Happy New Year, Ladies and Gents! Welcome to the fabulous year of 2025! What an exciting year lies ahead. The possibility of promotion, the Devon Seniors cup and the Papa John’s Community Cup await the Chiefs.
A top 4 placing and the Devon 2nd XV cup tempt Athletic, the Buccs are back in the groove and hunting down that merit table and the Colts are starting to impress, it all points to an excision year ahead.
And what better way to start the new year than with a firecracker of a game as we’re kick things off with a spectacular showdown at Pottington Road! This thrilling match is proudly sponsored by our wonderful friends at Hatchmoor Nursing Home, who have been steadfast supporters of Barnstaple Rugby Club for many years, thank you for your unwavering support!
Today, we have an electrifying clash as the first-place Chiefs take on the second-place Exmouth in a top-of-the-table battle in Regional One South West. It doesn’t come much bigger than this as just 1 point separates these two teams in their first Devon Derby of 2025.
Also on home soil this Saturday are the Buccaneers as they prepare to take on Exmouth Nomads, whilst Barnstaple Athletic begin the year on a road trip down to St.Ives as they hunt down 3rd placed Plymstock Oaks.
Just a couple of announcements, in fact opportunities would be a more appropriate word as Barnstaple Rugby are looking for part-time bar staff to work with our great team here at Pottington Road and the committee is still on the hunt for a new Membership Secretary and allow our beleaguered Hon Secretary John Sloley the chance of a night off now and again as he still is doing both jobs. So please if you would like to contribute to the Club’s fortunes then please speak to John. Details of both are below
What a truly transformative December it has been for the Barnstaple Chiefs! A challenging match against Brixham, where the Chiefs faced a narrow defeat at home, marking their first loss at Pottington Road since March 2023. The game was fiercely contested, and the Chiefs were left reflecting on what could have been, as they lost by just a single point. However, the Chiefs quickly turned things around in the following week, concluding the year on a high note with an impressive victory over Chew Valley as they dominated the field.
In what was always going to be a tense and fractious affair as it always seems to be against Chew Valley it waited nearly 15 minutes before the first yellow was shown, Chew Valley on the receiving end for this one, that confirmed what everyone believed was to be on the day, a match for the battle hardened. The Chiefs took full advantage as Brendan Darley went over for their first try, followed 10 minutes later by the first of two tries from Connar Swan. Then before half time Barnstaple earned themselves a penalty try and Chew’s second yellow to go in at the break 19-0 up, having dominated proceedings and taken full advantage.
The second half started well with the Chiefs again taking advantage of the extra player as Berties Stretch crossed the white stuff after just a couple of minutes, securing the bonus point.
Then the battle really commenced as two yellows for Barnstaple and one for Chew reduced both teams to 13 with just 5 minutes of the half gone. Chew scored their first points as they returned to 14 minutes later and then a second, half way through the half to close the gap to just 14 points at 12-26. By now though the Chiefs had regathered themselves and got their defense back on point and with 2 tries in the last 10 minutes from Brandon Moore and a second from Connor, whilst down to 14 again for another yellow, secured a comfortable win 17-40.
Now What did I say before this game, don’t let Chew Valley get under your skins, we all know what experts they are at getting opposing players wound up. When they visited us back in September again a flurry of cards pursued. Now I wasn’t at the game so can only imagine what the lads had to put up with, but I think we all guessed right. Still an impressive win by the Chiefs under such adverse conditions and an important one as Exmouth suffered their second defeat in December allowing the Chiefs 5 point win to leapfrog today’s opponents to the top of the pile in Regional 1 South West.
The month of December proved to be a challenging period for Exmouth Rugby Club, potentially altering the trajectory of their previously successful season. Up until mid December, the team had been performing exceptionally well, with an impressive record of 9 victories in their first 10 matches. This run included notable wins against the Chiefs at home and a triumph on Launceston’s turf
Exmouth’s strong performance had positioned them at the summit of the league table, and there was an opportunity to further solidify their lead following Barnstaple’s defeat to Brixham. However, the team’s fortunes took an unexpected turn in the latter part of the month.
The first setback came in the form of a narrow 19-15 loss away to Royal Wootton Bassett. This defeat, while not catastrophic in isolation, marked the beginning of a difficult fortnight for the club as the following weekend brought further disappointment with Launceston exacting revenge for their earlier loss, securing a razor-thin 38-39 victory at Exmouth who now slipped to second place.
With just a single point separating these two teams the New Year could not have started with a bigger firecracker event. As both teams prepare for their battle they fully know that a win today will send a statement to everyone else and with visits from Marlborough and Launceston later this month for the Chiefs and a home clash against Brixham for Exmouth next Saturday the stakes couldn’t be higher for both teams.
This is going to be a gripping game to watch and noone reading this account will be able to forgive themselves for missing what could likely be the game of the season. So get those caps and scarfs on and get yourself down to Pottington Road and become the Chiefs 16th man with the Mighty Barum Roar.
Here is the Chiefs team for today
Barnstaple Athletic have had a great response to their narrow loss at Redruth in November by notching up three very impressive wins against a strong Bude 31-22, away to Tavistock 0-69, their first shutout of the season, and then the big clash against Wiveliscombe as both teams competed for the win and that 4th spot which Athletic were currently and continued to hold after a solid performance earned a 27-10 win.
The game was always billed to be a big match as Athletic squared up against the powerful pack of Wiveliscombe and in near gale force winds at their backs, Athletic took the game straight to the Wiveliscombe charging into the visitors 22 before Kyran McManus found a slight gap to dart through and laid off a lovely pass whilst being tackled to Ben Beattie, who then with plenty of yards still to go powered his way to Barnstaple’s first try after just 2 minutes. Wiveliscombe came at the Tic’s hard after that but Athletic’s solid defending and several outstanding tackles by the wingers stopped them in their tracks as the Tic’s forwards continued to take the game to their opponents creating several scoring opportunities thwarted by the visitors defence. Midway through the half Luke knight with a lovely step found the path to the try line open up for him as he raced through for the Tic’s second and with Wiveliscombe’s pack grabbing one back the Tic’s lead at half time was 17-5, perhaps a try short now having to play into those huge winds.
The second half the visitors closed the gap to just seven points 17-10 early on and exerted a lot of pressure on Barnstaple with the wind at their backs. But the Tic’s defence again repelled everything thrown at them. Then two tries during a ten minute spell by Callum Morgan, the last a fantastic solo effort as he raced through the Wiveliscombe defence from inside Athletics half and despite the ankle tap tackle at the end was still able to get to his feet and get over the try line for on impressive score that earned the Tic’s a decent lead to hold on to and that all important bonus points. Even the red and yellow which reduced Athletic to 13 their defence once again proved to be impenetrable and they stood up to the big pack with a “none shall pass” attitude to stop anything the visitors threw at them to win the game 27-10.
It really was a cracking game of rugby with both sides producing the goods in hellish weather as the raging winds proved troublesome. Credit to Haydn Gosling for the two conversions and penalty he slotted in the first half, those 9 points were crucial points. For me this was a great performance by Athletic with a bit more patience and control with their play and not rushing it as much as against Bude and again that great defence, perhaps playing one of the top 6 teams focused their minds more, who knows but it was an exciting match and a very good performance and result.
Today Athletic make their journey across the border to St. Ives who they beat 56-3 back in September and with a nine point lead over Wiveliscombe and just 1 point away from 3rd placed Plymstock Oaks, who Barnstaple Athletic welcome to Pottington Road on 1st February, this would be a great game to win before returning home next Saturday to face Kingsbridge.
Here is the team to do just that
Two wins by the Buccaneers since that loss to Crediton has brought them right back into the frame just two points off 2nd placed Ilfracombe and 15 points but with two games in hand off leaders Crediton, Today they welcome Exmouth nomads to Pottington Road looking to keep up the momentum with a win today.
What an impressive start for the Colts in phase 2 of the Devon Colts merit table. Wins against both Ivybridge Colts, the first in awhile, 39-26 and just as impressively on the road at Crediton Colts 17-22, they have certainly come of age and showed everyone some of the potential we all knew they had, today they take a rest before the Colts welcome another tough challenger, Devonport Colts, to Pottington Road next Saturday for a 2pm kick off.
Well that wraps up the first blog of the year and we have plenty more coming your way throughout January. Next weekend the Chiefs travel to Ivybridge looking to maximize their visit there with 5 points before they embark on two consecutive home fixtures with visits from Marlborough and Launceston to finish the month off. So plenty for you all to watch over the coming month.
Next weekend Athletic are at home to Kingsbridge and kick off is as ever 2pm, before the big one for them as they travel to league leaders as Paignton who will want to try and exact revenge on the only team to have beaten them so far this season.
The Bucc’s travel to South Molton whilst the Colts have another big match up as they welcome Devonport Colts to Pottington Road.
Good luck to all our teams playing today, it would be a fantastic start to the New Year if we could grab a triple crown. Enjoy your rugby wherever you watch it and we will catch up next weekend.
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