TEIGNMOUTH 36 TOTNES 0

On a day when the British weather almost managed to serve up four seasons in one day, Teignmouth moved up to 3rd place in the table with a deceptively easy win over bottom of the table Totnes.
The fortunes of these two teams have turned around dramatically since last season when the South Hams outfit went on a record-breaking run of victories whilst the Teigns struggled against relegation for most of the season. Indeed, Totnes did the double in games between the two sides, but Teignmouth have gained revenge in some style this time around.
With the game starting in a torrential downpour, the players of both sides found conditions difficult, but Totnes seemed to settle the better, and dominated territory and possession for the first quarter. Teignmouth’s backs tried running the ball when they had possession, but handling errors were inevitable with a greasy ball.
However, in the 25th minute, a stunning break by home fly-half Jake Bury took him almost to the Totnes line, and Will Sowden appeared on his shoulder to open the scoring. Scrum-half Stef Walker added the conversion.
Unsurprisingly, this score seemed to knock the stuffing out of a team which has become used to losing week in week out, and Teignmouth added two further tries in what remained of the first half. First No. 8 Jamie Grey capped a storming performance with a well-taken score, and then winger Dan Force, starting a game for the first time since September, added a further five points, which allowed the home side to turn round 17-0 in the lead.
As the second half started the sun came out and conditions improved; this seemed to give Totnes some impetus and they made the home side work hard to gain possession. But they never really looked likely to open their own account, and it seemed only a matter of time before the Teigns would extend their lead.
As last week, the forwards decided to get in on the act, and in the 55th minute captain Colin Aldworth popped up to finish a period of sustained pressure and score a bonus point fourth try.
This was followed by a third try of the season for prop George Mowson as Teignmouth started to take advantage of a tiring Totnes side. Force took over the kicking duties to convert. Finally, flanker Joe Cockram scored his second try in successive weeks, and with Force again adding two points, the final score was a little harsh on the hard-working visitors.
Coach Simon Morrell was pleased that his side overcame a tenacious Totnes side, but rued missed opportunities in recent weeks.
Although Teignmouth now sit just outside the promotion zone, a difficult run-in, added to other candidates having games in hand, make it unlikely that they will achieve their ambition this season. Nevertheless, great strides have been made this season, and no matter how the league table looks at the end of the season, the team management and players can be proud of the improvement they have made.