Cornwall and Devon League

Bude 41, Hayle 7

Bencoolen Meadow

BUDE made light of sticky, glutinous conditions to wallow gleefully, hippopotamus- like in the mud of Bencoolen Meadow with a scintillating second half five-try display to further press their promotion aspirations.

Bude had established a 12-0 half-time lead with tries from Duncan Tout, who sprinted in following a slashing break from Steve Yates, and Joe Wilson, after Dan Pearce had sliced open the Hayle defence with a rapier like thrust. Dan Pearce converted Tout’s try.

In truth the half-time lead should have been greater. Several try scoring opportunities were squandered by players ignoring clear overlaps and failing to take care of the slippery ball, but considering that they had battled for ten minutes without the services of powerhouse Matt Williams, whose tackling technique had once again been called into question by the referee, it was a credible first-half performance.

Despite the worsening playing conditions, the increasingly murky skies and the loss of Duncan Tout with a knee injury — replaced by Charlie Watton — Bude were quick to maintain the ascendancy when a Joe Wilson break from a scrum, an area where Bude had asserted dominance, led to a try for elusive winger Tim Green.

The conversion attempt was unsuccessful but were soon again on the rampage and another break from captain Joe Wilson, that he finished off with a delightful inside pass, saw Ollie Mounce scoot in between the posts. Dan Pearce slotted the conversion for a 24-0 lead and a bonus point.

The lead was increased when a break out from inside their own half, made possible by rampaging forward work, gave Steve Yates space to fashion a delicate cross field kick that gave Kyle Speare an easy run in. Kyle followed this up quickly with another try; smooth passing in the backs affording him room to career across the line.

At 36-0 it seemed that the floodgates might open but Hayle were made of stern stuff and fought their way back into the game with a series of powerful forward surges that severely tested the Bude defence.

Eventually Hayle’s efforts were rewarded when Captain Neil Mitchell darted in for a consolation try converted by George Richards.

Stung into action Bude retaliated with a hat-trick try by the mercurial Speare who scorched in from halfway for Bude’s final try.

Bude — Tries: Wilson, Tout, Mounce, Speare x3; Convs: Pearce x3

Hayle — Try: Mitchell; Convs: Richards

Teams:

Bude — Bolt, Cook, Allin, Kingdon, M Williams, A Williams, Saxton, Wilson (Capt), Mounce, Pearce, Green, Yates, Tout, Denford, Speare, Vincent, Gregory, Watton.

Hayle — Penrose, Stevens, Wood, Tonkin, Matthews, G. Richards, Rashleigh, Goodman, Mitchell (Capt), Lynnes, White, Cameron, Arnul, Chadwick, S Richards, Leek, McDonald, Northall.