Match report by Tate Richardson

Playing with the elements Newquay immediately put the Sinners under pressure and despite initial good defence, they leaked two tries in the first 10 minutes. Individual and collective errors (namely a turnover under their own posts and twice kicking directly to touch after they had brought the ball back into their own 22) were exploited by the grateful Hornets who took a 0-14 lead. The Hornets possessed a very well organised, fit and athletic team with exceptional speed, and they looked to move the ball wide, getting their speed merchant wingers and lightning back rowers into the wide channels.

After ominous early signs of scrum domination, some wise words from The Prop Whisperer Ben Trudgian meant that, after a couple of early penalties, a sense of parity was gained and there were repeated strong carries from Cal Durant and Jack Grigg. The latter put in an immense 60-minute shift and coupled with George Oakley's exceptional defensive line-out work; it meant the second quarter the Sinners were finally able to gain a foothold in the game. The home side started to stretch the Hornets defence with powerful forward carries - with returning veteran No.8 Noott at the coalface and centres Charlie Reynolds and River Nowell carrying strongly and forcing Newquay into a series of penalties. As the Sinners got close to the score they desperately needed, they inexplicably missed a routine touch kick from inside the Hornets 22 and the team in green sent a wind-assisted kick over 50m and the chance was gone. The Sinners were not the only ones guilty of profligacy as from their next attack the Hornets superb handling at speed sent their left winger scorching down the touchline and a simple inside pass to the supporting full back was initially gathered but then dropped under no pressure as he crossed the line much to the dismay and amusement of the watching players and festive crowd.

Within three minutes a quality carbon copy was produced and this time the perfectly timed pass was not dropped as the winger scorched in from 30 meters leading to a 0-19 scoreline after 25 minutes. Playing against the strong breeze, up the slope and having shown they could put themselves in scoring positions, the Sinners still felt they were in the game provided they could use the elements effectively in the second half.
Unfortunately, despite a period of possession which saw the Sinners move the ball well across the backline and recycle effectively, the swarming Hornets defence held strong and continued to dominate territory as the first half came to an end with one further try for the away team despite some excellent defence from Noah Arthur one wing and Ryan Mace who was temporarily transformed into a Kamikaze as he made four (YES, 4!) consecutive tackles which gained cheers and admiration from those in the nearby stand.

HT 0-26

Halftime instructions were clear, set a better, more evenly spaced defensive line to try and contain the speed of the Hornets, carry hard down the slope, utilise the breeze at every opportunity and work your socks off to chase, shackle and squeeze the Hornets, forcing them under pressure in their own 22. Early signs were good as the front row of powerful young prop Dan Bennett, veteran Jack Grigg and the abrasive Matt Trahair marmalised the opposition scrum leading to a penalty 25m out. Confident passing and strong carrying, led by youthful (in mind only) No8 Adam Kellow, and handling skills meant that after the tough Hornets defensive line was first softened by Pearce, Nowell and Reynolds. Scrum half Joe Welch and fly-half Hooper identified a blindside 3 on 2 and Trahair's perfectly timed pass found Ryan Mace at speed to slide over from 15m to make it 5-26 on 50 minutes. There was a sense on the sidelines which seemed to be mirrored by the players on-field demeanour that the Sinners had a sniff and Newquay might have to affect a rear-guard action for the next 30 minutes to hold them out.

How wrong we all were! After more pressure applied by the Sinners, soft carries or not being quick enough to support led to turnovers deep in Newquay territory however ‘modest' clearing kicks against the conditions invited more Sinners pressure. Newquay quickly identified that their best form of defence would be to utilise their speed advantage and the next time the ball was in the 22 they moved it quickly to the outside and worked a superb try from deep in their own territory. 5-33. A botched restart (one of three on the day that did not travel the required 10m) handed Newquay the initiative back and despite the Sinners getting the nudge on at scrum time the incredible speed of the Hornets No. 8 saw him (according to one of his Sinners’ opposition) "travel 30 meters before I even realised he'd broken off". Within 5 minutes the Sinners had gone from thinking they had an outside chance of winning the game to being over 30 points down with the Hornets riding the crest of a wave and looking confident to attack and with the Sinners' heads dropping one by one and defence becoming a little 'optional' Newquay's hulking hirsute prop (believed to have spent some time playing at Redruth) showed great feet and mobility to run 40 meters through despairing half-tackles to offload to the supporting hooker who carried 2 defenders over the line. Sinners’ heads had visibly dropped and with Hornets tries coming like the proverbial London busses. The game was well over as a contest when the Hornets scored their final try from 65m when their enormous 12 sent an excellent pass towards the stand to find their muscular 16st winger at full tilt to cross from half way to put the final nail in the coffin of the dejected home team and a final score of 5-60.

It would be easy to focus on the one-sided score line and the way that the Sinners contributed heavily, especially in the final quarter, to allow the game run away from them. However the positives of the first hour (it seems remarkable when looking at the final score line that the Sinners 'had a squeak' at 55 minutes) should also be recognised and provide the foundation for the team to develop and improve. Individual skills can be improved, basic errors reduced and greater knowledge and application of the laws can be improved so as to not simply gift the initiative to the opposition. The choice to 'fold or fight' when the chances of winning have gone and, as a player, you're feeling dejected and frustrated, is something that takes courage, discipline and has to come from within and hopefully will be fostered over time.
It must be acknowledged, and offer encouragement, that the Sinners are one of only two second teams in a league with a number of traditional, well established and well-resourced first teams such as Saltash, Newquay, Falmouth, Helston, Hayle, Liskeard and others. The fact they are for the most part competing hard in competitive games with a squad that features 70% players that have been promoted through the currently dormant Spartans (3rd) team of the previous 2 seasons with 90% homegrown players is also reason for cheer, respect and encouragement so yesterday's match must be viewed in context.

Further reason for optimism and enjoyment was the fantastic friendship and team-spirit shown post-match when the Right Honourable Judge 'Dastardly' Dai Powell of Merthyr oversaw 'Court proceedings' where, despite the best efforts of defence counsel QC 'Dove from Above', justice was served on all defendants for a range of heinous crimes including 'Teddy Bear Abuse' (the poor Bear suffered terrible injuries when, along with other toys and a dummy being spat out, it was forcefully ejected from the pram), 'Zero Training Attendance' and 'Having more cards than Moonpig'!

Several players' performance could be viewed positively and, if we focus on the first hour, every player had their moments. To limit myself to just three, honourable mentions must go to River Nowell (Newquay's Sinners MotM), Jack Grigg and Matt Trahair.

The Sinners MotM goes to Ryan Mace who was the right man in the right place to score Sinners try and for his sheer determination in making a remarkable four consecutive tackles epitomising the spirit that can turn defeats into wins, draw cheers from the crowd and galvanises the team as a whole.

Finally, a special mention and congratulations must go to Player/Asst. Coach Ben Trudgian who was awarded his club tie and cap for 200 senior St Austell appearances. Ben's on-field endeavours are fantastic but the time, effort and dedication he puts into supporting the club (with his family) and the 'dirty work' he does behind the seasons are invaluable in ensuring matches take place, the players are looked after and the club is able to offer fantastic opportunities for players to enjoy their rugby and develop into potential Saints of the future. Thank you and 'chapeau' Ben.