Sat 4 Jan 2025
The first game in 2025 saw the CABs hosting struggling Devon outfit, Ivybridge on a bitterly cold and damp January afternoon. The CABs were led on to the pitch by Cam Fogden, who was playing his 50th game with the club and what a fitting day that he ended up with a first half hat-trick of tries and a Player of the Match bottle of red wine!!
The focus for the CABs was to back-up their terrific win, at Exmouth and keep the heat on the top teams. Both teams were playing with decent tempo and running the width of the pitch looking for weak spots in each other's defence which they could exploit. A series of handling errors and unnecessary offside penalties kept on hampering the CABs and giving Ivybridge red zone territory but the Cornishmen held them back with some outstanding defence which became a theme throughout. Their tackles pushed them further and further back, gaining meterage. 11 minutes in, George Hillson - the Blacks scrum half - kicked the ball into touch, sending it flying up the pitch to gain good territory. There was a lineout on their 22-yard line that the CABs won. The ball was spun to Ollie Bebbington on the left wing, who almost scored a try, charging through Ivybridge's defence, but they managed to tackle him only a few yards away from the try line. From the following maul, Cam Fogden dived over the line and dotted the ball down after slipping through a gap in their defence, for his first. George Hillson added the extras to make the score 7-0 to the Cornish All Blacks. Launceston were starting to use their extra power to create many opportunities for themselves, taking advantage of the visitors' youth and callowness. 30 minutes into the second half, Cam Fogden scored another try, out running and side stepping players before dotting the ball down over the line. Hillson then kicked the conversion to make the score 14-0. 3 minutes after this, Ollie Bebbington chipped the ball over the visitors, sprinted past them all, and dived on it over the line, scoring an incredible try, but the conversion was missed. 2 minutes after this try, Fogden made another break through the opposition and sprinted to the tryline, and scored a hat trick on his 50th appearance. George Hillson them converted it to make the score 26 to the CABs and 0 to Ivybridge.
The major talk at half-time was to now push home the clear advantage and avoid giving any needless penalties. However, this soon went out the window with 6 penalties conceded in the first 9 minutes of the second half, including a breakdown yellow card offence by James Tucker and a penalty try award. Straight from the re-start, the CABs earned a penalty and from the ensuing 5m lineout, No 8 Brandon Rowley then scored a try not long after this, leaping over the line, and George Hillson kicked the conversion with his reliable boot. With over 400 people watching and the rain pouring down, the game was starting to get very messy and stop-start. Charlie Short was brought on for the Blacks, playing his first game back after his injury and bringing fresh legs to the team and more power in the scrum. 24 minutes into the second half, George Hillson caught the ball at the centre line and ran all the way down the pitch, skipping and weaving past Ivybridge's players, he missed the conversion to make the score 38-7 to the Blacks. Zerran Hammond was subbed on the pitch as the rain still poured down and the temperature falling as the game played on, along with Tyler Westlake to make his debut. On 39 minutes in, George Hillson was sinbinned close to the Blacks tryline, which pretty much summed up the CABs second half showing. 18 penalties and 10 turnovers, in admittedly worsening conditions, really halted any momentum for the CABs to rack up a decent score, allied to some really committed play by Ivybridge.
For the CABs it was a decent hit-out to extract any cobwebs from the festive break along with easing a few players back into the fray; Charlie Short and Captain, Tom Sandercock especially. The result, along with Barnstaple edging out Exmouth resulted in the CABs moving up one place in the league. However, the CABs are very aware that the next four games are going to be the proper tests (three of which are on the road, including Barnstaple) . Next sees the CABs at Marlborough and the Castles return to league action with a top of the table clash against Camborne IIs.
