There was a real challenge for the Hornets at the Sports Centre on Saturday 3 October. They had to rebuild some confidence after unconvincing displays in the two previous matches against Tiverton and Truro. Having lost heavily to their visitors at the Sports Centre last season and having to make changes due to injury didn’t make the task any easier.

They lost to a better side in a sometimes bad-tempered match, punctuated by the use of the referee’s yellow card. Three players from each side spent time in the sin-bin, two of them in the first half and four in the second. However the display from the home pack, particularly in the set piece, must have gone a long way to give them encouragement. Strangely enough, despite their mid-table position, Hornets are still the league’s joint top points scorers with second placed Camborne.

Playing into the stiff breeze, Camels set out to use their back row to run at the home defence and create position for their backs. It paid off after only 5 minutes, when full back, Dan Briskham hit the line like an express train and sliced through the home defence to touch down under the posts. Fly half, Josh Taylor added the conversion.

Within three minutes, Hornets had forced a penalty 30 metres out in centre field that fly half, Chevy Reed put over to make it 3-7. However on 11 minutes Camels’ dynamic running set up another opportunity for Briskham to hit the line and he fed Tom O’Donnell, who went over to extend the lead. Taylor again converted. Camels’ skipper and No. 8, Ian Boyling was a real handful for the home defence and Camels spent the rest the first quarter in home territory. When Hornets got into the Camels half, on 20 minutes, the visiting backs were caught offside and Reed kicked his second penalty. Reed slotted another penalty after 36 minutes to bring the home side within one score, but uncharacteristically weak home defence let flanker Sam Stone run through for Camels’ third try in injury time at the break. Taylor did the honours with the conversion to make it 9-21.

The Hornets’ faithful saw the writing on the wall as Camels took the restart kick with the wind. However despite the touch down by wing, Ben May of a nicely judged kick from Josh Taylor that bounced around in goal and fooled the home defence five minutes into the half; that was the final try from the visitors. Then the match got scrappy, three Camels’ players and one Hornet went to the bin, but the Hornets got their scrum and lineout together and drove at their visitors in the loose and had their best period of the match towards the end. On 63 minutes the Camels, down to 13 men, were offside at a scrum on their line and the referee awarded a penalty try. Reed converted. Josh Taylor put over a penalty on 75 minutes when the Hornets backs were caught offside to extend the lead to 16-29. Camels pressed again but without result.

Scorers:

Newquay Hornets: Tries Penalty TryConversion Chevy ReedPenalties Chevy Reed (3)

Wadebridge Camels Tries Dan Briskham, Ben May, Tom O’Donnell, Sam Stone

Conversions Josh Taylor (3)

Penalty Josh Taylor

Newquay Hornets Team: Dan Pearce, Rob McIntyre, Jon Hyatt, Rob Ley (Captain), Tim Grainger (Adam Rainey), Chevy Reed, Marc Richards, James Bayley, Alex Woodley, Simon Lutey, Andy Burbidge, Paul Martin, Matt Orton, Luke Bazeley, Ben Ambridge, Mark Turton

Report by Richard Trewella