Saints run league leaders close

Match report by Steve Murley

On the hottest September on record, Saints opened their home Regional 1 South West League campaign against a Chew Valley side who posted 80 points on Okehampton in their opening fixture.

Atlantic Laundry sponsored this match and enjoyed a great pre-match lunch before witnessing a spectacular game.

Chew Valley kicked off playing away from the Sports Hall End and referee, Chris Hoadley, immediately called Cam Taylor for crossing. Full back Tom Bryan stepped up and slotted it from just outside the 22. It was to be the first points in what was to prove to be a productive afternoon for the excellent Chew full back.
1 min Saints 0 – Chew Valley 3 ( Tom Bryan – Pen )

Saints won their own penalty immediately from the restart and kicked for the corner. This began several phases of Saints pressure repulsed by a well organised Chew defence. It became clear that Chew were prepared to spin the ball wide from turnovers and while the Saints pushed and prodded Chew looked increasingly dangerous from breakaways. Centres Ben Plummer and Sam Parsons were prominent for their defensive efforts in this period, not only for their tackles but for their speed in regaining the feet and grabbing turnovers.

With the Chew scrum under pressure in their own half a penalty awarded to the Saints for the prop standing up saw a Matt Shepherd kick to the corner. Skipper Mark Vian leapt high and the pack rumbled over the line with young hooker Peter Harris emerging with the ball
18 mins Saints 5 – Chew Valley 3 ( Pete Harris – Try )

With Saints seeing lots of the ball, the game settled into a midfield battle with Saints continuing to push but the Chew defence holding firm and looking rapier-sharp in their attacking play. It was from one of these attacks that a high tackle in the Saints half led to a penalty ably converted by Tom Bryan to give Chew a 1 point lead
27 mins Saints 5 – Chew Valley 6 ( Tom Bryan – Pen )

Once again the Saints responded well and camped down in the Chew half. Both sides were giving a great account of themselves and it was Saints who scored next. A drive by the pack the long pass from CJ Boyce, a drop of the shoulder and a shimmy from Sam Parsons and it was influential centre Plummer who was on his shoulder to take the scoring pass and dive gleefully over the whitewash.
33 mins Saints 12 – Chew Valley 6 ( Ben Plummer – Try Matt Shepherd – Con )

Chew responded almost immediately with the try of the game. From just inside the Saints half, Chew spread the ball the width of the field to the far winger in front of the stand who held his position to feed a marauding Tom Bryan on his inside bang on the half way line. The full back burst through two despairing forward tackles before sidestepping his way under the posts. A wonderful try that he duly converted
35 mins Saints 12 – Chew Valley 13 ( Tom Bryan – Try & Con )

It may have been the hot weather impacting the players but the half ended with a flurry of points. Max Bullen added the final try with a beautifully timed supporting run from a Matt Shepherd break. It looked a simple try but the work rate and commitment to put himself in that position were fantastic and a lesson to younger players on how to work hard.
38 mins Saints 19 – Chew Valley 13 ( Max Bullen – Try Matt Shepherd – Con )

The half had one more twist to deliver as a Chew forward received a yellow card for a high tackle
39 mins Chew Valley ( Yellow Card )

Both sides deserved their half-time oranges after a pulsating first half in which the lead had changed hands 5 times
Half – Time Saints 19 – Chew Valley 13

The second half began as the first half had ended with both sides attacking hard but it was Chew who took first blood with backs and forwards inter-passing, the ball reached the Chew right wing who made the decisive break galloping 20 metres before finding a supporting forward on his outside who lobbed a lovely ball inside to flanker Jamie Collier who dotted down
42 mins Saints 19 – Chew Valley 20 ( Jamie Collier – Try Tom Bryan – Con )

Saints responded well, with full back Archie Bees prominent, returning veteran Adam Kellow carrying hard and dancing wing Dan Tyrell challenging the line. It was from a break by Matt Shepherd that one of the key moments of the game occurred. As Shepherd side stepped he was caught with a high tackle. The ref whistled and after some sorting out, 2 Chew players were yellow carded, one for the Shep tackle and one for another apparent high tackle.
48 mins Chew Valley ( 2 * Yellow Card )

While it was unclear what the second player was carded for it was clear that this was a great opportunity for the Saints as they enjoyed a 2 man advantage. Alas for the Saints it was not to be. The 2 yellows galvanised Chew and their game management during this 10 minute period was exceptional.

Saints pushed hard and an unfortunate incident stopped one of their most potent attacks. With the ball moved wide to Dan Tyrell who was steaming down the wing the touch judge half twitched his flag up before putting it down and the referee, understandably, gave a line out when there was no foot in touch. There can be no blame attached to the Chew Touch judge it was an unfortunate reflex action, accepted as such by both sides and the referee acted correctly.

Saints finally got some reward for their efforts during this 10 minute period as prop Dan Job crashed over from a maul to give Saints the lead.
56 mins Saints 26 – Chew Valley 20 ( Dan Job – Try Matt Shepherd – Con )

With Chew restored to full numbers they began to dominate and their movement and sharp passing challenged the Saints. Saints were penalised for an offside while defending their line and it was live wire scrum half Ben Mead who took a quick tap to force his way over the line, the conversion giving Chew the lead. A position they were never now to relinquish
65 mins Saints 26 – Chew Valley 27 ( Ben Mead Collier – Try Tom Bryan – Con )

69 mins ( Alex Welland on for Adam Kellow )

Chew turned the screw and a cute lineout routine saw lock , Matt Blacker crash over from the resultant maul to stretch the lead even more. With the conversion missed Saints knew they were just 1 converted try away from taking the lead so there was still everything to play for.
70 mins Saints 26 – Chew Valley 32 ( Blacker – Try)

Chew once again showed good game management by keeping the ball well through their driving maul but when they went wide they again opened up the Saints defence. Saints scrambled to defend but from a maul close to their line Al Welland was adjudged to have made head contact with his shoulder and was yellow carded. Sensibly Chew kicked the penalty to not only stretch their lead but also take away the losing bonus point from Saints
Chew Valley ( Alex Welland - Yellow Card )

72 mins Saints 26 – Chew Valley 35 ( Tom Bryan – Pen )

74 mins ( Fraser Nottle on for Max Bullen )
77 mins ( Matt Boothby on for Charlie Nicholson )
Saints emptied their bench and roused themselves for the last few minutes and with their lineout stationed on Chews line pounded away but could not breach the visitors defence, leaving the visitors with a 5 point win while Saints took 1 bonus point for scoring 4 tries.

Full Time Saints 26 – Chew Valley 35

Saints first three games in this league involves teams that finished 2nd, 3rd and 4th last season so no easy ask. While they will be pleased with some aspects of their game they know they will have to learn quickly to be more clinical and not to let sides back into the game. A 3 point return and 7th place in a very competitive league is no mean feat but there are more challenges to come.

Atlantic Laundry’s Chris Roydon, match sponsors, presented Pete Harris with a bottle of wine for his man of the match performance and kindly donated £100 help to with the purchase of Youth Kit.

Next Saturday sees the Saints go to Devonport Services eager to get their first league win.