With all three senior sides playing this weekend it is testament to the club that the team managed to travel with eighteen players. As is the way with long trips like this a number of players traveled direct due to work & family commitments. Meaning the warm up was somewhat challenging with players turning up a short time before the 2:30 kick-off. A special mention should go to Bertie Hughes who miss-read the confirmation message and traveled directly to Bideford 2s on his own arriving at 12 o’ clock!!

With the Nomads not having a game for the previous four weeks and the strict no training regime not being compromised in that time it was always going to be a challenging game. Despite this the Nomads started brightly and pinned Bideford into their own 22 for a large period of play, Bideford game fully tried to play their way out but were met hard by the Nomads defence. Exmouth managed to force a turnover on the Bideford twenty-two metre line and the backs showed quick hands to release prolific try scorer Ross Matthews to go over in the far corner with the resulting conversion attempt from Glen Layton falling just short. Following a concerted period of pressure by Bideford the Nomads again stood strong and managed to march Bideford back to the half way time. What followed now in the game will surely not be repeated in many a season. The referee took exception to a number of Exmouth players. First to see yellow was the veteran Leigh Ellis receiving probably his fifth yellow card of the season for fighting, the team are still waiting to see an actual shot land! A minute later Welsh International Wellbeloved saw yellow for retaliation, not to stop there man mountain Charlie Garratt followed both into the bin for allegedly punching.

With the Nomads now down to twelve players for the resulting ten minutes Bideford pushed hard but were thwarted at every opportunity by the resilient Nomads with huge defensive shots coming from the remaining back row of Alex Hooper & Martin Westaway. Not to be outdone in the backs Jake James-Graham & Jon Jo Burden marshaled the line well equally dishing out big hits to frustrate Bideford. Again Exmouth managed to turn over possession and the ball was fed to Bertie Hughes and in only his third senior outing for the season managed to step his way through a number of defenders and out-pace the cover defence to score an excellent try under the posts with the kick being successfully converted by Glen Layton.

The Cockles defense defence finally slipped before half time with leaving the score at the break Bideford 7 Exmouth 12. The second half was a stop start affair with the referee getting maximum use out of his whistle and Bideford ensuring they used all ten substitutions in the half, even by having eighteen players on the pitch during one period of play. The final score saw Exmouth run out 36 -12 winners with further scores coming from the powerful John Jo Burden & Dave Wellbeloved. Man of the match this week was awarded to JJ Burden for an all-round outstanding display. The nightshirt this week went to Oli Justice for proving that forwards shouldn’t kick, being charged down on his own line to concede a try.

Still the chance of another long away day to Ilfracombe at the end of the season.

Pic; Garratt, Wellbeloved & Ellis - something in common.

Rich Haynes