A month ago with the winter weather subsiding to a balmy 6 degrees being enough for the Blackmore to thaw and tempt a sizeable crowd from the warmth of their living rooms, Sidmouth Vets welcomed Topsham 3rds for the return fixture following a narrow win in the away leg before Christmas. In anticipation of some interesting interpretation of the laws of the game, discipline was to be the watchword of the day. So, following a pre-match chat from Glenn Channing in his new role as voice of reason, with muzzles applied and coach Ian Jones armed with the shepherd’s crook to hook any player who felt like providing the referee with any words of encouragement or advice, the Evergreens took to the field.
Regular attendance of more than 25 players at Monday night training, combined with some New Years resolutions, meant that Sidmouth had 29 players available and over 1000 years of life experience to call on!
Topsham kicked off up the hill, but soon found themselves on the back foot as the experienced half-back duo of Dan Retter and Glenn Channing pinned them back in their half with some excellent tactical kicking. It was from a lineout following one such kick by Channing that led to the first try of the game. Sidmouth won possession and with a typically direct run, centre Andrew Dare took play to within 5 metres of the Topsham line, two more attacks were repelled, before Dare, channelling his inner back row, picked up from the base of a ruck, and offloaded to Retter to score in the corner. Channing’s conversion attempt drifted just wide. 5-0
Sidmouth extended their lead when after a long period of pressure inside the Topsham half, the ball went loose at the back of the Topsham scrum, first to react was flanker Tim Huxtable, he set up a ruck and Second-row Pete Singfield carried the ball and two would-be tacklers just short of the Topsham line. A quick pass down the blind side from Retter, found Rhys Thomas, who attempted an audacious no look, round the back pass…..which landed at the feet of prop Yan Tripet, who showed admirable dexterity and flexibility for a front-row forward of well over 6 foot, to scoop the ball off his laces, and power over in the corner for his first ever try! The conversion was missed. 10-0
Topsham hit back straight away when they caught Sidmouth napping with a quick kick-off that resulted in a try in the corner for full-back Rich Williams, the conversion was missed. 10-5.
Following a turnover in midfield by Pete Singfield, Sidmouth were soon on the attack again. Tim Treloar was set free down the wing and his chip took play deep into the Topsham 22. A quick lineout by Retter and good carries from Tristan Beavis and Glenn Channing created the chance of an overlap, and when Topsham were adjudged to have killed the ball, the referee awarded a penalty try to Sidmouth and a yellow card to a Topsham player. 17-5
Sidmouth extended their lead when Retter pounced on a loose ball on the Topsham 22, chipped into space behind the Topsham defensive line. He won the race to collect his own kick and touch down near the posts for his 2nd try. Channing added the conversion. 24-5
Sidmouth closed the half with another score. Topsham stole a lineout and tried to run the ball out of defence, a double tackle form Retter and Singfield knocked the ball loose. Thomas fed the ball to Channing who timed his pass to put full-back Mark Bishop through a gap in the defence to do his best chariots of fire/l’oreal advert impression to score in the corner. Channing judged distance and wind to perfection to convert from wide out. 31-5
Before the match Topsham very kindly agreed for Sidmouth to swap nearly their entire team at half time, so the dry-robes were exchanged and 14 fresh faced Evergreens entered the fray. Amongst them was debutant winger Jamie Rose playing his first game of rugby for 25 years!
Topsham started the half the stronger of the two sides and after a period of concerted pressure in the Sidmouth 22 were awarded a penalty try which also saw Sidmouth centre Dan Prettejohn yellow-carded. 31-12
Sidmouth hit back straight away when a good run from Rose resulted in a ruck 15 metres from the Topsham line, quick hands from Bishop and a perfectly timed pass from prop Chris ‘I can do more than push’ Otway, found winger Mark Dapling cutting a great angle to score under the posts. Retter added the conversion. 38-12
Topsham closed the gap with a well-deserved try after setting up camp in the Sidmouth 22, despite some excellent defence, eventually the pressure told and the scrum-half scored and converted his own try. 38-19
Sidmouth scored again, when Dan Prettejohn redeemed himself when he gathered a loose ball, seemingly with no real attacking options. With 2 defenders holding on to him and another 2 around him and no support, he did his best ‘startled deer’ impression and tricked another the defenders into letting go of him by simply standing still holding the ball! Set free from his shackles, deer turned gazelle and the marathon runner (who still claims to be a back row) needed no encouragement to engage second gear and sprint in under the posts. Retter converted. 45-19
The see-saw nature of the 2nd half continued as Topsham added another unconverted try from a lineout, and then Sidmouth lost centre Mark Dapling to a yellow card for a questionable high-tackle that appeared to be made while he was on his knees. 45-24.
The match came to an end in somewhat farcical circumstances, where rugby was certainly not the winner! First, Sidmouth butchered a scoring opportunity from a lineout 5 metres from the Topsham line. Then Topsham countered from behind their own line, and scored a great try when a long pass created an opportunity for the winger to outsprint the cover and go the length of the field to score under the posts…..only for the try to be disallowed due to the pass being adjudged as being forwards. Much to the dismay of players from both sides and the amusement of a partisan home crowd! From the ensuing scrum, Sidmouth were awarded a penalty, and then when Topsham didn’t retreat behind their line, the referee completed her own hat-trick and awarded another penalty try! The final whistle followed, 52-24 final score.
Man of the match was Dan Retter, showing that you don’t earn 400 1st team caps by chance, but there were lots of good performances from the men in green. Other than those I have already mentioned, it was great to see Neil Barratt back on the pitch after nearly a year out injured, Tristan Beavis showed he has lost none of his appetite for contact or respect for the tackle height laws and is still an asset in any side, John Carnell put in several good tackles and always made ground with ball in hand and Yan Tripet is getting better with every game.
Thanks as always to the Lydia ‘the queen of the tape’, Steve Thorne for running the line, Duncan Woods for the food and of course Mike Dibble for his commentary.
The next Vets match sees experience take on exuberance as The Evergreens take on Exeter Engineers 2nd XV – a team of Exeter university students ‘who only play for the social’……we shall see! Saturday February the 24th at The Blackmore, 2pm Kick-off. England v Scotland 6-nations in the bar afterwards.
Regular attendance of more than 25 players at Monday night training, combined with some New Years resolutions, meant that Sidmouth had 29 players available and over 1000 years of life experience to call on!
Topsham kicked off up the hill, but soon found themselves on the back foot as the experienced half-back duo of Dan Retter and Glenn Channing pinned them back in their half with some excellent tactical kicking. It was from a lineout following one such kick by Channing that led to the first try of the game. Sidmouth won possession and with a typically direct run, centre Andrew Dare took play to within 5 metres of the Topsham line, two more attacks were repelled, before Dare, channelling his inner back row, picked up from the base of a ruck, and offloaded to Retter to score in the corner. Channing’s conversion attempt drifted just wide. 5-0
Sidmouth extended their lead when after a long period of pressure inside the Topsham half, the ball went loose at the back of the Topsham scrum, first to react was flanker Tim Huxtable, he set up a ruck and Second-row Pete Singfield carried the ball and two would-be tacklers just short of the Topsham line. A quick pass down the blind side from Retter, found Rhys Thomas, who attempted an audacious no look, round the back pass…..which landed at the feet of prop Yan Tripet, who showed admirable dexterity and flexibility for a front-row forward of well over 6 foot, to scoop the ball off his laces, and power over in the corner for his first ever try! The conversion was missed. 10-0
Topsham hit back straight away when they caught Sidmouth napping with a quick kick-off that resulted in a try in the corner for full-back Rich Williams, the conversion was missed. 10-5.
Following a turnover in midfield by Pete Singfield, Sidmouth were soon on the attack again. Tim Treloar was set free down the wing and his chip took play deep into the Topsham 22. A quick lineout by Retter and good carries from Tristan Beavis and Glenn Channing created the chance of an overlap, and when Topsham were adjudged to have killed the ball, the referee awarded a penalty try to Sidmouth and a yellow card to a Topsham player. 17-5
Sidmouth extended their lead when Retter pounced on a loose ball on the Topsham 22, chipped into space behind the Topsham defensive line. He won the race to collect his own kick and touch down near the posts for his 2nd try. Channing added the conversion. 24-5
Sidmouth closed the half with another score. Topsham stole a lineout and tried to run the ball out of defence, a double tackle form Retter and Singfield knocked the ball loose. Thomas fed the ball to Channing who timed his pass to put full-back Mark Bishop through a gap in the defence to do his best chariots of fire/l’oreal advert impression to score in the corner. Channing judged distance and wind to perfection to convert from wide out. 31-5
Before the match Topsham very kindly agreed for Sidmouth to swap nearly their entire team at half time, so the dry-robes were exchanged and 14 fresh faced Evergreens entered the fray. Amongst them was debutant winger Jamie Rose playing his first game of rugby for 25 years!
Topsham started the half the stronger of the two sides and after a period of concerted pressure in the Sidmouth 22 were awarded a penalty try which also saw Sidmouth centre Dan Prettejohn yellow-carded. 31-12
Sidmouth hit back straight away when a good run from Rose resulted in a ruck 15 metres from the Topsham line, quick hands from Bishop and a perfectly timed pass from prop Chris ‘I can do more than push’ Otway, found winger Mark Dapling cutting a great angle to score under the posts. Retter added the conversion. 38-12
Topsham closed the gap with a well-deserved try after setting up camp in the Sidmouth 22, despite some excellent defence, eventually the pressure told and the scrum-half scored and converted his own try. 38-19
Sidmouth scored again, when Dan Prettejohn redeemed himself when he gathered a loose ball, seemingly with no real attacking options. With 2 defenders holding on to him and another 2 around him and no support, he did his best ‘startled deer’ impression and tricked another the defenders into letting go of him by simply standing still holding the ball! Set free from his shackles, deer turned gazelle and the marathon runner (who still claims to be a back row) needed no encouragement to engage second gear and sprint in under the posts. Retter converted. 45-19
The see-saw nature of the 2nd half continued as Topsham added another unconverted try from a lineout, and then Sidmouth lost centre Mark Dapling to a yellow card for a questionable high-tackle that appeared to be made while he was on his knees. 45-24.
The match came to an end in somewhat farcical circumstances, where rugby was certainly not the winner! First, Sidmouth butchered a scoring opportunity from a lineout 5 metres from the Topsham line. Then Topsham countered from behind their own line, and scored a great try when a long pass created an opportunity for the winger to outsprint the cover and go the length of the field to score under the posts…..only for the try to be disallowed due to the pass being adjudged as being forwards. Much to the dismay of players from both sides and the amusement of a partisan home crowd! From the ensuing scrum, Sidmouth were awarded a penalty, and then when Topsham didn’t retreat behind their line, the referee completed her own hat-trick and awarded another penalty try! The final whistle followed, 52-24 final score.
Man of the match was Dan Retter, showing that you don’t earn 400 1st team caps by chance, but there were lots of good performances from the men in green. Other than those I have already mentioned, it was great to see Neil Barratt back on the pitch after nearly a year out injured, Tristan Beavis showed he has lost none of his appetite for contact or respect for the tackle height laws and is still an asset in any side, John Carnell put in several good tackles and always made ground with ball in hand and Yan Tripet is getting better with every game.
Thanks as always to the Lydia ‘the queen of the tape’, Steve Thorne for running the line, Duncan Woods for the food and of course Mike Dibble for his commentary.
The next Vets match sees experience take on exuberance as The Evergreens take on Exeter Engineers 2nd XV – a team of Exeter university students ‘who only play for the social’……we shall see! Saturday February the 24th at The Blackmore, 2pm Kick-off. England v Scotland 6-nations in the bar afterwards.
