The Cockles didn’t start well as within three minutes Hornets flanker Mark Divine, running from deep, caught the Exmouth defence flat-footed and he scored close in. No 10 Cody Rees added the points to post an early 7pts-nil lead. Hornets had a good phase of play but with ten minutes played Exmouth were back in the Hornets half, winning a scrum on their 22. Quick ball from Gary Hooper allowed Rich Cadywould to surge forward and offload to Chris Strong who drove over to score. Cadywould added the points.

Quickly following the restart Exmouth were awarded a penalty and Cadywould’s kick to the corner set up a standard catch and drive opportunity. Stuart Lowe was directing the drive but a penalty five metres from the line stopped them in their tracks. The Cockles were beginning to exert some control and when they won a scrum on the Hornets ten metre line the pack’s domination showed when Hornets were driven back twenty metres. Stuart Lowe got his hands on the ball and he brushed aside the defenders to score close in. Cadywould converted and the Cockles were ahead 14pts -7.

Exmouth were now beginning to look comfortable, hooker Adam Hooper put in a characteristic run but his final pass missed the target and when a catch and drive was on the cards, following a penalty, the lineout was deemed not straight. This allowed Hornets back into the game and when they were awarded a penalty between the Exmouth 22 and 10 metre line Cody Rees had no problem in closing the gap to four points. With the half time whistle minutes away Hornets infringed wide out and a booming kick from Cadywould restored the Exmouth lead at 17pts-10.

Just like the first half the second half did not start well when the bulky Hornets No 8 brushed aside the Cockles defence and supporting scrum half Andrew Bradbury scampered over for a try which Cody Rees converted taking the score to 17pts each. This gave Hornets a real lift and when they were awarded a penalty within Rees’ range they should have taken the lead. The kick rebounded off the cross bar and the initiative passed back to the Cockles. Within minutes Exmouth had a lineout on the Hornets 22, the ball passed through many hands and skipper Mark Wathes took the final pass to touch down. Richard Cadywould missed the long kick but within the next fifteen minutes the game turned Exmouth’s way and with thirty minutes of the half gone they were out of sight.

Richard Cadywould took the score to 25pts-17 with a penalty and minutes later a break by Jack Downie set up lively Matt Hopper for a try. Cadywould converted and five minutes later he was on target with another penalty shot. With the score at 35pts-17 the game was over for Hornets but when Paul Morgan intercepted close to his own line and ran the full length of the pitch to score, to their credit the Hornet players were still chasing him in hot pursuit. With the final whistle moments away Gary Hooper topped off a fine personal performance by running from the half way line to score the final try and record a 47pts-17 win which keeps the Cockles at the top of the League.