Old Patesians - 22
Newton Abbot - 20
Referee: Dan Parrott
Old Patesians brought down the curtain on their National League 3 South West campaign with a scruffy bonus point win against Newton Abbot at Everest Road.
This means the Pats have finished sixth in the table which, considering their crippling and escalating injury list from the opening game of the season, is a creditable result for a club which prides itself on its wholly amateur status competing against many sides in the league who pay their players.
Because of the chronic injury situation Pats Head Coach Dan Eddie has been obliged to call upon forty-five players to turn out for the club this year in their twenty-six league games which is a solid testament to the strength in depth for the flagship club of Cheltenham.
Newton Abbot, who had beaten Pats on the opener back in September, now finished seventh in the table but at the kick-off were keen to chalk up a double and their large band of travelling supporters were vociferous in their encouragement when Pats lost their first lineout and then struggled in the early scrums.
Pats had won the toss and chose to take on the slope in the first half but a perverse wind swirling and spiralling across the pitch had both kickers and receivers bamboozled as how best to use the vagaries of the elements.
Pats survived their initial scrum problems when illegitimate binding and dropping resulted in too many resets and with hooker Chris Dean restored to the front row a clean channel allowed fly half James Butler to hoof a monster touch find into the top right hand corner. Newton Abbot were caught offside and from a penalty lineout Pats number eight James Pettigrew collected at the tail and barged over the line for a try.
The conversion was missed by winger Leo Fielding but he can be forgiven as the wing bizarrely changed direction as he struck the ball but Pats were now settled and looking marginally the better side.
Unfortunately they fluffed the restart with poor positioning and a knock-on and handed the visitors a scrum feed deep in their own 22. Newton Abbot were surprised at this gift, messed up the strike and when they were half wheeled the ball squirted into the hands of Pettigrew. He drove up the field with his usual muscular authority and his offload to Dan Burrows allowed the winger a clear dash for the line for a try converted by Fielding.
Again Pats failed to collect or clear the restart and to compound their woes second row Rob Fidler was sent to the bin for a lineout infringement.
Pats had lost their lineout maestro and when Newton Abbot were awarded three penalty lineouts in quick succession they finally crossed the line for a try for their number eight Baz Chapman.
Pats were now playing on the edge of their comfort zone and only desperate tackling kept out the Newton Abbot thrusts who had explosive power in the back row and midfield pairing of centres Nic Holt and Alex Moore. Nobody shirked their defensive duties but prop Connor Thompson and Butler were particularly outstanding with some crunching big hits when the line had been breached.
From the turnover ball Pats centre Stu Taylor launched a massive punt under pressure and the result was a try for the hard chasing Fielding in the top left hand corner.
Both sides were up for a spot of end of season champagne running rugby but their aspirations were thwarted when a sudden rain squall lashed down from Leckhampton Hill.
Ball retention and up the jumper stuff became the order of the day and Newton abbot had the steal over the Pats in this department. They were awarded a scrum just inside the Pats ten metre line and their scrum half Matt Newman broke blind and, with the Pats defence mal-aligned, went over for a soft try almost unopposed.
Pats led by 17 points to 10 points at the break and could now look forward to employing the twin advantages of wind and slope in the second half.
Their efforts seemed half-hearted and they were unable to generate any consistent momentum going forward with Newton Abbot claiming and controlling the majority of possession and bossing the turnover account at the breakdown.
Even the vastly experienced Matt Mudway at scrum half for the Pats was struggling at times to release quick clean ball from scrum, ruck and maul and it took something special for the Pats to score again. Fidler pinched a Newton Abbot lineout a few metres out and with the clean catch set and drive his excellence was rewarded with a good forwards try and a bonus point.
Pats sensed the twelve point cushion was not sufficient and then lost their marauding openside wing forward Marcus Brown who was yellow carded for retaliation when he took umbridge for being on the receiving end of a careless boot.
A man down at this stage was critical and from a five metre attacking scrum the visitors blindside wing forward Pete Mortimore dived over for a try.
Pats were almost punch-drunk and reeling under the non-stop pressure but in the final minute they had to admire a sensational try for the visitors flying winger Neil Johns who had been a thorn in their side all afternoon.
A touchline conversion would have levelled the scores but full back Josh Smith had no chance in the gale force tempest and Pats had sneaked over the line.
Star Player: Pats prop – Connor Thompson
By Bob Elli
