The 1XV got their season underway as they travelled down the M5 (a journey they will get used to given the amount of Devon sides in the SW Premier) to Newton Abbot’s ground Rackerhayes, for their opening fixture - repeating the final fixture of last season just over 130 days ago.

As the crowds gathered for the Newton Abbot races across the road a smaller but no less enthusiastic crowd gathered for kick off...

Newton Abbot opened the scoring with Matt Jess try, with the first attack into the Bracknell half. The conversion was unsuccessful.

With 10 minutes gone, the increasing Bracknell pressure was rewarded. Lewis Franklin darting through a gap to off load to Victor Hardwicke to score. Conversion from Victor Hardwicke was good.

A Newton Abbot penalty saw them retake the lead before a defensive Newton Abbot line out was stolen by Bracknell, some deft handling between both forwards and back saw Ian Burch open his season try scoring account.

A further Newton Abbot penalty from Rob Avery-Wright narrowed the Bracknell lead.

Just before the half break the intense Bracknell pressure was again rewarded as debutant Jason Henry found space to dot down.

Half time: Newton Abbot 11 Bracknell 17

It was Bracknell that opened the second half scoring, Ian Burch breaking to score Bracknell's bonus point try by the Newton Abbot uprights. Conversion was good, to increase the Bracknell lead to 13 points.

If Bracknell thought they were ‘home and hosed’ then they would need to re-think. Two quick Newton Abbot tries from Matt Jess saw them take a 1 point lead. 25-24.

With the defence of each side not being able to deal with the attack of the other the lead changed hands in quick succession, each side adding a try.

With about half the secong half gone, a Newton Abbot attack saw Bracknell reduced in numbers as Tom Scott was sent to the sin bin for coming off his feet at a ruck. Newton Abbot took advantage of the superior numbers, Matt Jess scoring his fourth try of the afternoon. A further Tom Putt penalty extended the Newton Abbot lead to 9 points. 42-31

It was Newton Abbot’s turn to have a player sent to the sin bin, second row Ian Milton the unfortunate player.

With the clock running down, Bracknell managed to secure a second bonus point, from a driving maul another debutant, Rhys Verley was able to touch down.

Full time: Newton Abbot 43 Bracknell 36 (Points Newton Abbot 5 Bracknell 2)

The result extends Bracknell's unwanted record of not having won an opening game of the season since the 2013/14 season when they defeated Old Reds 27-10 at Lily Hill Park.

Commenting after the game Head of Rugby Daniel ap Dafydd said “Before the start of the game if you had said we would have come away with two points today I would have been pleased. But after today I feel we should have got more and it highlights that we still have some hard work to do”.

Elsewhere the 3XV got off to winning start (congrats to them), while the Stags lost to London Irish.

Next week the 1XV host Old Patesians at Lily Hill (KO 3pm). Prior to kick off there is a Pre-Match Lunch for bookings please email: events@bracknellrugbyclub.com

Bracknell: 1, Elliot Bellman 2, Michael Clark (c) 3, Ken Dowding 4, Ashleigh Stevenson-Leigh 5, Rhys Verley 6, Tom Scott 7, Guiseppe Salustri 8, Leo Bailey 9, Lewis Franklin 10, Victor Hardwicke 11, Josh Wilson 12, Jason Henry 13, Ian Burch 14, Cameron McDonald 15, Conor Segre Replacements: 16, Nicholas Ovens 17, Kim Plant 18, Chris Laidler