When signing up to play Vets rugby you don’t expect to be playing against a team of 20-year-old future army officers in 25-degree heat, but that was the challenge that faced Sidmouth’s ‘Evergreens’ as they welcomed a team from the Exeter University Officer Training Corps to the Blackmore on an unseasonably warm Saturday. With the cunning plan of combatting youth and speed with experience and numbers (having a squad of 25 with rolling subs) and their own sprinkling of youth in the form of honorary Vets for the day Connor Preston and Cian Warren, Sidmouth were quietly confident.
The confidence grew to agitation as kick-off approached with no sign of the opposition, military essentials of logistics and punctuality seemed sorely lacking as 1400 hours came and went, and then to frustration, when upon arriving there were only 11 men in the EUOTC ranks. Was this a cunning ruse to snuff out the planned rolling subs? Would reinforcements suddenly appear from the hills? As it was, Sidmouth provided the required back up so the game could go ahead.
Sidmouth took an early lead when Connor Preston, goose-stepped, dummied and then took a more direct route through the final tackle to touch down near the posts. Dan Retter added the conversion. Sidmouth scored again, when following a period of sustained pressure in the clubhouse corner, Retter launched an inch perfect cross-field kick to winger Mark Dapling, who took the ball on the run and beat his man before being pulled down just short of the line. Like every good hooker should be, Preston was loitering on the touchline to pick up from the ensuing ruck and after a few unnecessary histrionics, eventually touched down for his second try. Retter added the conversion to make score 14-0.
This seemed to galvanise the University side, and they started to move the ball around using their pace and physicality to good effect, scoring 2 unconverted tries, making the score 14-10 at the first water break.
The next try came when Retter intercepted a pass on halfway, with the Uni cover closing in, an audacious over the shoulder pass found Ian Jones in support, seemingly with an easy run to the line, but he hadn’t accounted for a stealth attack and with both pace and peripheral vision not what they used to be, he was tackled 5 metres short of the line. However, new recruit Richard ‘Tricky’ Terry was on hand to pick up and power over for his first try in green having seen the light and made the short journey over the hill from Honiton. Half -time score 19-10 to Sidmouth.
Sidmouth were first on the 2nd-half scoresheet when Cian Warren, playing only his 2nd game after 18 months out with injury showed he has lost none of his pace or finishing prowess, beating several defenders to score in the corner. 24-10
But again, with youth and superior fitness levels starting to tell, and a not unsubstantial contribution from their Sidmouth loan forwards contingent, the university hit back with two tries in quick succession. 24-22 and very much game on!
With the heat, pace of the play and contact levels that were way in excess of most Vets games, prone bodies starting to appear at all corners of the battlefield, and despite Lydia doing her very best Florence Nightingale impersonations both teams were down to 14 men. This only allowed the game to open up more, first allowing Warren to sprint in from 50 metres for his 2nd try, and then the University exploited the space to score again. 31-27 with 15 minutes to go.
However, this Evergreen side does not lie down easily. Retter struck a 50-22 from deep in his own half, and Rhys Thomas touched down near the posts after a well-executed lineout move. Retter converted 37-27. Next came a try that would grace any match, Number 8 Tom Butler caught the kick off, and set off down the touchline, leaving two men in his wake before finding second-row Nick Mills galloping up in support, he beat two men before his inside pass found Rhys Thomas in support. Thomas channelling his inner sevens starlet checked his run, before switching the direction of play to link with Man of the Match Steve Trim, who timed his run to perfection to score under the posts! Retter converted. 44-27.
The last ten minutes saw further tries for Warren to complete his hat-trick and Pete Bennett with his first for the club when he collected a kick-pass from Retter score unopposed in the corner. EUOTC completed the scoring with the last touch of the game making the final score 55-32 to the Evergreens. The icing on the cake was five of Sidmouth’s finest rolling back the years to beat the students in the traditional ‘boat race’ in the bar!
All the players deserve credit for sticking to the task in hot conditions, with very few substitutes and a number players playing out of position for both sides. By all accounts it was a great game to watch, and another good win for this Evergreens side.
A massive thank you to referee Will Thomas, who answered an SOS call early on Saturday morning which enabled the game to go ahead, Lydia for doing physio duties for both sides, Duncan for the food and Clare and the bar staff for their sterling efforts as always.
The confidence grew to agitation as kick-off approached with no sign of the opposition, military essentials of logistics and punctuality seemed sorely lacking as 1400 hours came and went, and then to frustration, when upon arriving there were only 11 men in the EUOTC ranks. Was this a cunning ruse to snuff out the planned rolling subs? Would reinforcements suddenly appear from the hills? As it was, Sidmouth provided the required back up so the game could go ahead.
Sidmouth took an early lead when Connor Preston, goose-stepped, dummied and then took a more direct route through the final tackle to touch down near the posts. Dan Retter added the conversion. Sidmouth scored again, when following a period of sustained pressure in the clubhouse corner, Retter launched an inch perfect cross-field kick to winger Mark Dapling, who took the ball on the run and beat his man before being pulled down just short of the line. Like every good hooker should be, Preston was loitering on the touchline to pick up from the ensuing ruck and after a few unnecessary histrionics, eventually touched down for his second try. Retter added the conversion to make score 14-0.
This seemed to galvanise the University side, and they started to move the ball around using their pace and physicality to good effect, scoring 2 unconverted tries, making the score 14-10 at the first water break.
The next try came when Retter intercepted a pass on halfway, with the Uni cover closing in, an audacious over the shoulder pass found Ian Jones in support, seemingly with an easy run to the line, but he hadn’t accounted for a stealth attack and with both pace and peripheral vision not what they used to be, he was tackled 5 metres short of the line. However, new recruit Richard ‘Tricky’ Terry was on hand to pick up and power over for his first try in green having seen the light and made the short journey over the hill from Honiton. Half -time score 19-10 to Sidmouth.
Sidmouth were first on the 2nd-half scoresheet when Cian Warren, playing only his 2nd game after 18 months out with injury showed he has lost none of his pace or finishing prowess, beating several defenders to score in the corner. 24-10
But again, with youth and superior fitness levels starting to tell, and a not unsubstantial contribution from their Sidmouth loan forwards contingent, the university hit back with two tries in quick succession. 24-22 and very much game on!
With the heat, pace of the play and contact levels that were way in excess of most Vets games, prone bodies starting to appear at all corners of the battlefield, and despite Lydia doing her very best Florence Nightingale impersonations both teams were down to 14 men. This only allowed the game to open up more, first allowing Warren to sprint in from 50 metres for his 2nd try, and then the University exploited the space to score again. 31-27 with 15 minutes to go.
However, this Evergreen side does not lie down easily. Retter struck a 50-22 from deep in his own half, and Rhys Thomas touched down near the posts after a well-executed lineout move. Retter converted 37-27. Next came a try that would grace any match, Number 8 Tom Butler caught the kick off, and set off down the touchline, leaving two men in his wake before finding second-row Nick Mills galloping up in support, he beat two men before his inside pass found Rhys Thomas in support. Thomas channelling his inner sevens starlet checked his run, before switching the direction of play to link with Man of the Match Steve Trim, who timed his run to perfection to score under the posts! Retter converted. 44-27.
The last ten minutes saw further tries for Warren to complete his hat-trick and Pete Bennett with his first for the club when he collected a kick-pass from Retter score unopposed in the corner. EUOTC completed the scoring with the last touch of the game making the final score 55-32 to the Evergreens. The icing on the cake was five of Sidmouth’s finest rolling back the years to beat the students in the traditional ‘boat race’ in the bar!
All the players deserve credit for sticking to the task in hot conditions, with very few substitutes and a number players playing out of position for both sides. By all accounts it was a great game to watch, and another good win for this Evergreens side.
A massive thank you to referee Will Thomas, who answered an SOS call early on Saturday morning which enabled the game to go ahead, Lydia for doing physio duties for both sides, Duncan for the food and Clare and the bar staff for their sterling efforts as always.
