Exmouth U16s 12

Okehampton U16s 15

OKEHAMPTON survived a tense battle away to Exmouth. The first 15 minutes saw no scoring with both sides tackling and running the ball.

Exmouth were dominant in the scrums, but ball was disrupted at the base by Richard Bolt who had an excellent game at scrum half, causing his opposite number endless problems.

From an Okehampton scrum 25 metres out Simon Cox picked up at No 8, flicking the ball to Bolt, then receiving it again and racing to the corner for a try.

Both teams kept their own line-out ball with the home team forming light driving mauls. From a five metre line-out one of these mauls gave a good try to equal the scores.

Late in the first half Okehampton again ran blind from a scrum with R Bolt making the yards for the final score in the corner. Exmouth tried hard to equal in the dying minutes of the half but again Cox held up the ball over the line to deny the score.

The second half was nailbiting stuff for both teams with play alternating from one 22 to the other. Tackles were hard and rucking was fierce. Phil Woods and Rob Clarke were impregnable in the centres with Ian Brooks having an outstanding game on the wing.

Tactical kicking from Herrod-Taylor kept up the pressure and the pack as a unit battled until the final whistle.

Both teams were forced into substitutions and Okehampton played with 14 for ten minutes as a player was in the bin but neither side gave points away until the final seven minutes.

Okehampton were first to score with a set move at fly half holding up the defence and quick ball to Dean Beardon on the wing gave him the space for a superb try.

Exmouth replied quickly with a chip and chase upfield. Rapid ruck ball was spread wide and the ball kicked behind the defence for the score. Okehampton survived intense pressure to hold on for the win.

This leaves the team joint top of their U16 league at the halfway stage of the season with a game in hand.

The U16s are at Oaklands at 11am on Sunday January 4 v Totnes in the cup. Totnes are the current favourites so all support welcome.

Last season the score was 10-10 so it promises to be an excellent match.