Saturday, February 29

Tribute Cornwall/Devon League

Bude 49

South Molton 0

NUMBER eight Joe Wilson notched a hat-trick as Bude ran in nine tries during a convincing 49-0 victory over bottom side South Molton at Bencoolen Meadow.

The hosts hadn’t played for three weeks since their 43-11 success at home to Pirates Amateurs, but didn’t take long to get in their stride against a side who had won just once all season, that despite having to draft in Tremaine Fry to the left-wing, Brad Thomas to play in an unfamiliar ten role while Ryan Butler and Charlie Watton had to play in the centre.

Wilson crossed for his first try on ten minutes as good hands down the right ended with Wilson finding himself on the right wing before dummying and getting to the line from ten metres out. Skipper Olly Denford added the extras.

The next 20 minutes saw the poor conditions play a part although the North Devon side resisted well until the half-hour when Wilson grabbed his second following a driving maul.

The third try arrived on 38 minutes as openside-flanker Finley Fry scored from five metres following some good work from Bude’s rejigged backline.

The wind made conditions tough for all players, and especially for Denford who had to go for goal with a driving wind blowing right across him.

The first of six second-half tries came on 51 minutes as a South Molton scrum ten metres from their own line was turned over and Wilson picked up and had too much strength for the flanker and winger to score in the corner.

Bude’s fifth try came on the hour as replacement flanker Tully Innes received a pass from Denford some 15 metres out before galloping away to the line.

Ryan Butler was forced to cover in the centre with Ed Hilliam-Cooke and Callum Bettington both unavailable, but he grabbed the first of two tries when he outsprinted the defence down the left-wing to score.

Fred Saxton also came off the bench and scored on 74 minutes. From a turnover, Wilson passed to Saxton on a hard line and the flanker found a gap to score.

There was still time for two more tries before the end. First, Innes’ second came from fully 45 metres as the flanker, who was stationed on the wing, received a Denford pass before again utilising his pace to get on the outside and beat the covering defence to the line.

The second saw Butler go down the left-wing to race away from a beleaguered South Molton who will head back to Devon One next season.

Fourth-placed Bude on the other hand made it a third-win in a row, and have games in hand on the sides above them.

Player/coach Angus Hodges, who watched from the sidelines due to illness, admitted it was the perfect game to come back to after three weeks off.

He said: “One of the main focuses for us after having a couple of weeks of no rugby was to see the fire and passion we’d shown in the previous games and not be lethargic. With the weather the way it was it was never going to be an expansive, so we weren’t expecting anything too flashy. We needed a game under our belts and I was confident that as long as we worked hard we’d win, and we did just that.

“South Molton didn’t cause us any problems and once we decided to keep the ball and run as opposed to kick. We didn’t do anything particularly special, but we did everything hard and that was more than enough.

“Everyone was decent and Brad Thomas stepping in at ten did well, he hasn’t played there for a while.”

Bude head to fourth-bottom Tavistock on Saturday, but the West Devon side have played four more fixtures than third-bottom Liskeard.

Hodges said: “They don’t offer anything really outstanding but they’re good at capitalising on mistakes and can be awkward if you’re having an off day.

“Hopefully we can go there with the same sort of intensity and mentality we’ve shown recently and get a fourth straight win.”

Hodges expects his side to achieve their pre-season aims, although improving their away record will be key.

"Apart from Truro and Paignton, everyone is in quite a similar position in that there are a lot of upsets and surprise results, the league has been really competitive.

“After our mid-season wobble we didn’t expect to be where we are so quickly, but our overall aim for the season was anywhere between third and fifth and we’re in there at the moment. Hopefully we can stay there for the rest of the season.

“But with us having five of our last seven games away from home we know that’s going to be tough. However it’s a good opportunity to string some good away wins together.”

Bude —

Denford, R Hodges, Butler, Watton, T Fry, Thomas, Mounce; Williams, Bolt, Allin, Jeffery, Kingdon, Troke, F Fry, Wilson.

Replacements: Innes, Saxton, Statton.

Tries: Wilson 3, F Fry, Innes 2, Butler 2, Saxton.

Convs: Denford 2.

Pens: N/A.

Bude’s man-of-the-match: Tremaine Fry.

Elsewhere around the club, the seconds were left frustrated as their home game with Illogan Park in Group Three of the Kernow League didn’t go ahead despite plenty of work being done on the second team pitch to get it playable, while Totnes Ladies cried off their trip to Bude on Sunday.

The ladies head to Crediton on Sunday while the seconds host their St Austell counterparts on Saturday.