All Whites Colts Vs Crediton Match Report

The sharp end of the Devon Colts competitive scene started this weekend in earnest and selected Colts squad were keen to set proceedings off to a proper start. Pressure from the Whites from the very beginning led to a line out driving maul from just outside Crediton’s 5m line sadly being held up over the line. The following goal line dropout restart was miskicked landing the narrow Crediton defence in hot water. Jake Forey scooped it up and pinned his ears back to cross in the corner for the opening score, converted by Connor McK 7-0.

Rapid response from Crediton saw their drive close to Newton Abbott line being stopped by turnover penalty. A solid clearance put Newton inside Crediton’s a half again where some slick hands and rapid progress to brought it right back. Crediton eventually do equal scoring as a penalty given 5 to10 m out from Newton line is converted into try after successful multiphase pick and goes to the far corner. Unconverted, 7-5.

Advances swing to Newton’s favour leading to lots of pressure on the Crediton line. One attack was saved just millimetres from the whitewash as penalty for not releasing allows a Crediton clearance, but only to the 22. Newton gather and make a very dominant attack bringing them within the Crediton’s half via multiple dominant forward carries ending up in EJ‘s hands. This terrifying charge was met by the last defender who valiantly managed to tangle himself under EJ’s wheels bringin him down just in inches from the line. Sadly, in the tangle, a clean off load was just not possible, and the supporting Ash G fumbled in hast the gathering dive over the line handing Crediton. A jet out of jail free card; scrum to Crediton. The clearance attempt from that scrum however, was received cleanly by Darcy, who threaded his way through from the 22 like a wee trout up a burn to score; converted 14-5.

Lots of encouraging play from All Whites, producing great driving runs centre pitch, where unfortunate off loads were just not going to hand. Pressure inside the Credi 22 continued, forcing a deliberate knock on, reward of the penalty being 3 points converted by Connor 17-5

Second half starts with plenty or All White attacks into the Crediton half. One chip and chase was nearly grounded in a foot race by Darcy, but he sadly missed out. After the 22 dropout, sharper and urgent pressure was applied by Whites, eventually yielding a Newton penalty for Credi holding on; penalty unconverted by Ash.

Extended pressure in Crediton territory was just not managing to be capitalised upon. To reward Crediton’s hard effort, they managed a long, probing clearance kick out of their own half giving them line out which they fed through their backs, slipped a one tackle defence on the line that by a third phase, drove over to score 17-10. This match was all about Newton remaining focused and on the boil after some lukewarm performances in recent friendlies and it showed that they were meaning business. A thundering sequence of forward driving finished with Sam Higgs collecting from a rampaging Juniper to sadly, lose it forward in the dive for the line. Crediton scrum on 5m produced a clearance kick that squirted wide like an errant orange pip, this time collected by Josh Lang who wiggled through three defenders as if sidestepping 3 men in a telephone box, scoring in cameraman corner; conversion missed 22-10

As the game entered the closing stages Crediton received a yellow card for some off the ball play. Working particularly well in the return of kicks today, James D’Arcy made great progress down right-hand flank again, recycled possession gives another advancing chance to All Whites who fed smoothly through hands nicely enough to present Josh Lang on wing a second diving score in cameraman corner. This was converted 27-10.

Crediton came back with a non-converted try at the death 27,15 and that’s how it’s finished. A few scores left out there for sure, but a far more consolidated and dominant performance to get 5 points on the table in the Devon Cup round 2.