Sidmouth Under-8s fielded three boys teams and one girls team for the first action of the new season last Sunday against Withycombe.

The girls made a slow start and trailed 5-2 at the interval. However, after the break the more experienced girls, Ellie Monro Higgs and Daisy Grove, rallied the team and led by example with some great dogged tackling bringing them two

Turn-over balls. Quick to capitalise on these they ran them home to win the second half and the match 6-5.

This set the tone for their next two matches, maintaining this performance despite the warm Sunday morning sun. However a special mention must go to Lacie Jackson and Immy Bagwell who had scintillating matchs on a their debuts for the team, both persistently challenging Withycomb’s defence with their direct running and sparkling support play.

Sidmouth boys, playing with red bibs and aptly nick-named ‘burgers with ketchup’ were 5-3 winers over Withy.

Skipper Jack Pugh was at the heart of a solid defence that allowed greater freedom further up the pitch where Lucca Arver, Gyll Grey, Scott Monro Higgs and Toby Sanford all scored tries.

Next up a Sidmouth side were 7-4 winners over Withy with some great attacking play on show. Tom Bird scored a fine try before Archie Rowcliffe showed good awareness to take the ball from deep in his own half to test the Withycombe midfield whilst Matthew Thomas showed good pace to take a well worked brace of tries with support from his team mates. A mention for Withycombe who were still in the match until the last few minutes at which point Sidmouth scored two late tries.

The next match ended all square at 4-4. In this one Tomas Grove made a flying stared ghosting in for a hat-trick of tries in the opening two minutes!

Harry Wood struck next with a try in the corner, but then the concentration levels disappeared and Withycombe started to tag really well scoring four second half tries to leave things all square.

Sidmouth’s David Monro Higgs said: “All in all a fabulous first outing of the new season, plenty to work on and thanks are due in no small way to Withy for bringing their teams to help make it such a splendid occasion.”