Barnstaple Vets Edge Out Teignmouth

Saturday 16th May saw the final of the Devon Wooden Spoon Vets League take place at Barnstaple RFC, featuring a fiercely contested clash between Barnstaple Vets and Teignmouth Vets. The cup final delivered high drama, immense physicality, and quality rugby, with Barnstaple ultimately edging out Teignmouth 22–15 in a memorable encounter.

Played in front of a lively crowd, both sides showed from the opening whistle that this would be no exhibition match. Teignmouth started brightly, controlling possession through strong carries and disciplined phases, while Barnstaple relied on quick ball movement and sharp attacking lines to test the opposition's defence.

First Half: Barnstaple Take the Early Lead

Barnstaple struck first within the opening five minutes. After a couple of penalties conceded in the Teignmouth 22, the Tics launched a series of powerful short-range carries. Adam Lloyd crashed over for the opening try, with Dave Slee slotting the conversion to make it 7-0.

Barnstaple maintained the onslaught, capitalising on possession and launching dangerous counter-attacks from loose Teignmouth kicks. After battering the Teignmouth defence within five metres of the try line, the Tics opted for a cross-field kick, allowing Will Tops to score in the corner after 16 minutes. The conversion attempt from Dave Slee was unsuccessful, leaving the score at 12-0.

Teignmouth regrouped, and after some words were exchanged, they began testing the formidable Barnstaple defence with powerful carries and expansive running rugby. However, despite the quality of play, unforced errors, knock-ons, and costly penalties prevented Teignmouth from converting their pressure into points.

The breakthrough for Teignmouth finally came in the 25th minute. A powerful Teignmouth scrum disrupted the ball at the back of the Barnstaple set-piece. Scrum-half Stefan Walker poached the ball right from under the nose of Tics number 8, Rob Parsons, breaking at full tilt and driving through a defender before releasing winger Lewis Parkes to score in the corner. Ivan Pitman’s conversion attempt from out wide fell short, bringing the score to 12-5.

With both teams committing fully at the breakdown and in defence, the match developed into a hard-fought battle leading into the interval. Barnstaple took a narrow lead into half-time, but Teignmouth remained firmly in contention.

Second Half: An Intense Arm-Wrestle

Teignmouth got the second half underway, initiating a 10-minute arm-wrestle as both sides fought for every inch of the pitch. Earlier rain began to take its toll, causing handling errors and a flurry of scrums as tired bodies tested the turf. With the wind settling down, both teams utilised positional kicking, resulting in a series of crucial lineouts.

Teignmouth struck back in the 46th minute. Following a series of powerful carries within the Tics' 22 that tested the rigid defence, they drew the defenders in before shifting the ball wide to newly substituted centre Henry Wilkins. Wilkins stepped past his marker and handed off another defender to score in the corner. Pitman’s tough conversion attempt from out wide missed, narrowing the deficit to 12-10.

The relentless pace continued as both teams traded periods of possession and threw everything into their defensive efforts. However, Barnstaple’s persistence was rewarded in the 66th minute when Anthony May exploited a tired Teignmouth defence, sneaking through a gaping hole beside the ruck to score under the posts. Dave Slee added the extras to push the lead to 19-10.

With Teignmouth under pressure, their challenges compounded four minutes later when the Tics were awarded a penalty in front of the posts. Dave Slee successfully knocked over the three points, extending the lead to 22-10.

Dramatic Finale

True to form, Teignmouth responded immediately. Sustained pressure and big carries in the Barnstaple half saw them knocking on the door once again. Five minutes later, scrum-half Stefan Walker found a way through to sneak over for his second try of the match. The conversion attempt by Jonny Emery was unsuccessful, leaving the score delicately poised at 22-15.

The final five minutes saw the momentum shift entirely in Teignmouth’s favour. The Tics found themselves on the wrong side of referee Andy Cole on numerous occasions, gifting Teignmouth excellent field position.

Teignmouth threw everything they had at the line, but despite the intense late pressure, Barnstaple defended resolutely to protect their advantage until the final whistle.

Final Score: Barnstaple Vets 22 – 15 Teignmouth Vets

Teignmouth can take immense credit for their performance, matching Barnstaple physically and showing tremendous spirit throughout. Their defensive commitment and attacking intent kept this thrilling final in the balance until the very end.