Rees praises Combe’s commitment, Avon lose lead late in thriller

Combe Down head coach Jimmy Rees lauded his players’ commitment after 40 made themselves available for the club’s two matches on Saturday 4th October.

Avon receive their special centenary shirts from sponsors the Elizabethan Lodge of Bath Freemasons. The club are celebrating their 100th birthday this season | Photo © Avon RFC

The 1st XV extended their 100% record in Counties 2 Tribute Ale Dorset & Wilts North to three games by beating neighbours Bradford-on-Avon 30-13 at Holly’s Corner.

And the 2nd XV suffered a 49-13 derby setback at their Frome counterparts in Counties 3 Tribute Ale Dorset & Wilts Central.

Rees said: “Saturday was a massive step forward for us on our journey. Having 40 players available was incredible. I was so proud to see so many lads representing the club.

“Our 1st XV put in a fantastic shift to earn a hard-fought win against a strong

Bradford-on-Avon side, while the 2nd XV battled with heart and determination against a powerful Frome outfit who will no doubt be strong contenders for the league [title] this season.

“A brilliant day for the club all round. Onwards and upwards.”

The Black & Ambers’ 1st XV took an early lead against Bradford through a penalty from Elis Jones.

However, the visitors crossed the line first. After a sustained spell of pressure inside the hosts’ 22, Bradford scrum-half Iwan Legg sniped over to score, although he was unable to convert his own try.

The next 20 minutes proved an arm wrestle, both sides putting in some huge defensive efforts.

Just before half-time, Combe’s defensive pressure paid off when Jay Fenton-Springer forced a mistake, gathered the loose ball and sent flanker Dillon Nevill-Lane over to score. Jones was unlucky not to add the extras in windy conditions.

The Down led 8-5 lead at the break. So the half-time message was clear – the Black & Ambers were in a battle and needed to raise their intensity to earn the result.

They came out stronger, using their dominant scrum to good effect, while the backs – marshalled well by Tom Baker – began to move the ball with confidence.

The pressure soon told, as Sim Fenton-Springer crashed over after a fine line break to extend the lead.

Bradford responded quickly with a try from a well-worked maul off a line-out, keeping the score tight at 13-10.

The Down hit back through James Resiegh, before another Legg penalty meant the lead was trimmed to five points.

But the final 20 minutes belonged to the hosts, as Jamie Ridewood-Williams – Combe’s man of the match – sealed the victory with a well-taken brace of touchdowns. Jones converted the final try to close out a deserved 30-13 win for the table-toppers.

Toby Gooding was the top performer in Combe 2nd XV’s game at Frome.

Avon held a 10-point lead against Hornets 2nd XV at Hicks Field in Counties 2 Tribute Ale Somerset going into the closing stages but lost 38-31 to leave them in seventh place in the table.

The home side played some of their best rugby of the season for much of the game against a solid Hornets team that boasted a young and speedy backline.

But by the end of the match, Avon had conceded another three tries from within their own half and had to be content with two bonus points.

Avon played into the strong wind in the first half and soon found themselves on their own line following an excellent wind-assisted 50:22, to within five metres of the line, by Hornets’ young fly-half.

The home side secured possession but a lapse of concentration at the back of a ruck saw the ball travel over the line and an alert visiting player tapped it down for a soft score.

This sparked Avon into life and they played some excellent rugby, keeping the ball tight against the wind and working a good position to move it wide for winger Jack Moore to touch down.

This pattern of play continued in the first half until a loose pass was intercepted and one of the Hornets centres raced 70 metres to score under the posts.

Although down on the scoreboard, Avon were playing the conditions well and were rewarded with two further tries – from Ollie Flight and Zak Harwood – to give them a deserved 17-14 half-time lead.

Hornets, from Weston-super-Mare, started the second half strongly, keeping things tight against the wind. Solid Avon defence kept them out and the boot of fly-half Rob Fitch was able to relive the pressure with some big touch-finders.

The home side soon extended their lead with a trademark catch-and-drive try from veteran Ben Hurd, playing in the unfamiliar second-row position.

And with Avon in control, home supporters expected the floodgates to open.

However, despite the hosts creating several chances, the elusive try that would extend the lead to three scores did not come.

With 10 minutes to go, Avon had a man in the sin bin and the visitors saw their opportunity, throwing caution to the wind as they broke from their own line and went the length of the field to slash the arrears to 24-21.

Hornets then scored twice more from inside their own half within three minutes to lead the shell-shocked Avon team 35-24 with the final whistle looming.

Avon got back into bonus-point territory when Hurd scored his second try. But they could not finish the job and Hornets had the final say with a penalty from in front of the posts.

In the same division, Oldfield Old Boys were thumped 38-0 at Clevedon, who have a perfect record after three matches.

The seasiders, who scored all of their points in the opening 68 minutes, bagged six tries – through Alfie Harrison (2), Alex Giltrow (2), Ethan Thomas and Jack Crew. Sol Scrace converted four of the scores.

Walcot won for the third time in three outings in Counties 1 Tribute Ale Southern South when they triumphed 33-27 at Devizes, who have lost all of their fixtures.

However, the Lansdown-based outfit got out of jail as the Saddlebacks led 14-7 at half-time and were 27-26 up with five minutes remaining.

Local teams’ results for Saturday 4th October:

• Counties 1 Tribute Ale Southern South: Devizes 27 Walcot 33.
• Counties 2 Tribute Ale Dorset & Wilts North: Combe Down 30 Bradford-on-Avon 13.
• Counties 2 Tribute Ale Somerset: Avon 31 Hornets 2nd XV 38, Clevedon 38 Oldfield Old Boys 0.
• Counties 3 Tribute Ale Somerset North: Yatton 33 Old Sulians 5.
• Counties 3 Tribute Ale Dorset & Wilts Central: Avonvale 24 North Dorset 2nd XV 33, Frome 2nd XV 49 Combe Down 2nd XV 13.

Local teams’ fixtures for Saturday 11th October:

• Counties 1 Tribute Ale Southern South: Walcot v Melksham.
• Counties 2 Tribute Ale Dorset & Wilts North: Minety v Combe Down.
• Counties 2 Tribute Ale Somerset: Imperial v Avon, Oldfield Old Boys v Keynsham 2nd XV.
• Counties 3 Tribute Ale Somerset North: Old Sulians v Clevedon 2nd XV.
• Counties 3 Tribute Ale Dorset & Wilts Central: Bath Saracens v Salisbury 2nd XV, Combe Down 2nd XV v Avonvale.