Young All Whites face a steep learning curve

NEWTON Abbot RFC 1st XV made a perfect start against visitors Kingsbridge on Saturday, November 7, only for their young side to then face a steep learning curve.

The majority of their experience operates in the front row so to lose brothers Jacob and Alex Gale was a real setback- a “situation you don’t really train for” in the words of head coach Lloyd Radford.

Flying out of the blocks, the All Whites worked their way into the corner and after Ethan Gardner caught well from a lineout, Angus Carruthers was driven over by his teammates to open the scoring.

Mere minutes later, the ball was spun out to the other wing where Jacob Forey was able to battle over a second try for the hosts. Scrum-half Lawrence White kicked both conversions just wide.

This was as good as it got for Newton though unfortunately, their dominance eroding away and a frantic, back-and-forth period following.

Jacob Gale left the game due to injury and then, with Kingsbridge putting together phase after phase, Alex Gale was sin-binned for a high tackle.

Henry Rich was able to burrow over from the resulting penalty and one try swiftly became two, Toby Redwood dotting down on the final play of the half.

At the turnaround, the two sides were tied at 10 points apiece and with the rain subsiding, Gardner was the latest Newton man to be forced off.

Fly-half Ollie Goulden made a terrific tackle to bring down a player twice his size with the line in sight before Gale got on the wrong side of the referee again, seconds after returning to the fray.

Illegally recovering the ball inside the five-metre line saw the red mist descend and with the skipper given his marching orders, the awarding of a penalty try rubbed further salt in the wounds.

Owen McLeod came on to replace White and delivered a standout display going both ways, plus scorer Forey suffered a nasty-looking ankle injury with Gardner re-entering the game.

The game was now getting away from the 14 men of Newton Abbot and it was Stuart Winzer’s turn to score for Kings next.

In the absence of the Gale duo, hooker Jack Sealey stepped up and looked to rally the troops, leading from the front.

Kingsbridge set up camp in the Newton half and as a sense of panic set in for the hosts, Max Goodwin slid into the corner thanks to great work from Dan Jarvis who himself was then rewarded with the final try of the afternoon.

Jack Winzer was up quick to charge down a kick and he unselfishly moved it on for Jarvis to run home.

Fullback Oli Rowdon converted one of the three second-half scores to make it 34-10 to Kings at the final whistle.

“The first half was fantastic with loads of positives” for the All Whites but it was “then a different story when we lost both of our props,” said Radford.

He continued: “The scrum was obviously a real worry then and it became a turning point for them and for us, we went within ourselves a bit.

“Losing the captain is one thing but more so, Alex is the rock in our scrum.”

For his youthful team, “It’s a lesson in what to do when your backs are against the wall.”

Given the nature of the defeat and also the mounting injuries, a weekend off couldn’t have come at a better time.

“They’re young lads so they’ll bounce back. We can lick our wounds, regroup and then come out firing” when travelling to 10th-placed Redruth IIs on Saturday, November 21.