KINGSBRIDGE 22 points OKEHAMPTON 33
Another battling display from the Blue and Whites at High House on Saturday but it wasn’t enough to prevent them from bowing out of the Devon Intermediate Cup at the first round stage. This was Okehampton’s second visit of the season to Kingsbridge following their 27-33 victory in the league back at the start of September and once again they proved to be a hard nut to crack.
Kingsbridge just simply are not getting the breaks at the moment and this is evident in the results that they are getting. You don’t become a bad team overnight but, it cannot be denied that, Kingsbridge are struggling to perform consistently against teams that they would normally be expected to beat.
The early exchanges were tight with both defences tested regularly. It was however Kingsbridge who opened the scoring after 12 minutes. A break from prop Dan Burner, making a very welcome return to the team, from a ruck on the Okehampton 22, saw the ball fed out to number eight Jack Cope in support who crossed over wide out.
Unfortunately for the hosts they failed to respond to the restart and the visitors scored immediately from the kick off to take the lead 5-7. They then extended that lead to 5-14 with a second converted try scored through the centre channel. An Ashley Treeby penalty shortly before the interval kept the hosts in the game as the score remained 8-14 until half time.
The hosts extended their lead five minutes into the second half, leaving Kingsbridge with a mountain to climb and when they added another, ten minutes later, to take them into an 8-26 lead all appeared lost for the hosts to progress into the next round.
Kingsbridge rallied well late in the game in scoring two tries to the visitor’s one but the gap was too large to be able to chase down in the time remaining. Flanker turned centre and Captain for the day, Matt Gibbens rounded off a good move from ten metres out to score near the posts. The Ashley Treeby conversion reduced the deficit to 15-26.
However any hopes that the hosts may have had of posting a late come back were dashed quickly as an error in the Kingsbridge back line gifted Okehampton their fifth try of the match and their successful conversion restored their advantage and took them 15-33 ahead.
Back came Kingsbridge again with the last move of the match and were rewarded for their efforts by scoring their third try in the dying minutes. A break from number eight Jack Cope on the right was taken on by replacement winger Jack Davey and he in turn found centre Gibbens with the inside pass and he ran in his second try. Treeby’s successful conversion reduced the deficit to 22-33 shortly prior to the final whistle being blown.
This Saturday sees Kingsbridge travel to face Somerset based Wellington in the league. The A XV has no match this weekend and the Colts will be entertaining Devonport Services in the Colts Merit Table on the High House pitch at 2.30pm.
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