By Paul Hayes at Ballards Ash

REGIONAL ONE SOUTH WEST

Royal Wootton Bassett 50 St Austell 38

ST AUSTELL’S first ever visit to Royal Wootton Bassett ended in a try-fest but it was the home side’s fewer mistakes which earned them a 50-38 victory.

The visitors got off to a promising start and were dominating the early possession. However, a penalty ceded the territory and the home scored with their first foray into the Saints 22 (5-0).

The Saints hit back with series of fast-paced attacks that stretched the home defence and eventually the pressure told with winger Dan Tyrrell scoring in theclubhouse corner. Matt Shepherd’s touchline conversion put the Saints in the lead (5-7). All the hard work was undone when hesitation under the restart kick allowed RWB to score under the posts (12-7).

The Cornish scrum was on the top but were penalised despite pushing the home pack backwards on the 40 metres. Disagreement over the decision saw the mark moved 10 metres and that indiscipline was to prove costly. The penalty was put into touch deep inside the 22 and a well-drilled catch and drive delivered seven points (19-7).

The Saints again reacted positively to the set back and RWB were starting to cough up the penalties as the pressure built. A mixture of guile from full-back Archie Bees and power from Matt Boothby paved the way for Tyrrell to score his second (19-14).

With the interval approaching, visiting fly-half Chris Ashwin was shown a yellow card for preventing quick release of the ball, and a long-range penalty made it 22-14 at the break.

The home side started the brighter after the restart, but just as it seemed the Saints had weathered the storm, RWB found an uncharacteristic gap in the defence to score a converted try (29-14).

Back came the Saints and RWB were again forced on the back-foot. With advantage being played for a third consecutive offside, the ball was spread wide to Tyrrell. The Saints winger was unceremoniously dumped into touch in the scoreboard corner. With the Cornish support looking for a penalty try; play was brought back to the original offence in the opposite corner. A yellow card was issued to RWB and any lingering feelings of aggrievement were dispelled when Shepherd wiggled over from the resulting catch and drive (29-21).

This really should have been the launch pad for a comeback, but frailties at the restart again gave the home side an easy seven points (36-21).

Having wrestled the momentum back from the Saints, the home side took full advantage with two converted tries in quick succession to seemingly knock the stuffing out of the visitors.

Prop Boothby had other ideas leading the charge to secure a try scoring bonus point (50-28). That seemed to light a spark under the Saints and a flowing move instigated by Bees put Tyrrell in for his hat-trick (50-33).

With time in the red, Bees decided to get in on the scoring and sliced through the home defence, his superbly angled run left five would-be tacklers grasping thin air to make the final score 50-38.

The Saints made the long journey home to Cornwall lamenting the costly mistakes that gifted the home side some easy scores and face a home clash with Ivybridge on Saturday (2.30pm).

ST AUSTELL: Archie Bees, George Tregilgas, Ben Plummer, Jamie Stanlake, Dan Tyrrell, Chris Ashwin, Matt Shepherd; Matt Boothby, Peter Harris, Peter Rowe, Mark Vian, Tom Daniel, Rory Jago, Hector Bright, Adam Tynedale-Powell. Replacements: Daniel Bennett, Kaydan Michael, Peter Tuckley.

Tries: Tyrrell (3), Shepherd, Bees; Convs: Shepherd (4); Pens: N/A.

St Austell man of the match: Dan Tyrrell.