Western Counties League (West)

Bude 12

Sidmouth 8

BUDE recorded their fifth home win of the season as they ground out a 12-8 victory over Sidmouth at Bencoolen Meadow to move off the bottom of the Western Counties League West Division.

From the very early stages, the powerful Bude scrum, spearheaded by Jason Bolt and Chris Allin, exerted a total control over their opposite numbers, at times driving them back 20 or more metres while James Comber expertly controlled the ball at the back of the scrum.

This forward dominance led to a penalty attempt by Dan Pearce that unluckily found the upright rather than the three points.

Starved of possession, Sidmouth posed only sporadic threats to the Bude defence, but when they did have the ball their outside backs did look threatening.

Eventually Bude’s pressure told, and on 27 minutes, following another scrum penalty, the ball was kicked to the corner. From there good ground was made before James Comber gave the scoring pass to winger Jack Horwell for his first try in first team colours. Pearce’s conversion again found the woodwork but this time the ball made its way over to give Bude a 7-0 lead.

Bude’s power upfront created several other opportunities for tries, but a combination of bad luck, handling errors and lack of penetration by the three-quarters meant that despite having a large territorial advantage and the benefit of the wind at their backs, they reached half-time with only a seven point advantage.

With the wind behind them, Sidmouth must have fancied their chances of victory especially in the light of the 68-17 hammering they had handed out to Bude earlier in the season at Sidmouth.

However, Bude at home are a far different proposition than Bude on the road, and with continued forward control, particularly at scrum time, it was Bude who scored on 47 minutes when after a series of scrums and a yellow card for the Sidmouth flanker, they shunted Sidmouth unceremoniously over the line allowing Comber the simplest of touchdowns. The conversion attempt into the wind was unsuccessful but Bude now had a 12-0 advantage.

Sidmouth began to claw their way back into the game realising that their best chance of victory was to run the ball at every opportunity. Bude defended desperately, but their makeshift back division was coming under enormous pressure from Sidmouth’s strong runners, and finally, Tom Whelan was able to burst through to open Sidmouth’s scoring. The conversion was blown off course but despite being 12-5 up, Bude looked to be in trouble.

Bringing on reinforcements in the shape of Adam Black and Matt Williams, bolstered Bude’s forward effort, and with new scrum-half Charlie Dicker making sure that the ball never strayed far from the Bude forwards, they were able to re-establish a greater measure of control.

Sidmouth did manage another score when Whelan kicked a penalty awarded for an offence at a ruck but they were unable to further breach Bude’s dogged defence before the excellent referee Ian Freestone blew the final whistle to give the North Cornwall club a monumental victory.

This win lifted Bude from the bottom of the league but if they are to survive at Western Counties level they must be able to string together a run of victories.

This will require a massive improvement in their awful away form and more coherent and structured play from the backs. One dimensional rugby can only take you so far.

Bude:

Tries: Horwell, Comber

Con: Pearce

Sidmouth:

Try: Whelan

Pen: Whelan