Hakes Run in 15 Tries
St Ives 91:12 Coney Hill
On a calm dry winter’s day St Ives were visited by Coney Hill on Saturday in a fixture that remained unfulfilled in September. It would have been St Ives that travelled to Somerset. This first game of the second half of the season allowed St Ives to reinforce their position in fourth place in the South West 1 West league, improving their points difference greatly, against the side from Bristol firmly established at the foot of the table.
Front row replacement, Kye Beasley, suffered an injury in the warm up, which led to him going to hospital for a check-up. Former captain Steven Kenward took his place and made an appearance in the second half.
Coney Hill had a mixture of youth, experience and semi-retired combatants who had a good share of the possession, albeit predominantly in the middle of the pitch. They were held up over the line at the conclusion of the first quarter, which was as close as they got. St Ives, on the other hand, used their possession very effectively, scoring regularly on entering the opponents’ 22. At 39:0 they managed to rack up a point a minute by half time. Tries came from open play through Jack Kessell, Peter Mabbott, Grant Thirlby (2), Rhys Brownfield, Jamie Hoskin and Jon Lamsin. The kicking for converted tries was less successful. Rhys Brownfield missed four before handing over to Grant Thirlby, who improved matters with two from four.
One might have expected a continued steady flow of five pointers after the interval, but, with St Ives easing up and Coney Hill inspired, it was a try a piece towards the end of the third quarter. Coney Hill were holding their own in set piece, defending as a team and attacking with purpose. It was no.8, Kia Turner, who scored their first with a dart from the 10 metre line virtually unopposed. Rhys Brownfield took an inside pass, somewhat surprisingly, to bag his second in the match during the same period.
In the last quarter, as so often happens in such games, Coney Hill tired and fell off the tackles. St Ives relished the opportunity to display their talents. Tries came initially from Tom Nicholas and Peter Mabbott. Scrum half Sam Carter took over the kicking duties and converted both. Coney Hill took another well-deserved chance and converted to make it 58:12.
Jack Kessell, full of illusive running combined with pace, brought the next score (65:12). Flank forward Aden Brassington got the next, again converted by Carter for a score of 72:12. Prop Ben Jenkins powered over for his second of the season. Carter added the extras (79:12). Left winger, Peter Mabbott, piled on the points with a further two tries from his usual determined straight runs, to give him four for the match and ten in fifteen appearances. New goal kicking find, Sam Carter, converted one of these to give him a total of six.
The final whistle could not have come sooner for the engaging visitors who were roundly applauded from the pitch. The final score was 91:12. St Ives’ man-of-the-match was No.8, Martyn Lawrance, who, although try- less, had a fine game throughout. For Coney Hill, it was teenager Carl Fritchly at full back, one of several brave young men in the Bristol based side.
St Ives are at home again next Saturday against mid table Keynsham, also from Bristol, who secured an excellent win over second placed Okehampton at the weekend. The kick off will be at 2:30p.m. and all support is much appreciated.
St Ives team: Ben Taylor, Rob Elloway, Ben Jenkins, Jamie Prisk, Jon Lamsin, Jamie Hoskin, Aden Brassington, Martyn Lawrance, Sam Carter, Rhys Brownfield, Joel Bick, Grant Thirlby, Tom Nicholas, Joel Bick, Jack Kessell.
Replacements: Sam Vernon, Adam Hosking, Stephen Kenward.
