Teams 
Quins Show Grit as Camels Gallop Away
Bideford 5–22 Wadebridge
Try – Ben Short
Bideford Quins, enjoying an excellent season so far, faced a stern test against the Wadebridge Camels’ second team, a side competing at the same level as Bideford’s Chiefs in Cornwall and boosted on the day by five first-team players.
The Quins were able to field a strong squad themselves, bolstered by the presence of prop Ben Short (unavailable next week) and Mark Schofield as he continues his return from injury.
Wadebridge brought plenty of energy, and their backline proved the main source of damage. Despite some thumping midfield hits from Jordan Taylor, Billy Teape and Kai Pett, the Camels consistently managed to work the ball wide where most of their tries were finished. The Quins’ defence occasionally bit in, opening space out wide, but the visitors still had to work hard for their scores.
Up front, Bideford’s scrum was rock solid, no surprise with a front row of Ben Short, Zack Powell and Richard Norman. Unfortunately, an early injury to fly-half Freddy Palmer forced a reshuffle, bringing on Amos Waters for his second game of the day earlier than expected.
Defensively, Bideford can take plenty of positives. They held firm in dangerous areas and maintained composure under pressure. The lineout was particularly impressive: Danny Braddick led the way as the Quins stole a heap of Wadebridge ball, frustrating the Camels, whose calls became increasingly predictable to the home side.
With two local derbies looming this weekend, the coaches will face some tough selection decisions, especially with players returning from injury and several Quins impressing in this performance.
Colts in Cruise Mode as Bideford Blaze Past South Molton
South Molton Colts 0 – Bideford Colts 39
The depth of the Bideford squad was on full display in a near-perfect showing of forward dominance and backline fluency. Hungry to secure back-to-back wins over South Molton, Bideford controlled proceedings from the outset and never looked threatened by the home side’s advances.
Despite choosing to play the first half slightly uphill and into a headwind, Bideford turned around 17–0 ahead. The second half proved long and punishing for the hosts as Bideford piled on a further 22 points, sealing a comprehensive victory and a valuable five-point bonus win, lifting them into mid-table in the Colts Merit Table.
Man of the Match Harri Rhodes was exceptional at openside. Industrious, relentless, and razor-sharp, he snaffled turnover ball, charged down kicks, and tackled with ferocity. Even legendary referee Steve Bubyer singled him out for praise.
Strong carrying from Jack Greenhill and incisive midfield running from Freddie Allebone-Parish consistently created field position and scoring chances. Bill Williams-Rice controlled the game smartly from 10, using the wind masterfully in the second half to pin South Molton deep in their territory.
Skipper Ryan Hutchings delivered superb on-field leadership and an immense work rate — and was rewarded with a brace of well-deserved tries.
A special shout-out goes to Will ‘Swiss’ Moseby, who showed great adaptability by stepping in at prop to cover the absences of Evans and Beal.
Unfortunately, classy centre Jack Mugford was forced to retire after a heavy impact to his knee. He now faces at least six weeks on the sidelines, a real shame having only just returned to action. He will be missed.
A superb performance all round from the lads, who now look ahead to a very different challenge against league leaders Crediton in two weeks.
Try scorers:
- Ryan Hutchings – 2
- Archie Tetley – 1
- Jack Greenhill – 1
- Oscar Price – 1
- Alfie Richards – 1 (+1 con)
- Freddie Allebone-Parish – 1 (+1 con)
Bideford Fight Back, but Sidmouth Steal It Late
Under 16s: Bideford 17–24 Sidmouth
A slow start, late arrivals, and some lacklustre early energy set the tone, and ultimately it was Sidmouth’s day. Bideford looked eager to score from anywhere on the pitch rather than settling into structure, and crucial decisions — plus revealing their strike plays far too early — proved costly.
Finding themselves 17–0 down, the Biddy lads showed real character. They tightened up, played the better rugby in the second half, and clawed their way back to 17–17. But Sidmouth struck again with a strong kick chase, turning the ball over and converting the resulting score to pull ahead.
Late drama followed: with Bideford camped on the Sidmouth line, the visitors’ 7 came charging offside to take out the Bideford 9 and was shown a yellow card for a penalty in the red zone. Biddy chose the scrum, picked and drove for the line, but were judged to have made a double movement, handing Sidmouth the win at the death. A frustrating finish to what was, overall, a highly competitive match.
The fundamentals told the story of the loss: poor passing from set plays for 9 to 10, confusion around calls and moves, and a lack of clarity on certain patterns. Ultimately, it all comes down to attitude, in training, on the pitch, and even off it.
This week the emphasis will be on “what from where” as the lads prepare for a tough test away at Okehampton.
U12s Dig Deep as Bideford Bounce Back Against Tiverton
A near full U12s squad welcomed Tiverton to a sun-soaked Victoria Park, the Fortress living up to its name. This fixture has always been a fiery and competitive one, made even tougher coming off last week’s chastening defeat at South Molton. And when the Tiverton coach casually mentioned he’d brought a “strong side,” it was clear Bideford needed to be switched on from the very first whistle.
The opening half was tight. Bideford spent long spells camped in their own territory as possession swung back and forth. The defence held firm, and eventually a clearing kick relieved the pressure. With both sides stubborn in defence, it was going to take something special to break the deadlock, and Charlie F delivered. A perfectly weighted chip over the line, a calm gather, a sharp sidestep, and he was in for the first try. 1–0 after the first quarter.
Rotations came in the second quarter, and the pattern remained the same: hard tackles, tight exchanges, and little to separate the teams. The third quarter saw the balance tip, though, with Tiverton grabbing two tries to put Bideford 2–1 down heading into the final phase.
But this is where the lessons from last week showed. Bideford kept their heads, stuck to their structure, and produced some excellent attacking rugby. They moved the ball wide, stretched Tiverton across the pitch, and scored two unanswered tries to claim a well-earned comeback win. The pick of the bunch came from a flowing passing move finished superbly by Billy.
The coaches were immensely proud, not just of the rugby, but of the composure shown against a side that began to lose theirs. There was plenty to be pleased with across the park: Ronnie ‘the Enforcer’ Etzebeth smashing tackles, Ross McCaw jackling everywhere, and Seb, Jake, and Stanley putting in their best performances yet in red and white. Both Charlies were relentless in defence, punching well above their weight.
Player of the Match went to Billy for his excellent tackling, strong carries, and consistent go-forward ball , almost always breaking the gain line.
A brilliant performance and a massive step forward. In two weeks, the team heads into their first competitive tournament , the Land Rover Cup, with a trophy on the line. Before that, two good training sessions and a trip to Cullompton await.
Plenty to look forward to, well done, boys!
