Gordon takes pains to ensure derby win

PHIL GORDON suffers for his art these days but he can still help Barnstaple produce a masterpiece of scrummaging.

As you read this, the prop forward will be feeling the effects of an 80-minute Devon derby effort five days earlier.

Gordon and his front-row colleagues Mark Berry, Sam Roberts and, later, Jordan Patey, pushed Newton Abbot from pillar to post – true to the pre-match prediction of director of rugby Kevin Squire.

While the backs butchered a couple of golden opportunities that would have made the game safe by half time, the pack's scrum-time efforts earned all the points in a 21-19 victory.

Gordon said: "Kevin got us riled, he wouldn't leave us alone talking about it all week.

"We are a good front row. Mark and I have played the game long enough – we know what we are doing. Sam is one of my favourite players, the best hooker I have played with, and Jordan is coming on leaps and bounds."

Days like Saturday make the pain worthwhile for Gordon.

"I loved it, it's always nice to win a derby," he said.

"I probably haven't been fit for about five years.

"I really suffer with soreness until Thursday morning.

"Maybe someone is telling me to finally pack it in but I feel great mentally."

Gordon was still going strong as Barnstaple snatched the victory their performance deserved in the last ten minutes.

They dominated the first half but a nightmare 20 minutes in the second saw them trail 19-7 with nine minutes of normal time remaining.

At a crucial moment, though, Newton Abbot conceded three penalties in quick succession and lock Matt Templeman was sent to the sin bin.

Barnstaple drove the resulting scrum to the try line and scrum half Nielson Webber touched the ball down.

Then, in the 77th minute, Gordon had the presence of mind to burgle the ball from a Newton Abbot ruck. Dan Lee, the rampaging No 8, took up the attack before Neil Giddy was halted in the shadow of the posts.

The All Whites were penalised again, Barnstaple opted for the scrum and left the home pack broken. They were still rumbling to the line when referee Richard Harding signalled a penalty try for the second time in the match.

Giddy tapped over his third conversion to regain a lead his side should never have surrendered.

"I have never lost at Newton Abbot and I didn't feel like we were ever going to lose on Saturday," said Gordon.

"Newton Abbot aren't a bad side, they had to have something in the game. They scored a nice try and we let them creep back in with silly penalties.

"But even when we went behind I felt we had something left in the tank."

Harding gave Newton Abbot just one warning before awarding Barnstaple the first penalty try at a seventh-minute scrum.

The visitors were dominant but the missed opportunities piled up.

Giddy, the fly half, passed on two potentially kickable penalties in favour of set pieces. Worst of all, though, were two certain tries that went begging.

On 22 minutes, Luke Berry ignored a two-man overlap and took the ball into contact.

Five minutes later, Will Topps drew the last defender but threw a poor pass to the waiting Toby Williamson who could not scoop the ball off his laces.

That wastefulness and increasing ill-discipline looked as though it might prove costly.

Between the 35th and 62nd minutes, Newton Abbot fly half Rob Avery-Wright, recruited from Plymouth Albion, kicked four penalties and converted hooker Tom Channon's try, set up for him by centre Steve Ward's darting run.

As Avery-Wright and experienced full back Andy Birkett launched probing kicks, Barnstaple's play became ragged and their tempers frayed.

Squire said: "It was a poor part of the game for us and it very nearly cost us."

They got a break on 81 minutes when Templeman was shown the yellow card, and Tom Skelding and Gordon rallied the troops to ensure this opportunity was not missed.

Despite the backs' wastefulness threatening to undo the forwards' hard work, there were no hard feelings.

"That win was massive for team spirit, it really bonded some of the young lads together," said Gordon, 32, who has no regrets about giving up the captaincy in the summer.

"I'm not saying I would never take it back but I'm enjoying not being captain, it's nice just to play rugby."

Barnstaple Development XV let a lead slip as they lost 15-6 away to Newton Abbot II. Byron Saunders kicked Barum into a 6-0 lead with two penalties but a converted try and a penalty saw Newton Abbot lead 10-6 at half time and they sealed the win with a second-half try.