IVYBRIDGE RFC are fast approaching the point of no return in South West One following their 38-7 drubbing at Launceston.

It was Ivybridge’s 12th defeat in 14 league outings this season and leaves them second from bottom and 13 points away from safety.

Coming next for the Bridge is a home game against table-topping Barnstaple, then second-placed Brixham at Astley Park. Neither game will define their season.

It is the next block of fixtures where rugby manager Neil Thomson has pinpointed games Ivybridge have to win to have any prospect of dodging the drop.

“The first one is Chew Valley, who are below us, then Marlborough, Lydney and Matson in our last three games,” said Thomson.

“St Austell at home could be an opportunity too, but we have to win the games against the teams closer to us to gain ground on them.”

On this game, Thomson commented: “For 30-odd minutes it was only 7-0 to Launceston – then they scored three tries in seven minutes to go 26-0 up at half-time.”

“We went back to the dressing room at half time wondering how we were 26-0 down when we had dominated most of the first half?”

Davey McGregor, the Ivybridge coach, felt he knew the answer.

“We were, dare I say, the better side for 60 minutes,” said McGregor. “We just haven’t got the killer instinct and experience to make the points difference.”

The second half went to a different script as it was Launceston whose error count crept up. Ivybridge were awarded a penalty try in the second half for a breakdown offence by Launceston’s James Tucker that earned him 10 minutes in the sin-bin.

Man of the moment for Launceston was Cameron Fogden, who scored a first-half hat-trick on his 50th appearance in the first team. Fogden is a former student at Ivybridge Community College.