Reserves Revived With Pleasing Win

Hayle Reserves 43 : 26 St Ives Reserves

This week, St Ives RFC were able to raise a 2nd team side for the first time in nearly 2 years and managed to get a game against our local rivals across the bay, Hayle on Wednesday the 14th.

St Ives travelled with a good team, some regular players and some having not played in a number of years and their aim was to do the early season double over Hayle. St Ives started the game strongly, using the weight and size of Jamie Prisk to bulldoze regularly over the smaller Hayle pack leaving them bewildered. The phases piled up for the Hakes and they got themselves onto the 5m line, again using Prisk’s weight to bundle over the line for the first score which was unconverted for a 5-0 lead.

St Ives quickly took control of the game and some darting runs from stand in scrum half Tom Murray were making the Hayle defence a bit bemused to say the least. Add the little jinks and slippery runs from fly half Jacob Ninnes and Hayle were in all sorts of trouble. After Hayle kicked the ball straight into the arms of Dillon Loake, St Ives mounted a monumental counter attack. Dillon, gave a slight hospital pass to Prisk inside his own 22, but the heavy weight then ducked and dodged his way through the defence. Although he didn’t have the pace to go all the way, 15 metres from the Hayle line, he found support from Sam Heath who dived over under the sticks for an easy try. Jamie’s younger brother Niall Prisk added the extras to go 12-0.

St Ives then scored back to back tries, Ninnes again making a mockery of the defence with his runs, sending the fullback the wrong way to go under the posts unopposed. The conversion was successful for a 19-0 lead. Some good phases, discipline and control saw St Ives back on the try line within minutes, Niall Prisk diving over in the corner, unable to convert his own score. St Ives lead 24-0 after just 25 minutes of play.

Hayle rang in the fire power changes, bringing on some first team players to avoid further embarrassment. They quickly scored two tries to bring the score to 24-12 at half time.

A scrappy start to the 2nd half saw both sides concede penalties. St Ives used the advantages of Ninnes’ hefty boot to gain some ground. Murray with some jinking runs off the back of the lineout managed to slip and slide his way under the defence from 22metres to score a fine individual try, his first of the night. Prisk added the extras.

St Ives then lost inspirational captain, Liam Trudgeon, to a broken nose, who he made sure the whole crowd knew about, prancing up and down the touchline on numerous occasions. The game turned scrappy once again. Hayle, using big runners to score again, brought the teams closer; 31-19 with 20 minutes left to play. St Ives sorted their game plan and was able to send Sean Stevens over for an easy try. It looked like this would seal the victory, until Hayle quickly responded themselves, 36-26 with 10 minutes to go.

St Ives finished strongly and in the final play of the game Tom Murray managed again to slip his way through some awful defence using his pace and miniature height to duck under from 15 metres to score his second try. Prisk with the extras to win 43-26.

This was a great victory for the new team, some of whom had never played together and all can be proud of the personal performances they put in. Well done chaps! Congratulations to Jean-Paul and son Sam turning out together.

St Ives; Trudgeon, J Stevens, Olds, J Prisk, Hill, S Stevens, Heath, Bramwell, Murray, Ninnes, Gibson, Davey, Carver, Loake, N Prisk.

Subs; Peck, Johnson, JP Bassett, S Basset, AN Other.