Winscombe RFC

The Winscombe first XV travelled to Cullompton at the weekend in Regional 2 Tribute South West.

Before the match the two teams stood in silence to respectfully mark the passing of Paul ‘Clifty’ Clift, a stalwart of Winscombe Rugby Club and someone who embodied the values of the club both on an off the field. Clifty would have enjoyed this encounter, a tough match played in the true spirit of rugby with the lead changing hands a number of times and with the result in doubt right up to the final whistle.

As soon as the match got underway Cullompton took the initiative, winning the early territorial battles. The two teams traded penalty kicks with Cullompton moving into an early 6-3 lead, but Winscombe’s first attack of consequence resulted in the ball being moved quickly to the right touchline with flanker Oscar Browne crossing for a try, replacement centre Jim Merryfield adding the conversion.

The score seemed to galvanise the home team who then dominated territorially and retook the lead through a well worked try in the left corner. Despite a number of other chances Cullompton could not build on this and went into the break with a slender one point lead at 11-10.

Coach Graham Buller’s half time pep talk clearly paid dividends as Winscombe came out fighting at the start of the second period. A series of powerful drives led to a sequence of scrum penalties, a Cullompton yellow card and a short range try for scrum half Lewis Podpadec, converted by Merryfield. The Winscombe lead was short-lived, however, as Cullompton fashioned a swift response with a well worked move that saw them cross for a converted try under the posts.

With a single point again separating the teams it was time for Winscombe to take control and they did this firstly through a try for winger Joe Burgess who had looked bright down the left flank all afternoon and then through a battling try for centre George Dearsley. Dearsley had ripped the ball off his opposite number on the half-way line and had made a break for the line. His powerful run, where he broke through three tackles saw him stretch and score the best try of the game to move Winscombe into a clear lead.

As the match moved into its final quarter Cullompton rallied and came back into contention through a converted try. However, this was soon cancelled when Winscombe’s Browne crossed for his second following a fine blind-side move off the back of a 22 metre scrum.

The game seemed to be settled, but one final twist saw Cullompton score their richly deserved bonus point try and once again reduce the deficit to a single score. The final minutes were played on a knife-edge with the game still in the balance, but tired hands at a crucial moment saw the ball go to ground, the final whistle blown for a Winscombe win. Clifty would have enjoyed the atmosphere in the dressing room!

Winscombe host Newton Abbot in two weeks time where they will look to build on this momentum.