. However, Tics' seven-point lead was restored two minutes later when Penrice was accurate again with the boot from 35 metres out for 3 – 10.
Then unwise back chat by Torquay at a penalty award gave Sizmur another close in penalty from just outside the 22' and he obliged home supporters with another three points for 6 – 10 after 25 minutes.
Influential home inside centre Kevin Dennis (formerly of Oakhampton and Newton Abbot) was then permanently sidelined with a twisted knee.
As the penalty count against Torquay rose (it was eleven against three by half time) another Sizmur shot at goal went wide. However, he did succeed in the 35th minute as Tics' conceded a tenth penalty against. 9 – 10. Just before the break two missed tackles by Torquay allowed Tawton to advance only 8 metres from the posts, but they knocked the ball on and it remained 9 – 10 at the interval with the advantage looking inadequate for Torquay, given that the breeze would favour Tawton in the second period.
Tics' job to hold out against the strong breeze (which admittedly abated somewhat in the final stages of the match) was made all the more difficult by having two front row yellow cards; the first being Penhalagan in the 42nd minute for what Devon Referee Ms. Lucy Smith deemed as repeated scrum offences. Lewis Harben moved up to prop.
A good weaving run by Tom Drake set up a promising Torquay attack, which was halted when a player went off his feet at a ruck. Just after the 50th minute Tawton conceded two penalties in quick succession and Penrice drove the second of these between the posts from the 22' for 9 – 13.
Tawton then had a good chance to score a try on the wide right with a two on one advantage, conspired to knock on and then go offside when a player in front of the ball played it when 5 metres out, allowing Tics' to kick clear.
Next, and with Penhalagan back on the field Torquay turned defence into attack with good carries by Brown and Pring before a kick ahead by Jake Bury and another swift ball chase pressured the Tawton full back into touch and a lineout to Tics' in a promising position. However, for the first and only time in the match Tawton managed to steal the throw.
Shortly after hooker Craig Withers was carded, Tics adjusted with Penhalagan moving to hooker and Harben remaining at prop to avoid further perceived scrum indiscretions. Such required normal back replacement Tony Brierley to join Harvey Piper in the pack.
The game was continually punctuated by stop / start intervals; many of which were for injuries and the busiest man on the field was probably well regarded Torquay Physio Ed Colman-Roberts who took it upon himself to attend to players from both sides in the absence of any home Team medical back-up.
The delays led to fully 10 minutes of time added on. The final five minutes of which saw Tics' desperately defending phase after phase of Tawton attacking; most of which only 5 metres from the try line. Tawton tried both forward drives and spreading the ball wider, but could not breach a well organised and resilient Torquay defence.
A home knock-on brought the final whistle and well deserved celebrations for the visitors and travelling supporters. Final score 9 – 13.
TORQUAY TEAM:
15 – Mawgan Penrice, 14 – Luke Hedges, 13 – Tom Drake, 12 – Jack Keiller, 11 – Ryan Hanauer, 10 – Jake Bury, 9 – Ed Cribb,
1 – Adam Dart, 2 – Craig Withers, 3 – Lloyd Penhalagan, 4 – Tom Whitford (Captain), 5 – Harvey Piper, 6 – Nathan Pring, 7 – Lewis Harben, 8 – Martin Harrison-Brown.
Replacements: Tony Brierley and Chris Smerdon (both played).
