CLEVE 20pts, NEWTON ABBOT ALL WHITES 3

There was little to choose between the two sides at a muddy and windswept Cleve – the 17-point margin a little flattering to the home side – but the reality was a nil-return for the All Whites.

Cleve opened the scoring on their first outing to Newton’s 22 – Mitch Burton took on a penalty into the teeth of the wind, the kick looked good until blown off course at the last second. Despite this, the three points were awarded and Cleve were ahead after 17 minutes.

Tom Putt – making his Newton debut – missed kicks either side of Burton’s efforts before landing one with his third attempt in the 35th minute.

From the restart Newton ignored their ‘kick with the wind’ policy and put together a multi-phase passage of play from their own 22. The ball was taken up to Cleve’s ten-metre line before Jack Bond was released on a run to the try line. The speedy winger did all but score as he was hauled down a metre short.

The referee awarded Newton a five-metre scrum, had a chat with the captains about some pushing and shoving and then decided it was half-time with the score at 3-3.

Cleve went into the lead for the second time within seven minutes of the resumption – Burton making no mistake with his second shot at the posts.

The game then remained deadlocked until the hour-mark with defences on top in the tricky conditions.

The visitors had got themselves into a promising position close to Cleve’s line, but a stray pass was picked off and the home side moved down the other eventually putting prop Eliot Bowden in for a try, converted by Burton.

This score effectively decided the contest, especially as Newton lost prop Tom White to the bin – after 72 minutes, referee Ben Rayner decided a yellow was warranted for persistent scrummage misdemeanours.

Newton tried to return front-rower Dean Avery to the fray, but this was denied with uncontested scrums ordered, but without the obligatory reduction to 13.

The All Whites went in search of a score to get at least a losing bonus point, but despite keeping the ball in play well past the 80-minute mark, they couldn’t force their way past a well-organised Cleve defence.

When Newton eventually coughed up the ball, home winger Pierre Tucker ran in from 80 metres for an 86th-minute try.

There were doubts about Burton’s conversion, but it was awarded to leave Cleve 20-3 winners.

The situation remains the same at the bottom of the table, with Newton one place above the three sides in the relegation zone who also all lost.

While Newton play one of their catch-up games tomorrow when they go to Exmouth, they will be hoping that Cleve can do the Rackerhayes-based club a favour by beating Old Centralians, who are the best of the relegation trio.

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