Sidmouth Over 35s 50 – 22 Topsham over 35s
With the 1st and 2nd teams having a week off, the spotlight at The Blackmore fell on the Veterans for their first match of the season. It’s been many a year since Sidmouth fielded a competitive over 35s team but if Saturday was anything to go by, they surely will become a fixture at the club.
The previous week’s rain had relented and glorious winter sunshine greeted both teams and a large crowd. The smell of deep heat hung heavy in the air, the metres of tape had been applied and the stage was set for an entertaining game.
The first 20 minutes produced some excellent running rugby with both teams showing the intent to entertain. It was Sidmouth who were first on the scoreboard, a set move enabled centre Giles Dixon to break through the Topsham defence. He was pulled down ten metres from the line, but the ball was quickly recycled and allowed Dan Retter to find Ian Jones to score. Retter added the conversion.
They added a second try when Sidmouth stole a Topsham scrum against the head, carries from Number 8 Rhys Thomas and centre Andrew Dare, drew in the defence creating an overlap on the right for Mark Bishop to score. The conversion was missed.
Sidmouth dominated the first 20 minutes, at times playing some rugby that wouldn’t look out of place in most 1st teams, let alone a group who hadn’t played together for years! They scored a third try when Retter kicked a penalty to the corner, Hooker Luke Knight found Tom Butler in the lineout and the ball was driven to within 5 metres of the Topsham line. When the drive was stopped, the ball was moved to centre Andrew Dare, who found the gap and scored near the posts. He converted his own try.
Against the run of play Topsham opened their account when a Sidmouth knock on in midfield was hacked on by their flanker who controlled the loose ball and outpaced the cover to score an unconverted try.
Sidmouth were straight back on the attack and when Topsham were penalised for collapsing a maul 15 metres from their line, Ian Jones took a quick tap penalty and headed for the corner, he was tackled just short, but managed an audacious backdoor offload which was gathered by Dare to score his second try. The conversion from the touchline drifted wide.
The next try was one that would bring a nostalgic smile to the face anyone who had watched Sidmouth play in the 2000s. Sidmouth won a scrum on the Topsham 22, Thomas picked up from the base of the scrum and drew one man before passing to scrum half Steve Trim who dummied the cover to score in clubhouse corner.
Topsham completed the first half scoring with a well worked try for their centre who scored under the posts following a good catch and drive from a lineout to make the half time score 31-10.
The second half was a different game, with both teams ringing the changes, handling errors became more prevalent leading to an open but at times scrappy affair. It was from a dropped Sidmouth pass on half way that Topsham opened the scoring when the scrum half pounced on the loose ball and kicked ahead, despite a valiant chase from Luke Knight, he was able to gather the ball to score.
Buoyed on by this, Topsham set up camp in the Sidmouth half and despite some excellent defence, eventually the pressure told and the scrum half was able to force his way over for his second try. The try was converted making the score 31-22 with 20 minutes to go.
Despite losing Tom Butler to a yellow card Sidmouth hit back with a try for Harry Chesterton after sustained pressure from the forwards and a break from Glenn Channing created the gap for Chesterton to go over near the posts. Channing converted.
Sidmouth kept creating chances but were often architects of their own downfall with the final pass going astray, the ‘nearly’ moment of the day came when Thomas threw a no look pass to 60 year old Rocker Sheppard on the charge to the line, but a determined cover tackle meant that he was held up over the line. However, Sidmouth weren’t to be denied and following several powerful carries from the forwards, the ball was moved wide, to allow replacement centre Mark Dapling to power over under the posts, taking two would-be defenders with him. Channing converted.
With the last play of the game came try would have graced many a pitch. When Sidmouth were awarded a penalty 15 metres out, Retter shaped to take a quick tap, but instead launched a pin point cross field kick to Bishop, who caught, juggled and caught the ball again to score an unconverted try in the corner to make the final score 50-22 to the men in green.
As players were joined on the pitch by friends and family for the obligatory photos to prove it actually happened! The general consensus from players and fans alike was that this was one of the good days!
With three weeks break to allow the bodies to recover, the next Vets game is December the 10th at The Blackmore against Paignton.
With the 1st and 2nd teams having a week off, the spotlight at The Blackmore fell on the Veterans for their first match of the season. It’s been many a year since Sidmouth fielded a competitive over 35s team but if Saturday was anything to go by, they surely will become a fixture at the club.
The previous week’s rain had relented and glorious winter sunshine greeted both teams and a large crowd. The smell of deep heat hung heavy in the air, the metres of tape had been applied and the stage was set for an entertaining game.
The first 20 minutes produced some excellent running rugby with both teams showing the intent to entertain. It was Sidmouth who were first on the scoreboard, a set move enabled centre Giles Dixon to break through the Topsham defence. He was pulled down ten metres from the line, but the ball was quickly recycled and allowed Dan Retter to find Ian Jones to score. Retter added the conversion.
They added a second try when Sidmouth stole a Topsham scrum against the head, carries from Number 8 Rhys Thomas and centre Andrew Dare, drew in the defence creating an overlap on the right for Mark Bishop to score. The conversion was missed.
Sidmouth dominated the first 20 minutes, at times playing some rugby that wouldn’t look out of place in most 1st teams, let alone a group who hadn’t played together for years! They scored a third try when Retter kicked a penalty to the corner, Hooker Luke Knight found Tom Butler in the lineout and the ball was driven to within 5 metres of the Topsham line. When the drive was stopped, the ball was moved to centre Andrew Dare, who found the gap and scored near the posts. He converted his own try.
Against the run of play Topsham opened their account when a Sidmouth knock on in midfield was hacked on by their flanker who controlled the loose ball and outpaced the cover to score an unconverted try.
Sidmouth were straight back on the attack and when Topsham were penalised for collapsing a maul 15 metres from their line, Ian Jones took a quick tap penalty and headed for the corner, he was tackled just short, but managed an audacious backdoor offload which was gathered by Dare to score his second try. The conversion from the touchline drifted wide.
The next try was one that would bring a nostalgic smile to the face anyone who had watched Sidmouth play in the 2000s. Sidmouth won a scrum on the Topsham 22, Thomas picked up from the base of the scrum and drew one man before passing to scrum half Steve Trim who dummied the cover to score in clubhouse corner.
Topsham completed the first half scoring with a well worked try for their centre who scored under the posts following a good catch and drive from a lineout to make the half time score 31-10.
The second half was a different game, with both teams ringing the changes, handling errors became more prevalent leading to an open but at times scrappy affair. It was from a dropped Sidmouth pass on half way that Topsham opened the scoring when the scrum half pounced on the loose ball and kicked ahead, despite a valiant chase from Luke Knight, he was able to gather the ball to score.
Buoyed on by this, Topsham set up camp in the Sidmouth half and despite some excellent defence, eventually the pressure told and the scrum half was able to force his way over for his second try. The try was converted making the score 31-22 with 20 minutes to go.
Despite losing Tom Butler to a yellow card Sidmouth hit back with a try for Harry Chesterton after sustained pressure from the forwards and a break from Glenn Channing created the gap for Chesterton to go over near the posts. Channing converted.
Sidmouth kept creating chances but were often architects of their own downfall with the final pass going astray, the ‘nearly’ moment of the day came when Thomas threw a no look pass to 60 year old Rocker Sheppard on the charge to the line, but a determined cover tackle meant that he was held up over the line. However, Sidmouth weren’t to be denied and following several powerful carries from the forwards, the ball was moved wide, to allow replacement centre Mark Dapling to power over under the posts, taking two would-be defenders with him. Channing converted.
With the last play of the game came try would have graced many a pitch. When Sidmouth were awarded a penalty 15 metres out, Retter shaped to take a quick tap, but instead launched a pin point cross field kick to Bishop, who caught, juggled and caught the ball again to score an unconverted try in the corner to make the final score 50-22 to the men in green.
As players were joined on the pitch by friends and family for the obligatory photos to prove it actually happened! The general consensus from players and fans alike was that this was one of the good days!
With three weeks break to allow the bodies to recover, the next Vets game is December the 10th at The Blackmore against Paignton.
