Exeter Outreach 38 Royal Navy U23s 12

Exeter Outreach 23 - 38

Royal Navy Rugby U23s - 12

Jack Lewis at Sandy Park

At a crisp and clear Sandy Park, it was the Exeter Outreach U23s who came out on top against a spirited Royal Navy side in a true game of two halves.

With the home side fielding an outfit made up of players from across the South West, it was a second half onslaught from the locals that broke down the visitors, despite the young Navy team dominating the first 40, both in terms of possession and territory. 

In front of over a thousand vocal fans, both sides showed real endeavour, but it was the Exeter team who turned their eventual dominance into points, running in 6 tries to take the wind out of the Naval sails, and claim a well deserved victory.

The home team certainly started the match the stronger, earning back to back penalties in the opening minute that sent them deep into the Navy 22. From the subsequent five metre line out, the Outreach pack looked organised and efficient in driving over for the opening score of the game after less than two minutes.

The Navy U23s weren't to be deterred and just 60 seconds later, had struck back.  A lovely kick behind the Exeter defence allowed Navy winger Jack Davis to sprint into space. It was the Navy man who had the pace and slid along the dewy Sandy Park turf to bag the visitors first try of the match, 7-5 with just 6 minutes on the clock.

It was the visitors who were able to settle quicker into their game, beginning to exert pressure on the Exeter Outreach youngsters, and offering a physical presence in the carry that dominated the gain line. Territory pressure began to mount and it looked as though the Navy had their second try of the match after some nice interplay down the Exeter right flank. However some truly superb last ditch defending from the tracking Exeter backs, forced a knock on over the try-line and the Outreach 23 were able to maintain their slender advantage after 18 minutes.

Despite plenty of endeavour from the home side, errors at the set-piece restricted their ability to gain a foothold in the Navy half, and it seemed to be one way traffic with the Exeter youngsters having to scramble to cover on a number of occasions as the visitors looked to turn their dominance into points.

With half an hour played, and plenty of mistakes from both sides, neither team seemed able to grab the game by the scruff of the neck, and a physical battle between half-way and the Exeter 22 seemed to be the order of proceedings.

On 32 Minutes the Chiefs pack found their groove, producing a fearsome scrum that sent the Navy U23s forwards, hurtling towards their own line at a rate of knots. Skipper Robin Edbrooke pointed to the sticks from the ensuing penalty, but the kick drifted just wide and the scores remained 7-5 with 32 minutes played.

The Navy U23s were continuing to find space in the Exeter backfield, and if it weren't for more last ditch heroics over the try-line, the military men may well have had their second of the night, only to be denied by some brave covering by the Exeter back three.

It was the home side who looked to finish the opening 40 the stronger of the two teams, nearly scored a scintillating try from within their own half. Some fantastic handling from across the backline sent Exeter winger, Tyler Gordon Oke, free down the wide right. After some quick interplay between the wingers the home team looked to be bearing down on the line, but a fantastic last ditch tackle from the Navy forced an error and denied the home side the chance to extend their lead at the break.

It was a half, book ended by excitement, with both sides struggling to find their rhythm.

Half Time Exeter Outreach U23s 7 Royal Navy Rugby U23s 5

Once again, it was the homeside who started the half stronger, bulldozing another Navy scrum and earning a Penalty that they sent deep into the Navy 22. From the subsequent line-out it was like watching the Chiefs go to work, with a power game bringing the Outreach 23 to within a few inches of the line before replacement Prop Brian Ncube powered his way over the line to earn their second try of the game. 14-5 with the conversion.

Whatever was said at half-time to the Exeter youngsters, clearly had the desired effect, with the home side much more venomous in the carry at the start of the second half and the defensive line firing up into the face of the Navy U23s looking to put them off their game.

With the Navy conceding their fourth high tackle penalty of the evening, the home side once again found themselves with an attacking line out deep in the opposition 22. With the visitors on the back foot and getting on the wrong side of the referee, Exeter once again tapped into their Chiefs DNA, going to the pick and go game and forcing their way over the line for their third try of the night, extending their lead to 21-5.

The youngsters from the South West were now finding their groove and it was the Navy's turn to find themselves penned back, struggling to gain a foothold with both territory and possession, and bending under the weight of ever-more powerful Exeter carrying. With their tails up, the Outreach backline began to string some phases together, stretching the Navy defence and opening up gaps for their fleet footed wide men to exploit.

From a sliced clearance kick, Exeter sprung into attack, bringing the play wide to the left, before heading in-field and scything through the middle of the visitors defence with some neat handling between forwards and backs, crossing for their fourth of the evening and putting some clear daylight between themselves and the Navy. 28-5 as we entered the final quarter of the match, with the visitors needing to find an extra gear in order to stem the tide.

Unfortunately for the Navy, it wasn't to be and it was just two minutes before the Outreach were over once again.

The Naval defences that had proved so watertight in the first half were springing holes across the park, and from a strong bust through the heart of the defence, the Outreach side worked the ball wide right and found a man free on the touchline to slide in for their fifth of the evening.

Despite the scoreline, the Navy refused to throw in the towel, and it was their kicking game that once again proved the most effective weapon in their arsenal.  A lovely cross field chip finding George Prentice in open space, and the fleet footed winger showed fantastic balance to skip past the covering defence and earn the visitors their second try of the evening, well converted by centre Ryan Scott to close the gap to 33-12.

With 65 minutes on the clock, and a raft of change on for both sides, defensive systems were giving way to wide open rugby, and the play became increasingly scrappy.

It was Exeter who had the final say, crossing for their sixth of the evening, rounding off an impressive second half performance to take a deserved victory.

Exeter Outreach U23s: Harry Larkins, Tyler Gordon Oke, Kristian Davis, Henry Batty, Sam Heathcote, Cole Monaghan, Morgan Stone; James Lambourn, Henry Trudgill, Kyle Gratrix, Will Peakman, Thomas Bradner, Dan Armstrong, Pip Burton-Race, Robin Edbrooke (C)

Replacements: Liam Dray, Brian Ncube, Dec Prowse, Jago Sheppard, Lewis Richards, Jonah Moore, Archie Pilcher, Olly Latto, Ben Plummer, Jack Counter, Jude Baker Hands, Toby Baldry

Royal Navy Rugby U23s: Freddie Elliot, George Prentice, Jack Bartlett, Ryan Scott, Jack Davis, Kieran Manson, Bailey Angliss; Dom Cleverley (C), Jack Wright, Harry Wright, Andy Watson, Brodie Paterson, Charlie Davis, Lucas Cann, Andy Hussell

Replacements: Ben Rees, James Wales, Reece Vincent, Oscar Sanders-Mortimer, Lewis Clayton, Rhys Owen, Eli Steinburg, Steffan Griffiths, Freddie Marsden, Charlie Penrose-Toms