Tribute South West One West

Bideford 6 Thornbury 16

THORNBURY defied the odds to come away with an outstanding win at fifth-placed Bideford in a game played in heavy rain.

After an even first half, the Thornbury pack dominated their hosts, defended well and never gave Bideford a chance of scoring a try. There were enforced changes to the already-depleted team but Thornbury made the best of it against the fifth-placed side.

The match began with the floodlights on and pouring rain. Play was even in the opening stages, then Bideford opened the scoring with a penalty midway through the half.

Bideford ran back the restart but the ball went loose and Bob Adams hacked it on but his second kick had too much weight on it and it ran over the dead-ball line. But Thornbury kept up the pressure and a minute later Bideford infringed and Adams equalised with a penalty.

Thornbury shaded possession in the remainder of the half. As the game entered first half stoppage time Wayne Underwood and Dai Matthews linked and Matthews scored but the referee was the only person in the ground to adjudge the pass forward and disallowed the try.

Seconds later with Thornbury enjoying advantage, Harry Glew raced away, kicked the ball behind the home defence and gathered the ball only for the referee to blow for the Thornbury penalty and prevent what looked a certain try. Adams kicked the penalty for a 6-3 half-time lead.

Bideford played their best rugby of the match from the second half kick-off and their second penalty tied the score at 6-6.

Thornbury’s forwards quelled the Bideford fervour and took control. Both defences played well and the conditions made expansive play difficult. But Thorns were making ground and a sweeping move down the left was switched to the right and Matthews stepped inside the cover and crashed through two tacklers and grounded the ball on the line but the referee was unsighted and disallowed the try.

This didn’t look like being Thornbury’s day.

As the game went into the final quarter, Bideford kicked the ball out of defence, Tom Luke gathered it forty metres out and dropped a goal for a 9-6 lead. Thornbury continued to dominate and with time running out Thorns won a lineout in the corner and rumbled over for Sam Evans to claim the try. Luke converted for a 16-6 lead.

Although Bideford battled away in the dying seconds for a losing bonus point, Thornbury defended well and the line remained intact.

This was a fine performance from a side still missing half its ideal starting XV.

There were outstanding performances throughout the team with Sam Evans and Dave Watchorn particularly influential. Although the conditions contributed to the error rate handling was remarkably good in the rain. The score was close but Thornbury never looked like losing and once they had the lead in the second half it was purely a matter of putting the game to bed.

This Saturday Thorns are home to Chard.