Teams 
Biddy Battle Back to Take Harper Cup Lead
Bideford 27 – 24 Bude
Trys: Lewis (2), Ackland
Conversions: Palmer
It was a fantastic day for Bideford Chiefs, both on and off the pitch, as the club hosted its annual Family Fun Day before producing an excellent comeback victory over local rivals Bude in the Harper Cup.
With more than 100 children and parents taking part in the touch rugby event, the day was already a huge success before the senior sides took to the pitch. Credit must also go to the ground staff, whose hard work ensured the game could go ahead despite a large number of fixtures across the region falling victim to the weather.
And what followed was a cracking local derby.
The Harper Cup is being played over two legs, with Bude starting the day seven points ahead after taking a 17-10 advantage into the fixture. That meant Bideford had plenty of work to do, and they delivered.
With a number of last season’s squad unavailable for this competition, Chiefs took the opportunity to field an exceptionally young side, handing senior debuts to Ryan Hutchings, Billy Williams-Rice and Toby Moxham. Late call-ups for Colts players Charlie Corner and Charlie Ackland meant five new caps were added to the team sheet. Former Colts captain Ryan Hutchings started the game for the chief and impressed with his work rate throughout the game
There was also a welcome return for Paul Thomas, who had been away from the game for several seasons, and his experience proved valuable throughout.
Despite limited opportunities to train on a full-size pitch during the extended pre-season, Bideford’s lack of match practice certainly didn’t show. Both teams were understandably cautious in the opening exchanges, but it wasn’t long before the game settled into a high-tempo contest, with both sides producing some excellent attacking rugby.
Bideford struck first.
A huge catch-and-drive from the young Chiefs pack, followed by a powerful rumble up the middle from Harvey Beal, created the platform. With three players on the pitch comfortable at fly-half in Freddy Palmer, Matt Lewis and Louis Atkinson, Bude’s defence had plenty to think about.
It was Matt Lewis who eventually made the breakthrough, powering over from around 10 metres out.
Palmer converted to level the scores at 17-17 on aggregate.
Bude responded immediately. A penalty gave them a touchline kick, which was kept in play, and the bounce fell kindly into the hands of the Bude winger just five metres from the line. Bude then reverted to their powerful hard-running game and crossed under the posts, adding the conversion.
At the quarter mark, Bideford began to rotate the squad, bringing on Charlie Corner, Paul Thomas, Liam Balsdon, Billy Cockwill and Billy Williams-Rice for their first action of the afternoon. All five added plenty of energy and edge, while Thomas in particular was excellent at scrum time.
Bude continued to work their way into the Bideford 22, but handling errors and penalties at the breakdown repeatedly frustrated the visitors. Chiefs’ defence was outstanding, refusing to give Bude an easy route to the line.
Bideford also began to turn the screw, pinning Bude back and forcing them to launch attacks from deep.
At half-time, Bude still held the advantage, leading 24-17.
The second half saw even more new faces introduced, with Charlie Ackland and Toby Moxham making their senior debuts.
Bude kicked off and almost immediately there was a stoppage for what initially looked like a worrying back injury. Thankfully, it proved to be nothing serious and, after a quick rub-down, Paul Thomas was back on his feet and straight into the next scrum ,an area where Bideford were beginning to gain the upper hand.
Then came the comeback.
After a sustained period of pressure inside the Bude half, Matt Lewis produced a moment of individual brilliance. A perfectly judged chip and chase saw Lewis follow up his own kick and ground the ball in the corner.
Chiefs were back in touching distance.
Then came a moment to remember for debutant Charlie Ackland.
A scrum out wide on the clubhouse side gave the Bideford backs an opportunity to move the ball. Simple hands released Lewis, who linked beautifully with Picillo, before a superb pass sent Ackland through.
The young Colt showed tremendous composure, fending off two tackles before accelerating clear of a third Bude defender to score his first try for the Bideford senior side.
Chiefs had completed the turnaround.
Bideford 27 – 24 Bude.
And that’s how it stayed right through to the final whistle.
It was a superb display of character from a young Bideford side who showed that they are more than capable of stepping up when called upon. With so many players from last season unavailable for this competition, the performances of the new faces will certainly have given the coaching team plenty to think about.
With the season delayed and one more pre-season fixture still to come, there is everything to play for.
And if this performance is anything to go by, the Chiefs are ready for the challenge.
All in all the debutants were very impressive and they can all be very happy with their contributions.
