Sidmouth player-coach Dan Retter hopes that the side has turned a corner now after a patchy start to the season, writes Conrad Sutcliffe.

The Chiefs climbed off the foot of the Western Counties table with the 15-5 win at Crediton seven days before their win in the Devon Intermediate Cup against the same opposition last Saturday.

That win in Mid Devon was a second successive league victory and saw Sidmouth climb above Burnham-on-Sea.

Sidmouth are not out of the relegation places yet, but are making the sort of progress that Retter wants to see.

“Having gone quite a while without a win we were stuck in something of a rut,” said Rutter, who continued: “With players coming back from injury and the arrival of our new prop from New Zealand, we are looking a bit stronger,”

Sione Livai has played a couple of games since arriving from Auckland, which has strengthened the scrum. Haydon Down, another Kiwi prop, has returned for a second stint at the Blackmore.

Sidmouth fielded all three Bess brothers – number eight Josh, full-back Zac and wing Luke – against Crediton for the first time in a league match,

Having three Bess brothers in a Sidmouth side is not unique as it has happened before when Russell, Graham –father of Josh, Zac and Luke – and Greg all appeared in a Boxing Day game around 30 years ago!