Dartmouth RFC 41,

Salcombe RFC 0

Dartmouth RFC was grateful to Salcombe for filling in when St Columba pulled out of this friendly.

All the fitness work that Dartmouth has done over the past couple of months certainly seems to have paid off. Some new faces turned up and enjoyed the first team experience and the crowd were treated to a fine game of rugby.

New faces were Academy teacher Luke Clements, who had an hour's workout, and Lawrence Searle, back from the Merchant Navy for a couple of months.

Others included Jake Vincent, playing at hooker; Dan Borrow, a young lad showing commitment, coming from Ivybridge; and a welcome return for Ben Peters, who played left wing for Dartmouth at the beginning of last season. Work commitments got in the way then but hopefully he can give us a season this year.

Dartmouth started off well and with good work from the forwards, Martin Sharam keeping the Crabs scrum-half busy all afternoon. Dartmouth were on the score sheet with a well-worked try coming from Charlie Watson.

Dartmouth won the scrum from Salcombe on their 22, with the ball coming out from Luke Clements, spinning it to Aaron Hunt, with Watson looping around to touch down with 15 gone.

 Six minutes later Jake Bridgwood powered his way through with a good turn of pace. Declan Hammond popped the ball to Bridgwood for his first of the day, Richard Lobb taking the extras.

Skipper Reg  Varney picked the ball up from  open play and with two Salcombe players hanging off the man-mountain, went over for try number three. 

Four minutes later Jake Bridgwood was at it again, the ball going through the hands for Jake to go under the posts, making Richard Lobb's conversion a formality.

Straight from the restart Ben Peters wanted some of the action, running a line for Bridgwood to pop a lovely floated pass for him to touch down between the posts. Richard Lobb slotted the ball over for another two points.

At half time Steve Atkins pulled off a few players, with the thought of another game against Brixham's III team this Wednesday.

Skipper Reg Varney made way for Dave Cudd, Lawrence Searle gave Jerry Whiltshire a run out, Dave Bradley came on for his first game for a few months and Tom Jones gave Jake Bridgwood a well-earned rest.

Within ten minutes of the second half, Luke Clements got on the score sheet.

Charlie Watson was alert to the play, as Dec Hammond stole Salcombe lineout ball and set the maul. Charlie released the ball to Clements, who with a good turn of pace foiled the Salcombe defence and touched down for Dartmouth's sixth try of the afternoon.

Ben Peters had the final say, the ball coming from Dec Hammond dummying the pass for Peters to run onto.

All in all a good run out for Dartmouth.

Steve Atkins has a bit of a dilemma for Wednesday's game, however, with Aaron Hunt's dislocated knee cap, Richard Lobb's split nose and Charlie Watson's dislocated finger leaving Atkins a bit short of three quarters for a couple of weeks.

With Exeter Uni's game on September 29 looming, Atkins and backroom staff will have to find replacements fairly soon.