Saturday, February 1

Tribute Cornwall and Devon League

Paignton 18

Bude 24

TWELVE points in each half proved enough as Bude recorded their best victory of the season at second-placed Paignton.

Bude arrived on the South Devon coast having won just once on their travels, but were boosted by a near full-strength team, including returns to the starting line-up for Jason Bolt, Fred Saxton, Ed Hilliam-Cooke and Callum Bettington, proved too strong and streewise.

The visitors, who lost 46-12 at Topsham a week earlier, were ahead inside three minutes, and as often is the case, it came from a driving maul. Saxton, who has been away in recent weeks, was pushed over from seven metres following a lineout. Olly Denford was successful with the kick.

Paignton got themselves on the scoreboard with 14 minutes on the clock through scrum-half Alex Jeffery’s penalty.

The next 20 minutes were scrappy with Bude failing to keep ball well enough, but their defence held firm.

That was rewarded on 37 minutes as number eight Joe Wilson crashed over from a couple of metres out after a series of pick and gos.

Bude held out until half-time but Paignton moved to within two points shortly after the restart. Outside-centre Sam Nelson-Smith exploited some poor tackling in the midfield to run in from 15 metres. Jeffery converted.

Jeffery also knocked over a penalty on 48 minutes as the Cherries went in front for the first time.

Paignton were on top as Bude struggled to deal with the wind, but they did have more joy when they decided to stop kicking and keep the ball in-hand.

Paignton saw two home players sin-binned within five minutes on the hour and that allowed the Cornishmen to get back into the game.

With 12 minutes to go, Bolt was pushed over the line by player/coach Angus Hodges before a bonus-point try was forthcoming with seven minutes to go.

Hodges picked the ball up in midfield before offloading to brother Rory Hodges on the right-wing. Rory Hodges looked set to score, but was tackled five metres out. However he had the awareness to offload in the tackle to the onrushing Hilliam-Cooke, who finished the move. Although Denford missed the conversion, Bude were 24-13 up.

That buffer was needed as Paignton scored in the corner, but Bude held on for a famous victory and gain a measure of revenge for their defeat at home to the Devonians back in the autumn.

Hodges was delighted with his side’s response.

He said: “We owed it to ourselves. It wasn’t an easier game which we could target as a confidence-booster. We had to work for every point we got from that game. To come away with five points was well deserved. It was nice to remind ourselves that we can still play some good rugby, although it’d be nice for us to do it a bit more consistently.”

Hodges believes that going on a bus as a squad helped. They were joined by several members of the ladies team.

He said: “The coach trip helped get the guys’ minds focused. You could sense the importance of the game. After last week we knew we had a lot to put right and that we didn’t do ourselves justice. But having played Paignton at home, where we felt we deserved to win, we knew that beating them wasn’t out of sight. We just had to get everything right and we did just that. The energy levels and the passion was a lot higher than it has been since Christmas and that really showed in the game.

“It was also good atmosphere for the supporters. Having them there creates an interesting bus journey and it helps us make it feel more like a home game.”

Hodges had particular praise for Saxton and Bettington.

He said: “Fred made a massive impact. He carried really hard, made a lot of metres and also defended really well. It was also nice to have Callum back for the weekend, he organised the backs quite well. Overall, there was no weak link, everyone carried their weight and had the desire to work hard.”

Penzance-based Pirates Amateurs, who are sitting fourth, five points and one place ahead of Bude, having played a game more, make the long trip to Bencoolen Meadow on Saturday (2.30pm), and Hodges knows that it’s a difficult test.

He said: “We’ve got Pirates Amateurs at home this week, and it’s another one we need to put to bed. Down there they controlled the game really well, and when they broke through they made the most of it. Our scrap defence has got to be strong, as does our first-up tackling, so we can stop them at source.”

Bude —

Denford, R Hodges, Bettington, Hilliam-Cooke, Butler, Watton, Mounce; Williams, Bolt, Allin, Kingdon, Troke, Saxton, A Hodges, Wilson.

Replacements: Dicker, F Fry, Thomas.

Tries: Saxton, Wilson, Bolt, Hilliam-Cooke.

Convs: Denford 2.

Pens: N/A.

Bude’s man-of-the-match: Fred Saxton.