Tribute Western Counties West

Chard 14

Kingsbridge welcomed Somerset side Chard to High House for the first WCW league game of the New Year with the game being switched from the sodden main pitch to the reserve Longfield Pitch to ensure that the fixture could go ahead.

The two teams had both been relegated from the South West One league together at the end of last season and had battled out a 13-13 draw back in September when the two teams met in Somerset.

The hosts started strongly but failed to convert their early pressure in the Chard 22 into points.

Chard then moved play back downfield with some strong support play from their forwards before Kingsbridge turned the ball over and forced play back into the Chard half again.

On 10 minutes a Kingsbridge scrum on the Chard 22 saw the ball moved along the back line for winger Luke Davies to squeeze into the corner for the opening try and a 5-0 lead.

The hosts then extended their lead on 25 minutes as the visitors were caught in possession deep in their 22. This saw Kingsbridge force a scrum and with the home pack going forward, number eight Freddie Buckle picked up and forced his way over for the second try.

Ten minutes later a period of sustained pressure from the home pack saw a series of rucks and mauls take play from one side of the pitch to the other before they managed to force their way over the line for the third try, with prop Buster James gaining the touchdown to take the score to 15-0.

In difficult kicking conditions Thom Leman’s conversion was unlucky to bounce back off the crossbar.

Kingsbridge were still not done for the first half, however, as on the stroke of half time the front row trio of Buster James, Jake Vincent and Stuart Winzer combined out wide on the right with some sublime passing to put Winzer into some space to force his way through and carry the final defender over the line for the bonus-point try.

Leman added an excellent conversion to see Kingsbridge go into the interval 22-0 ahead.

The first 20 minutes of the second half saw little give from either defence until Chard forced their way over for a converted try wide out to reduce the deficit to 22-7.

However, from the restart the visitors knocked the ball on and home winger Luke Davies pounced on the loose ball and raced into the corner for his second and the hosts’ fifth try to increase their lead again to 27-7.

With six minutes remaining the visitors crossed over for a second converted try to reduce the deficit again to 27-14, but Kingsbridge were not to be denied their victory as their defence held firm during the closing minutes.

This weekend sees the first XV travel the relatively short distance to face Paignton in the WCW league while the A XV welcome Torrington to High House in the Merit Table.

Kingsbridge Colts make the long journey to face Camborne in a friendly.