Salcombe First XV lose to St. Columba (15-20)

14th Jan 2012

Now Salcombe are in trouble. Losing to St Columba who up to now had not won a league match all season and were firmly rooted to the bottom spot leaves the Crabs staring at relegation. With 7 league matches remaining, only two at home, and all the top teams still to play Salcombe will need to up their game to the levels of Boxing Day every match if they are to avoid the drop. And the annoying thing is that they are capable of some very good play but seem to lack the ability to focus continuously for 80 minutes.

Yesterday there was a lack of urgency about all they did typified by the second of the visitors' tries when a fly hack ahead was chased only by Darren Hopkins with most of Salcombe looking on. Indeed Hopkins and Ian Smerdon, both of whom scored the Crabs' tries, were the standout players and although others had their moments, particularly Mike Thurlow at centre who made some great runs, the general tempo was far too slow. Individually the backs have a lot of talent but with the ball being simply shovelled along the line and no variation of play attempted their threat is easily contained as the opposition can rely on nothing unexpected happening.

The first 5 minutes went well for Salcombe as they piled on the pressure but a dropped ball in the forwards was enterprisingly hacked on by St Columba ending with their winger getting the touchdown. Unlucky we thought but 5-0 down is easily recoverable except that it wasn't as the visitors now had their tails up and Salcombe started to make mistakes and were unlucky to be penalised in front of their posts to make it 8-0 down.

However Salcombe rallied and good possession allowed the backs to stretch their legs and with the ball safely delivered to Hopkins the skipper burst through several tackles to score in the corner. Chris Drew having an off day with the boot missed the difficult conversion into the wind and at 5-8 down and 2 minutes to go to half time when Salcombe would have the advantage of the wind things looked at least hopeful. But a stupid decision to run the ball out of their own 22 following the kick off instead of booting it safely to touch resulted in a dropped ball and yet another hack on by St. Columba and with only Hopkins bothering to try to get to the ball first, the visitors got another soft try which they converted to take the half time score to 15-5 to St Columba.

Immediately after half time Salcombe allowed the visitor's scrum half to run through for an unconverted try leaving the Crabs with a 15 point deficit. A penalty to Salcombe on the half way line was put over magnificently by Scott Lowry to bring the score to 8-20 and Salcombe now battled hard to get the two tries they needed to win. But the predictability of the Salcombe attack was easily defended by St. Columba until right at the final whistle Ian Smerdon rounded off a period of pressure by the forwards with a try close to the posts which Drew converted to at least give the Crabs the losing bonus point.

Next week the 1s in a change to the advertised fixture with DHSOB at home will be away at Buckfastleigh in a Devon Plate match and the 2s will be away at Teignmouth. Both matches kick off at 2.30.

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Salcombe First XV lose to St. Columba (15-20)