Saturday, September 14

Tribute Cornwall and Devon League

Bude 59

Exeter Athletic 0

ANGUS Hodges scored four times as Bude kept up their impressive start to the season with a nine-try victory over promoted Exeter Athletic at Bencoolen Meadow.

The visitors came up as a result of beating Bodmin in the play-off in April and were competitive for large parts before the North Cornwall side’s class shone through in the second-half.

Bude made just one change from the side that beat Veor 38-3 the week before as Joe Wilson (work) was replaced by prop Matt Williams.

Veteran Jason Bolt moved across to hooker with Williams joining him in the front row.

Hodges scored over 25 tries last term and scored twice last week, so it was no surprise that he opened the scoring inside ten minutes as he exploited space in the defence to receive Steve Yates’ pass and run in from 40 metres out.

Midway through the half he notched his second of the day. After a couple of pick and gos, Hodges picked up the ball at the ruck and ran right through the gap next to it to run in from 50 metres.

This time Olly Denford missed the kick for a 14-0 lead.

To Exeter’s credit they continued to battle away and enjoyed the better of the final 20 minutes of the half, pinning Bude in their own 22 for long spells. However, good, strong defence coupled with a missed penalty attempt meant the score stayed the same going into the break.

The visitors failed to come out with the same intensity after the break as Bude pulled themselves into top gear.

The third try came shortly after the break as scrum-half Olly Mounce dived over from a couple of metres out following more good work in the pack.

Within five minutes it was 26-0 as skipper Denford finished off a good backs move, running in under the posts. He converted both.

Exeter’s one good spell in the second-half saw them get to within five metres. But within seconds they’d conceded as a stray pass was intercepted by Hodges to run in from 95 metres. The conversion was kicked for a 33-0 lead.

Bude scored four tries in the final 20 minutes.

The first was from centre Ed Hilliam-Cooke who showed remarkable strength to bounce through three tackles and touch the ball down.

Replacement winger Tim Green was next as good work from forwards Angus Hodges and Will Kingdon down the right wing ended with Kingdon passing inside from the touchline for Green to speed his way over from 40 metres.

With ten minutes to go it was a case of whether Bude could reach the half century mark and it was fitting that Hodges was the man to bring it up as more good work down the right-hand side saw Hodges exploit a gap and again step the full-back and ease his way to the line. Denford slotted his seventh successful kick from eight.

Winger Rory Hodges was the final Bude try scorer with his pace coming to the fore.

A loose ball on the Bude 10-metre line was hacked forward by Denford which Hodges chased and got to first despite his opponent being given a headstart. He then booted it twice further, the second which saw the ball go over the line for him to jump on and round off another solid afternoon’s work from the North Cornwall side. Denford missed the difficult final conversion, but it didn’t matter as Bude head into their first away game of the season at Lanner on Saturday in fine fettle.

Player/coach Angus Hodges was delighted with his side’s relentless approach.

He said: “The best thing from the game as a whole was that we didn’t let off the pressure and put them to the sword, which we haven’t done a lot of times before, often we let up a bit.

“It was really nice to see us really finish the game off with some style and there were some really good performances.

“A lot of people made a lot of good carries and runs, Ed’s strength for his try was brilliant, Tim Green looked really good when he came on and Steve Yates bossed the game at ten.

“It was just a really good 18-man performance.”

While Bude were easing to victory, Lanner were getting stuffed 92-5 at Truro, who are firm favourites for an immediate return back up to the Western Counties (West) division, but Hodges knows it won’t be easy at Mount Ambrose Cricket Club.

He said: “We managed to beat them twice last year but neither of them were easy games. It’s also our first away game so we need to make sure we do our prep work this week, turn up ready for a good game, and make sure we’re not complacent after the last two weeks.”

Bude seconds eased to a 42-10 victory at their Bodmin counterparts in the Duchy Merit Table on Saturday with Freddie Saxton, notching a hat-trick and Hodges expects to have some difficult decisions to make for the weekend.

He said: “Joe Wilson wasn’t available as he has to work one in four Saturdays but I could have a bit of a selection dilemma.

“The seconds had a decent team down at Bodmin and a few of those guys are looking to get in the first team.

“When he’s training, Freddie (Saxton) is easily a first team player, Ryan Butler was back and we have Callum Bettington too, so we should have a decision or two to make.”

Bude —

Denford (captain), R Hodges, Hilliam-Cooke, Watton, Horwell, Yates, Mounce; Williams, Bolt, Allin, Kingdon, Troke, A Hodges, F Fry, Statton.

Replacements: Keat, T Fry, Green.

Tries: A Hodges 4, Mounce, Denford, Hilliam-Cooke, Green, R Hodges.

Convs: Denford 7.

Pens: N/A.

Bude’s man-of-the-match: Angus Hodges.