Chiefs Lead at Half-Time but Honiton Take the Win

Chiefs

Chiefs Left Kicking Themselves After Honiton Defeat, Lessons Have to Be Learnt!

Honiton 20–12 Bideford Chiefs

Bideford Chiefs will be left kicking themselves after a frustrating 20–12 defeat away to Honiton, who thoroughly deserved their victory after making the most of the opportunities presented to them.

First and foremost, credit must go to the Honiton groundsmen for getting the game on in what can only be described as horrendous conditions. The Honiton faithful also deserve plenty of praise for turning out in such miserable weather to support their side. Despite the conditions, the game produced a surprisingly entertaining display of running rugby, and, as always, the Chiefs received a warm welcome from the Honiton family.

Bideford elected to play up the slope and into the wind in the first half, but it was Honiton who struck first with an early converted try. The Chiefs responded well, retaining possession and opting to play at pace rather than risk the lineout in the challenging conditions.

Sam Olde was particularly influential in the first half, keeping the Honiton defence on its toes with some excellent runs deep into opposition territory. The forwards then took over close to the line, with the impressive Ned Pettifer powering over for Bideford’s first try. Louis Atkinson added the conversion in incredibly difficult kicking conditions.

Olde was soon at it again, cutting through the Honiton defence before floating a lovely pass out wide for Reece Pearn to finish. Bideford had turned the game around and went into the break with a 12–7 lead, having worked hard to put themselves in a strong position.

The half-time message was clear: keep hold of the ball and use the slope to the clubhouse corner. Unfortunately, the Chiefs struggled to stick to that plan after the restart.

Under pressure, Bideford repeatedly resorted to kicking away possession, allowing Honiton to regain the ball and play to their strengths. The home side needed no second invitation, taking full advantage of the opportunities presented to them and turning the game in their favour.

It was a frustrating afternoon for the Chiefs, particularly after the hard work put in during the first half. The conditions were difficult for both sides, but Bideford’s inability to retain possession in the second half ultimately proved costly. Honiton adapted well, made better decisions when it mattered and deserved to take the points.

On a tough day, there were at least some positives to take from the performances of debutants Billy Williams-Rice and Archie Tetley, both of whom gave a decent account of themselves in their first outings for the Chiefs.

There is no disguising the disappointment of this result, and the players will need to take accountability for their part in it. The hard work starts again at training this week, where a guest coach will be joining the session. The response to this defeat will be important, and the Chiefs will need to learn from the mistakes made if they are to put things right.

Quins

Quins 0–26 Tiverton 2nds

Quins hosted Tiverton 2nds on a very wet and windy Saturday. Tiverton scored a well worked try in the first ten minutes which woke us up, continuing the first half with nothing between both teams. After the break Quins continued playing some good rugby but an excellent Tiverton defence stopping any possible scores when chances arose. The last quarter of the game saw Tiverton score three tries which resulted in an inflated scoreline, leaving Quins pointless. Good performances were from everyone considering conditions but Arthur Souch, Seb Sanders and young Charlie Morris were impressive.