exmouth v Bournemouth

Team Selection: Having made a cameo appearance last week, Scott Chislett was replaced at inside centre by Grant Hancox, which means Grant completes a ‘full hand’ in the backs. Grant’s place at fly-half was taken by Ben Meaden who, in turn, was replaced at full-back by the returning Ryan Morrell. The pack was unchanged. On the bench, Alex Peel makes his first 1st XV appearance since early October, ironically also against Exmouth.

Overcast but bright with a noticeable Westerly breeze blowing straight down the pitch from right to left as viewed from the stand. The pitch underfoot was in good nick. It was exceptionally mild for late January.

Glen O’Hara • In Memoriam

On Friday night at Chapel Gate, before the 3rd XV’s game against East Dorset Dockers, a minute’s silence was held in respect for Glen O’Hara who died, after a long (seventeen months) illness in Bournemouth hospital on Tuesday, 25 January. Glen was well known at Bournemouth having refereed any number of games and, latterly, acting as assistant referee in some of our Level 4 games. We offer our sincere condolences to Glen’s family for their untimely loss.

Almost …

A keenly fought contest that was nip and tuck throughout with, from a Bournemouth perspective, a heartbreaking last-play finish to deny them a win.

Bournemouth kicked off from right to left, with the aforesaid wind, and to their right.

Exmouth were immediately awarded a penalty and ‘ran it’ from inside their own 22m going right before finding touch to their right outside their own 22m. Awarded a scrum at the lineout Exmouth lost it but a forward pass conceded the advantage back to Exmouth. From a scrum inside their 10m, Exmouth went right and a strong run by their backs saw them over in the corner. Fly-half George Meadows kicked the first of his five goals, a factor that proved crucial in Exmouth’s ultimate success. 7-nil down after just six minutes play was not the start Bournemouth were looking for.

Sutherland restarted right but, when Exmouth found touch to their left, their forwards tied up the ball at the line-out and Bournemouth conceded a scrum and then were promptly penalised. Finding touch to their left, Exmouth attacked off the line-out going right first and when they came back left they kicked. Fielded by Morrell, he kicked long to his left and well chased down by the Bournemouth threes putting the home defence under pressure. They managed to kick but nobody from Bournemouth took charge and the ball was allowed to bounce resulting in an Exmouth line-out on their right flank on their own 22m. Attacking first to their left, long missed passes stretched the Bournemouth defence. Retaining good possession, they employed the same tactic as they came right then back left but they couldn’t make any significant progress in the face of that Bournemouth defence. A kick ahead was knocked on by Bournemouth as they tried to recover the ball for an Exmouth scrum but they were still inside their own 22m. Bournemouth were awarded a scrum as a result of the pressure they applied but came under similar pressure from the Exmouth scrum. However, despite struggling to contain the shove, Rees at the back of the scrum got the ball away right. Despite a good Exmouth defence initially, a missed tackle enabled Taylor to escape and the winger scored wide out on the right. An excellent goal from the reliable Hancox saw the scores tied up at 7-all after 17 minutes play.

However, this Red Wall levelling up didn’t last long. Awarded a line-out to their left on the Bournemouth 22m gave Exmouth a strong attacking position and they attacked right but Bournemouth managed to turn the ball over and kicked which simply enabled Exmouth to set up another dangerous attack. From off the back of a scrum deep inside the Bournemouth 22m their forwards were almost in but Bournemouth’s defensive efforts resulted in Exmouth being awarded a penalty. From in front of the posts, Meadows did what he does best and Exmouth had restored their lead at 10-7 after 26 minutes.

Bournemouth restarted right and ran the clearance kick back but Exmouth were awarded a scrum on their 10m. Attacking right, Bournemouth turned the ball over and going left kicked to find a good touch for an Exmouth line-out inside their own 22m. They attacked first left but when they came back right Bournemouth were penalised. However, the Exmouth outside centre, Oli Cave whose pace and quick feet was causing the Bournemouth defence all sorts of problems was forced to retire nursing a head injury presumably as a result of contact in defending the Bournemouth threat. Exmouth’s kick left failed to find touch and Bournemouth attacked going left. Veneroso had a little dart from a maul midfield but was soon swallowed up and Bournemouth knocked on. Warwick had got hurt in the process resulting in a stoppage and was replaced by Roberts after 35 minutes. The Bournemouth drive in the resulting scrum was rewarded with a penalty and from inside the Exmouth 22m. Hancox kicked his second goal to tie up the scores once again at 10-all after 37 minutes.

Exmouth restarted left but the Bournemouth returning kick ‘went nowhere’ enabling Exmouth to attack right. However Bournemouth recovered the situation by turning the ball over and moving the ball right. A deft chip over the top was knocked on by Taylor which the player rather ruefully admitted after the game “would have been a ‘walk-in’ score” for him if he had only managed to hold on to the ball but instead it was an Exmouth scrum on the half-way line. Bournemouth seemed to have recovered the situation by a turn over at the scrum but their efforts were penalised as they went left. Exmouth found touch to their right inside the Bournemouth 10m. From the line-out, they went left but a strong run down that left flank was rebuffed with a Bournemouth turnover. However, the clearance kick right went ‘straight out’ and Exmouth had an attacking line out just outside the Bournemouth 22m. A strong run down again that left flank saw Bournemouth scrambling to keep Exmouth out and just short of the line managed to stop them and Hopkins blew his half-time whistle.

Half-time 10-10.

Exmouth restarted the second half by kicking right which Bournemouth returned by finding touch to their left for an Exmouth line-out on the Bournemouth 10m. Exmouth attacked left but when the Bournemouth defence seemed to have stopped them, an Exmouth forward picked the ball up from the bottom of a maul and was ‘gone’ to score, virtually unopposed, under the posts. Meadows’s kick was formality and Exmouth were back in the lead at 17-10 just a couple of minutes into the half. Very disappointing from a Bournemouth perspective.

Bournemouth restarted left, Exmouth running it back left but a chip was not recovered cleanly, rather like the earlier Bournemouth effort, for a Bournemouth scrum on the halfway line. Bournemouth threatened right but a knock-on in the contact gave Exmouth a scrum, still on the half-way line. From the scrum Exmouth went right but a kick was ‘over cooked’ and the ball went straight out for a Bournemouth line-out on the Exmouth 10m. Attacking right, Bournemouth were awarded a penalty and the left-footed Hancox found an excellent touch to his left on the Exmouth 5m. Bournemouth secured the throw-in and drove the ball but were penalised. Enterprisingly, Exmouth ran it left before kicking for a Bournemouth line-out outside the Exmouth 22m. Exmouth won it and went right before kicking. Bournemouth responded well by running it back making good yards. Hancox was almost in wide out on the left but Bournemouth regathered and Morrell was over in the corner. Hancox, from his ‘wrong’ side kicked an excellent goal to tie up the scores once again at 17-all after 51 minutes.

With both sides looking to attack, the defences held firm but it was from penalty on their own 22m that Exmouth found touch to their right inside the Bournemouth 10m. From the line-out they attacked first left then back right and a clever chip over the top eventually breached the defence. The ball was regathered taking play into the Bournemouth 22m. Retaining possession, Exmouth pressed through their forwards as they moved sideways into the middle of the field. There Bournemouth were penalised and from in front of the posts Meadows kicked an easy goal to restore his side’s lead at 20-17 after 63 minutes.

Bournemouth responded almost immediately. After an exchange of kicks at the restart, Bournemouth attacked off a line-out on the halfway line. Exmouth turned the ball over and Bournemouth had another line-out on their 10m on their left. Securing the ball, the backs this time made a great break working the ball right to Sutherland. He and Taylor combined well to create the opening for Sutherland to burst through to score wide out on the right. Hancox’s kick for goal looked to be going over for all money but at the last moment the wind caught the ball and, frustratingly, it drifted wide of the far post. However, Bournemouth had taken the lead for the first time in the match at 22-20 after 67 minutes.

After an exchange of kicks at the restart, Exmouth had a line-out inside their own 22m. Another exchange of kicks off the line-out saw Bournemouth have the thrown on their own 10m. Attacking first left then coming back right the Exmouth defence was penalised midfield. Hancox found touch to his left on the Exmouth 10m. However, Exmouth ‘nicked’ the throw and attacked first left, then back right before kicking. After another exchange of kicks, Bournemouth ran the ball back and a chip over the top saw Exmouth forced into touch for a Bournemouth line-out on the Exmouth 22m. Securing the ball at the back, the Bournemouth forwards drove the ball and were awarded a free kick. Hancox found touch to his right for an Exmouth line-out on their own 5m. The Exmouth forwards secured the ball at the back and Meadows kicked the ball long down that wind. A good chase saw Bournemouth under some pressure but the ball was in touch for a Bournemouth line-out inside their own 22m. Crucially, Exmouth again secured the throw-in, the forwards drove for the line and scored. To add insult to injury, openside flanker Smyth was ‘yellow carded’ for his efforts in trying to stem the flow. Meadows kicked another excellent goal, Hopkins blew his whistle for no time and Exmouth had won a close fought contest 27-22.

22-27 Full-time.

Losing set piece ball was crucial in this match but otherwise Bournemouth competed and. dare I say, could count themselves unlucky to lose. Their demeanour after the match showed how much it mattered.

Bournemouth remain seventh on 41 points: P18 W7 D0 L11; 433-473 whilst Exmouth remain 5th on 54 points: P18 W10 D1 L7; 440-389.

Bournemouth’s next match is the week after next (February 12th) home to 3rd-placed Hornets KO 2.00PM. With the current situation, viz a viz Covid, check the game is on before travelling. There may well be catch up for the postponed League match’s next week.

Doug Warren