Teignmouth's first ever game in Western Counties kicks off with a win

... their first ever Western Counties campaign with yet another. Okehampton had a strong season last year, and were expected to provide a stern test; but although the result looks extremely impressive on paper, the coaching staff are well aware that the team will have to up their game in order to achieve similar results in future weeks.

Although the Teigns were not at full strength themselves, their hosts had suffered something of a haemorrhage of talent over the summer, and the first 10 minutes showed that still had to get to know each other a little better.

In a stunning display of forward power, the visitors piled up 17 points in that period, with two tries from hooker Pete Parsons and a try and a conversion from centre Mike Saxton. It was a common theme last season that the Teigns piled the pressure in the early stages, racked up the points, and then the opponents brought out the white flag. They’ll have to learn this season that Western Counties teams don’t tend to roll over quite so easily.
Nevertheless, Teignmouth could have been over the hills and far away by half-time, were it not for some early season clumsiness, and so had to be satisfied with a 20-3 lead as Saxton and Billy Searle swapped penalties in the last 10 minutes of the first period.

With a slight slope and a blustery wind now in their favour, the Okes looked a different side in the second half. Searle, surely one of the most talented youngsters in the region, turned the hosts’ pressure into points with a penalty, a try and a conversion. All the Teigns could manage in this period was a second Saxton penalty.
However, Teignmouth refused to crack, and, as the match entered its final stages, a succession of penalties conceded by the home side finally resulted in a yellow card for scrum-half Joey Bruce. With superior numbers, the visitors piled on the pressure and were rewarded with a Luke Pattison try which Saxton converted, to give them a 30-13 lead.

No-one expected nearly a quarter of an hour’s injury time, but with Chris Tidman receiving a yellow card, Okehampton took advantage of the referee’s watch to score a converted penalty try and a penalty, leaving them with some five extra minutes to tie the match with a converted try. But the Teigns heroically held out to register a victory in their first ever match at this level.

Coach Simon Morrell gave a reserved thumbs-up at the end; although he was delighted with the performance in the first half, he felt his side allowed their opponents back into the game by not sticking to the game-plan. He promised a plenty of hard work in training this week before Saturday, when Paignton arrive at Bitton Park for the first of several local derbies, kick off 3pm.

PHOTOGRAPH: LORNA GRAY

Report By: Paul Williams