Exeter Saracens 0 - 31 Exmouth

With influential skipper joe Parkin away on the England Colleges Training weekend and Vice Captain Mark Roach resting an injury Exmouth’s first game for five weeks was going to be a test. Ryan MacEachern led the team and were soon 7 – nil through a James Atkinson try converted by Howard Smith.  This was James first match in 4 months as he returns from injury. His fast elusive running was always evident when he had the ball.

Saracens bigger, heavier pack were always going to dominate the scrums and they did with a five minute spell on the visitor line they hammered away at the Exmouth defence, but it held strong and skill and technique beat sheer power, and after that  Saracens rarely got near the Exmouth Try line.

By half time Exmouth had added another two try’s, one to Dan Macleod who side stepped three to score under the posts and one from fullback Andrew Broadhurst after a sweeping backs move. Smith converting both.  Keegan Ferraday had an outstanding game filling the boots of Mark Roach at the front of the line.

The second half was a dour affair with the home team killing or slowing down the ball to prevent Exmouth playing rugby. Harry Noel-Smith got his name on the score sheet for an unconverted try. Shortly afterwards Joe Harnick, another player returning from injury scored twice. However the first was deemed foot in touch and the second the referee was unsighted.  Macleod was about to get his second with an interception on the half way line. He raced 50 metres only to drop the ball over the try line. Taxi for Macleod!

Stand in scrum half finished off the job just before full time as he pounced on a Sarries error in the touch in goal area. Final score 31- nil to the visitors.