Bude 22

Devonport Services 19

BUDE played their first Western Counties League game of the season at home to Devonport Services where they just came out on top 22-19 in a thriller played in terrible conditions.

After falling behind to Luke Stannard’s early try, the Bude boys then woke up with their forward pack slowly taking control of the set piece.

It wasn’t long before a score came, as a good lineout ball allowed Liam Cook to be driven over the line for his, and the team’s, first try of the season.

Dan Pearce’s conversion made it 7-5.

Bude should have scored a couple more tries before the break as they dominated, but a series of handling errors and wrong decisions meant they went in at the break just two points to the good.

The second-half started much better with the Bude pack now in full control, so it was no surprise when Olly Mounce was shoved over from a driven lineout move in the corner. Pearce missed the conversion.

Soon after though, from a spilt ball, Devonport fly-half Alex Lambert scooped up the ball and raced in under the posts to score, which was converted by Phil Greensides to level the scores at 12-12.

Devonport now had their tails up and were next to score and take the lead with a try under the posts from a powerful run by their second-row Tom Burt, which was again converted by Greensides.

Bude had it all to do and that’s just what they did with forwards and backs mixing well to charge back up the field.

Bude were awarded a penalty and the ever alert James Comber took a quick tap and go to barge his way through to score under the posts. Pearce converted to set up a nailbiting finale.

This would have probably been a fair result but after such a successful season last year the Bude boys had other ideas and again worked their way up the pitch with their forwards again to the fore.

With final play of the game, a massive drive pushed the Services pack back some ten metres to be awarded a penalty near the left hand touchline where Pearce showed nerves of steel to slot over the three points and win the game for Bude.