These two sides boast a great tradition of encounters both on the pitch and in the bar afterwards. After Crediton’s promotion last term, the two near neighbours finally got the chance to renew acquaintances and compete for the Frank Webb cup once more.

Dry overnight weather allowed the match to go ahead, and despite a strong wind down the slope conditions were eminently playable. Both sides were missing key players, mainly up front, but it was the hosts who were to come out on top after they finally broke Crediton’s early stubborn resistance. In fact it was the visitors, playing into the elements, who had the better of the early ruck side exchanges. Kirton as expected kept it tight early doors, and playing keep ball with good technique they looked to keep the Okes out by dominating possession. The tactic worked well initially, but Oke slowly settled into the game and by mid-way through the first forty had earned their first penalty shot at goal. Home skipper Tow Powell stepped up and used the breeze to good effect to land a kick from the Crediton ten yard line to make it 3-0 to the Okes with a quarter of the match gone. Five minutes later, and a repeat scenario ensued when Powell potted another goal from virtually the same spot to double the Oke’s advantage.

Up to this point the match looked like it was going to be a real tight affair; however Oke then hit a fifteen minute purple patch which completely changed the course of the match. After 29 minutes, scrum half Joey Bruce, back to his lively sniping best, produced a deft chip ahead. Winger Luke Honeychurch half regathered but in the act of juggling the loose ball kindly ended up in the hands of the supporting Liam Sampson, playing out of position at lock due to Okes injuries in the engine room. Sampson then fed flanker Simon Cox, in good support as usual, and the back rower ran the ball home to put the hosts 11-0 up. Powell added a fine extra two points from wide out, and at 13-0 Oke now had the sort of the lead the advantage given by the conditions demanded. The next Oke score wasn’t long in coming, three minutes later in fact. However this time it was a controversial one as the home side looked to have knocked on just before the ball was grounded. It was half back Bruce who once more was the architect of the score with another fine kick into space. As bodies slid in in an attempt to regather, both sides seemed to knock on before home full back Gareth Espin pounced on the loose ball and the referee awarded the try much to the visitor’s displeasure. Powell rubbed salt into the wounds with another conversion to extend the Oke’s lead to twenty points after 32 minutes.

Oke’s lead was now a commanding one as half time approached, but it was to get even better as the home side struck again minutes before the break. This time it was a fine solo effort from home fullback Espin as he danced through a gap in midfield in typical fashion then rounded the full back in style for a fine score. Powell converted from bang in front, and at 27-0 Oke were in a better position that they could’ve hoped for at the break.

Crediton regrouped, and as Oke made replacements the visitors started the second forty on the front foot. Most attacks were repelled in midfield though, as Okes increasingly efficient defence stood firm. It looked like a catch and drive would be Kirton’s most effective attacking weapon and after keeping out a couple of previous attempts, Oke finally succumbed after fifty minutes. The visitors eventually rumbling over in the bottom left corner, Ben Wonnacott emerging from the pile up to claim the five pointer. The conversion was missed, but this proved to be a wake up call for the Okes and they came back strongly as their set piece play remained solid.

Oke were still hunting the valuable bonus point try and slowly began to edge towards the Crediton twenty two after 60 minutes. Player coach Gareth Evans was in the vanguard as the home pack set up an unstoppable rolling maul. Backs and forwards alike combined to cross the whitewash and it was flanker Dean Abrams that eventually grounded the fourth try that took Okes to the top of the league. The last quarter was relatively quiet one; several half chances came and went but with five points in the bag Oke were content to defend stoutly. One clean Crediton break was brought down by a fine cover tackle but that was as close as it got for the visitors before the final whistle arrived.

This was not the close encounter many had predicted, but Crediton can rightly claim that the scoreline does not fully reflect their eighty minute efforts. Oke however quietly go about their business and their fine unbeaten run, combined with a miserly defence has set them up nicely for the second half of this keenly contested WCW campaign. The fixtures don’t get any easier though as Okes travel to a resurgent Torquay side next Saturday, KO 2.30 Pm. Why not take a day trip to the English Riviera and take in some fine rugby to boot?

Okehampton RFC

Match details

Match date

Kickoff

Competition

Team Sponsors

Login