36-35

Ivybridge- Tries: Henry Trudgill 2, Ben Watts, Sam Brown, Charlie Briant, Matt Grieveson Conversions: Sam Brown 3

St Austell- Tries: Max Bullen, Jake Clifford, Charlie Nicholson, Chris Ashwin, Tom Daniel Conversions: Chris Ashwin 5

IVYBRIDGE got their first win of the season against St Austell in front of a boisterous home crowd. Ivybridge went into the fifth game of their season needing to get their first win on the board to kickstart their season.  Both teams made a fast start to the match, accurately zipping the ball through the hands despite the wet conditions. However, after two minutes Ivy gave a scrum inside their own 22 from a forward pass and St Austell gladly took the opportunity to showcase their well-drilled attack off the set piece. With left winger Max Bullen gliding over the try line after a lovely backs move off the scrum.  Moments later St Austell nearly had another, this time working off a lineout. The backs had their winger through to fly over the try line, only for him to drop the ball and hand the ball back to Ivybridge.  Momentum started to swing Ivy’s way with St Austell conceding two penalties in their own half allowing Ivy to start testing the saints’ defence. After a few phases Ivy’s first try seemed inevitable, loosehead Henry Trudgill crashed over to open their scoring for the afternoon, making a strong run to break through three or four tackles and touch the ball down.  Two minutes later Ivy found themselves parked on St Austell’s try line trying to break through their tough defence, with scrum half Ben Watts eventually sneaking through to put Ivybridge in the lead.  As the game opened up St Austell clinically forced their way over the try line - again off a set piece - but this time their forwards demonstrated their powerful maul from five metres out.  Ten minutes later Ivybridge capitalised on St Austell not dealing with a box kick with Sam Brown gladly putting Ivy back in front. However, as the clock went red for half-time Ivy gifted St Austell another lineout within 10 metres of their try line, and the Saints’ forwards mercilessly forced their way over the line to put them in front at half-time.  As the second half started Ivy came flying out of the blocks scoring two tries in the first six minutes of the half. Charlie Briant gathered a chip over the defence to dot down under the posts and Henry Trudgill scored his second of the day with another bullocking run to break through tackles and crash over the try line once again. After some huge hits from St Austell’s tough defence, they forced a knock on from Ivy five metres from their try line. However, St Austell tried to play out off their scrum and Ivy’s fly half Matt Grieveson intercepted the pass off the scrum and dived over the try line to put Ivy in firm control of the game with 20 minutes to go.  For the rest of the game St Austell were camped out in Ivy’s half, the forwards managed to force their way over the try line twice after going through the phases, cutting Ivy’s lead back to one with less than 10 minutes left.  Just as the clock was going red Ivy’s forwards put in one final shove to earn themselves a scrum penalty sparking rapturous celebrations from the home crowd, giving Ivy their first win of the season.   At full-time inside centre Sam Brown said: “After everything we did in preseason that feeling in the huddle is just next level, that’s why you train for it. “We knew they had a maul and we had certain things in play. When you give a team like St Austell chances 10 metres out from your line, then it’s only going to end one way, it’s just trying to limit those opportunities for them.”