No pot of gold for 1XV

It was back to SW Premier action for both teams following the week off for the RWC final. The last time the sides meet Bracknell ran out 26-9 winners, having fought back from a nine point deficit at half time at Lily Hill. Previous encounters had tended to result in Ivybridge victories, Bracknell’s only other win (and sole win at Ivybridge) coming in the 2016/17 season.

Both sides had experienced wins in their last game, Bracknell recorded a 12-0 home win over Exmouth while Ivybridge defeated league leaders Barnstaple 15-12 away at Barnstaple’s Pottington Road ground. Prior to kick off Ivybridge were sixth in SW Premier on twenty points while Bracknell sat in tenth spot on twelve points.

Head of Rugby Dan Ap Dafydd was forced into making a number of changes to the team that started against Exmouth. In the pack skipper Michael Clarke reverted to hooker, joining the incoming Harry Challenor in the front row, Jamie Johnson starting in the second row. While in the backs the ever youthful Stuart Mackay started at centre, the evergreen Ben Yates came off the replacement bench to start on the wing replacing Simon Bayliss.

With a slight Devon rain failing Bracknell took to the field in their changed black strip. An early penalty gave Ivybridge the lead with just over ten minutes gone.

Halfway through the half Ivybridge extended their lead with their first try of the afternoon, coming off a driving maul. Conversion was missed.

As the rain came down Bracknell responded, pressurising the Ivybridge line but could not convert the pressure. Bracknell would be made to pay for this as on the halftime break confusion from an Ivybridge high kick led to a converted try to Ivybridge.

Half time: Ivybridge 15 Bracknell 0

Bracknell opened the second half the livelier of the two sides but again failed to convert a good spell of pressure into points.

Mid way into the half, having seen off the Bracknell pressure Ivybridge attacked. Following an intense spell of pressure on the Bracknell line Ivybridge were rewarded with a try, with Michael Clarke in the sin bin the Ivybridge pack drove back the Bracknell scrum to dot down

With twelve minutes remaining Ivybridge were able to score two further tries earning their bonus point in the process.

Full time: Ivybridge 34 Bracknell 0 (Points: Ivybridge 5 Bracknell 0)

The result leaves Bracknell in tenth spot in the league two points above the relation spots. Ivybridge jump to fifth spot with twenty five points.

Commenting after the game Chair of Rugby Martin Radford said “Composure at critical apoints is the missing ingredient for this otherwise talented group. Nail that and we will achieve a great deal more than we have to date. Yes there are a number of areas in which we can improve, but today we were ultimately overwhelmed by a claustrophobic defence and a team that capitalised on our errors.”

Hard luck to the Stags, 3XV & 4XV who all experienced defeats yesterday, all to the league leaders of their respective league. Regardless of the scores it was still a great achievement by everyone to field four sides again.

Next Saturday the 1XV host the side one place below them in the league as eleventh placed Launceston visit Lily Hill (KO 2.15pm). Please come down and lend your support to the team.

Don’t forget to save the date - Friday 22nd November for the Christmas Beer Market and Mini Festival. Click here for booking and full details.

Bracknell: 1. Elliott Bellman 2. Michael Clarke (C) 3. Harry Challenor 4. Alex Stanley 5. Jamie Johnson 6. Sam Gibbons 7. Tom Mew 8. Kieran Forbes 9. Lewis Franklin 10. Chris Laidler 11. Ben Yates 12. Daniel Mays 13. Stuart Mackay 14. Ian Burch 15. George Owen Replacements: 16. Dan Gyles 17. Aaran Matthews 18. Vic Hardwicke