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Sat 05 Jan 2013
1st XV
15:00
Saltash
Teignmouth 22 Saltash 17
Chris Tidman15 Feb 2013 - 12:05
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Report by Paul Williams
Teignmouth took a week off from their promotion campaign in the league to represent Devon in the RFU Senior Vase competition, and their narrow victory means they are now just two games away from playing at England’s rugby headquarters.
It was also a good chance for the league leaders to measure themselves against one of a very small group of promotion candidates before playing them again in the league in a few weeks’ time. Just in case the Teigns were beginning to think that promotion was done and dusted, there was enough evidence in this match to make them think again.
As usual the home side got off to a storming start and were 10-0 up in 8 minutes. Full back Dan Force has been a revelation in recent weeks, and he was responsible for all of Teignmouth’s points; firstly he kicked a penalty given for offside, and then spotted a gap in the Cornish defence to touch down near the posts, making his own conversion a formality.
If the home supporters thought that the match was over and done with at that stage, Saltash then started to take some measure of control, and by half time had tied the score. In Max Venables they have one of the league’s more reliable kickers, and his penalty got the visitors on the scoreboard before he converted Wells’s try on the half hour.
Fortunately for Teignmouth, as the second half got underway Saltash started to buckle under an onslaught from the home forwards. Although the Teigns failed to cross the Cornishmen’s line, this was more a result of the visitors’ lack of discipline than any shortcomings on the part of the home players. Force made sure that they were made to pay as he kicked 4 penalties at regular intervals during the first half hour of the half.
But just in case the Teigns were starting to dream prematurely of Twickenham, a try from Rayner, which Venables converted, made for a jittery last few minutes, and reminded them at the same time that there is still work to be done in the league.
Nevertheless, this was a morale-boosting victory. Coach Simon Morrell felt that Saltash deserved more respect from the home side and that this was something which he and his coaching staff would need to address before the two sides meet again
This Saturday Teignmouth re-start their league campaign with a home match against Penzance Pirates Amateurs, kick off 2.30pm.
It was also a good chance for the league leaders to measure themselves against one of a very small group of promotion candidates before playing them again in the league in a few weeks’ time. Just in case the Teigns were beginning to think that promotion was done and dusted, there was enough evidence in this match to make them think again.
As usual the home side got off to a storming start and were 10-0 up in 8 minutes. Full back Dan Force has been a revelation in recent weeks, and he was responsible for all of Teignmouth’s points; firstly he kicked a penalty given for offside, and then spotted a gap in the Cornish defence to touch down near the posts, making his own conversion a formality.
If the home supporters thought that the match was over and done with at that stage, Saltash then started to take some measure of control, and by half time had tied the score. In Max Venables they have one of the league’s more reliable kickers, and his penalty got the visitors on the scoreboard before he converted Wells’s try on the half hour.
Fortunately for Teignmouth, as the second half got underway Saltash started to buckle under an onslaught from the home forwards. Although the Teigns failed to cross the Cornishmen’s line, this was more a result of the visitors’ lack of discipline than any shortcomings on the part of the home players. Force made sure that they were made to pay as he kicked 4 penalties at regular intervals during the first half hour of the half.
But just in case the Teigns were starting to dream prematurely of Twickenham, a try from Rayner, which Venables converted, made for a jittery last few minutes, and reminded them at the same time that there is still work to be done in the league.
Nevertheless, this was a morale-boosting victory. Coach Simon Morrell felt that Saltash deserved more respect from the home side and that this was something which he and his coaching staff would need to address before the two sides meet again
This Saturday Teignmouth re-start their league campaign with a home match against Penzance Pirates Amateurs, kick off 2.30pm.
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