Events/News

Salcombe looked to build on their win against Plympton Victoria after having 2 weeks off. Receiving kick off in the autumnal sunshine in front of Totnes ex players and VP’s, Salcombe immediately looked to put boot to ball to put it back into Totnes half and make them play out. Totnes not having any of it sent the ball back into the Salcombe half, who decided to run the ball back, an attempted pass intercept from Totnes resulted in a knock on and the first Salcombe scrum. With the Salcombe pack providing a solid platform, and pushing Totnes off the ball for much of the afternoon, this allowed for returning centre Jordan Tebb, to have his first run at a defending line in nearly two years. Muscling his way past two players, and with quick ball provided by scrum half Lee Clarke, the retreating Totnes line was filled with gaps. One of these was exploited by his younger brother Keiron Clarke, who looked to score from inside of the Salcombe half but was caught just shy of the try line, but with a quick pick and go the Crabs were over the try line. However hardy defending from Totnes, the ball was deemed held up so were awarded a goal line drop out. Kicked straight back to the Salcombe forwards who decided to take a rather direct approach ran it straight back into the Totnes 22. A combination of fast hands and feet and Salcombe were again banging on the Totnes try line. Quick ball from Clarke to a waiting back line saw his brother Keiron this time go over for his, and Salcombe’s first try of the afternoon. Converted by Lee Clarke.
Kick off from Totnes went straight out so Salcombe sensing they had the beating of the Totnes pack elected for a scrum restart, picking up a resulting scrum penalty, Salcombe’s well drilled line out set loose the backs, and with fast hands and feet were back into the Totnes 22 but again, dogged defence from Totnes turned it over opting to kick for a line out. This led to a brief spell of position for Totnes, but Salcombe’s hard and aggressive defence had them pushed back into their 22 again, with little or no option but to kick the ball away to Salcombe’s full back Tom Harvey, who showing off skills from a previous life as a footballer, put boot to ball on a half volley and sending the ball back in a cheeky 50-22 for a Salcombe line out. Salcombe’s driving maul made good ground but was pulled down for a penalty. Channelling his inner Johnny Sexton No.10 Eoghan Grace kicked for the corner, but for a freak gust of wind, and kicked the ball dead… Ooops! Again the kick off return was dealt with well with fast hands a hard running, but again dogged defence from Totnes turned it over and putting boot to ball again, sent it back into the Salcombe half, who again ran it straight back at the Totnes line. Making good ground Salcombe were within sniffing distance of the try-line. Spotting a small gap around the breakdown No.9 Clarke made his way off down the line to skip over, only to be told the gap wasn’t quite as big as he’d hoped and somewhere had stepped out into touch.
 

The Salcombe forwards were again called on to try and disrupt as much as possible at the line out so keeping the pressure on Totnes in their own 22. This worked as again Totnes had to put boot to ball and Salcombe ran the ball back through winger George Wilmot. Fast hands and feet from the Salcombe backs had Kieron Clarke in reach of the try-line, and with a quick pick and go Salcombe’s youngest player on the pitch, Tom Langley was over. Yet again, Totnes’s defence was deemed to have held the ball up. However the referee, eagle-eyed as ever, had spotted a knock-on so awarded a scrum to Salcombe. 

A bit of miscommunication between the Clarke brothers, and the Totnes 9 was off down the pitch. This compounded with a knock on and scrum penalty saw Totnes in the Salcombe 22, and with their tails up sensing they had Salcombe on the back foot, put a series of phases together that saw the Crabs scrambling in defence. Thankfully, to the defensive training that they have been putting in this week paid off, Totnes again coughing up possession and opting to kick rather than run the ball was back again in the Totnes half. The next 10 minutes were a bit scrappy from Salcombe, penalties, knock-ons and in accurate passing was giving Totnes the possession they had been deprived of for most of the first half, until seemingly having had their Weetabix that morning, the solid Salcombe pack snaffled back possession at the scrum and from that, be awarded the penalty. Into the corner, driving maul and the backs were on the loose again. From one touch line to another, hard running from Salcombe saw Totnes take step after step backwards until quick ball from the ruck saw prop, Dan Sinnott, crash through one defender and with another hanging off him, go over the try line for Salcombe’s second of the afternoon. Converted by Clarke.

Kick off was dealt with well after the problems that the Crabs seemed to of had in previous weeks until a forward pass and scrum penalty gave Totnes a line out on the Crabs 5 metre line. Called to arms again the Salcombe forwards were more than a match for the ensuing driving maul, and won the penalty, and with a monster kick from Grace, the pressure was relieved. Having got the ball back down in the Totnes half, Salcombe decided to take the direct approach in order to see out the half.

The second half started much as the first ended. A kick deep into the Totnes half followed up by hard running saw Salcombe again parked in the Totnes 22, with no other option but to kick the ball back to the Crabs. This seemed to be the right option for Totnes as, with a dropped ball and a resulting scrum penalty, Totnes were back inside Salcombe territory. The Crabs break from a line out steal had the brakes put on it by a penalty which again, was dealt with by a hard aggressive defence. Salcombe’s third try of the day came off the back of sustained pressure and a scrum in the Totnes 22, where a waiting Jordan Tebb who in a training park move went round the last defender and over the try line. Converted by Clarke. This seemed to be what the Crabs had been waiting for with a 21-0 lead the freedom to play with a bit of flare was there. Continued pressure on a tiring Totnes defence causing them to make errors, saw head coach and 10 for the afternoon Eoghan Grace slip through a gap, and with the bad hip being blamed for earlier mysteriously disappearing, go over in the corner. Converted by Clarke.

The restart saw the first yellow cards of the day one each for both Salcombe and Totnes, so both teams were down to 14.

Salcombe's fourth try and bonus point came after another dominant scrum, again causing Totnes to kick from their own 22. The resulting break and accurate passing had Kieron Clarke with a bit of space to run in and he didn’t waste it, passing two defenders and going in under the post. Converted by Lee Clarke.

The Crabs didn’t have it their own way all afternoon, a series of pick and goes from the Totnes forwards had the so far unbroken defence on the retreat, and with a score that surprised even some of the Totnes team, the red wall was finally breached and Totnes were over the line. Try not converted. 

Stunned by this turn in events, a mistake from the restart, kicking the ball straight out, had Totnes back in possession again in the centre of the park. Efforts in trying to turn it back around in the Crabs favour resulted in a penalty which almost cost them another try, with the sliced ball the was destined for touch, ending up in the in-goal area, and but for the experience of Salcombe vet and old boy, Mark ‘Errol’ Lidstone it would have been a Totnes score.

The afternoon was sealed with Salcombe’s fifth and final try of the afternoon. Quick ball out and Lee Clarke finally found the space that he thought he had had earlier in the afternoon out on the wing. Running a good support line through the tired Totnes defenders, he went over in the corner and then added to his score by converting his own try. Final whistle score Salcombe 40 - Totnes 5.

Salcombe RFC would like to thank Totnes RFC and volunteers for the game and the hospitality afterwards. 

This weekend sees the Crabs at home to Paignton RFC, who, only one point behind Salcombe with the potential for stealing a league position, so come up and lend your support the boys!

Watch the game at:

https://app.veo.co/matches/20241019-salcombe-fc3cf2e4/

By Dan Sinnott