Sat 28 Feb 2026, 14:00
People talk about teams that 'lose well' and this would be a fine way to describe the 1st XV performance on The Common on Saturday 28 February.
Coming into this game - against an in-form Brixham, who sit third in the table - you could have been forgiven for thinking that a drubbing was on the cards. We have a considerable number of players and coaching staff absent or unavailable through injury and work / family commitments, and we still need to put out two full sides each weekend. We had the benefit of a fallow week in grassroots rugby, whilst some of us made the trip to Twickenham to watch England perform... well... poorly! But would a week off allow us to pull one out of the bag? The sun was shining on The Common... and so anything was possible!
From the off, it looked like there might just be an upset! Fly-half, George Shakespeare, streaking down the wing and dotting down to make it 5-0 within a couple of minutes of the kick-off! Shakespeare then converted his own try and Brixham (who must have travelled with some confidence) looked rattled...
Twenty minutes of hard-and-fast and back-and-forth rugby ensued and the crowd on the touchline were treated to some fine displays of sportsmanship. We were playing downhill and with the wind to our backs in this first half, so we needed to establish a decent barrier to protect in the second half... We were not able to score, however, and then suffered a blow when our scrum-half, Will Grant, went off (and to the hospital) with a nasty gash to his leg. Some rearrangement on the pitch was required, and in the midst of us getting used to it, Brixham scored. Marlborough Rugby 7-7 Brixham RFC after 25 minutes of really good rugby in the sunshine!
Our on-field adjustment was incomplete, whereas Brixham were settling into their game. The visitors scored three times in quick succession to make it 7-26, before winger (in at scrum-half) Akariva Seruvatu scored a lovely solo try - dotting down under the posts to make the conversion easy for Shakespeare. Marlborough Rugby 14-26 Brixham RFC with just a few minutes to go until the break.
We were then awarded a penalty and Shakespeare stepped up to take it. Normally 100% at this range, his attempt fell uncharacteristically short and three points went begging. The referee (a very young official, who reffed an excellent game) blew up for half-time and the men of Marlborough gathered in the sun to draw breath and take on the coaches' exhortations - anything is possible at this point!
Half-time score: Marlborough Rugby 14-26 Brixham RFC
We go again; up the slope this time...
Brixham get on the board first, and we are on the back foot. But there is a never-say-die attitude in our camp and we keep pressing. Hooker, Jacob Te Rangi, is rewarded with his second try in two games with some powerful running ball-in-hand from just inside the opposition 22-metre line - great stuff! Sadly, Shakespeare couldn't add the extras, and so we still trailed, but by a reasonable 19-33...
The third quarter runs out and we have twenty minutes to make up the deficit. Brixham score, however, and it all looks a bit gloomy again. But then Shane Van Wyk, on the far wing, makes a break for it and evades a series of tackles to score a super try - also his second for the Club! Into a stiffening wind, Shakespeare puts the conversion ever so slightly wide, and we are looking at 24-40 with very little time left on the clock...
Brixham score again, taking them to 45. Nothing much left in our tank now, but a try bonus point would be an excellent outcome for the lads.
Steps up Seruvatu again and it's in the bag! A great run from him, topped off with a dive and forward roll right under the posts! Shakespeare can't miss - and doesn't! But that's it - no time left to earn a losing bonus point, but the wider point has been made - even against a top-three Club, we have the wherewithal to score and to score big. We just need to do it on repeat!
Full time score: Marlborough Rugby 31-45 Brixham RFC
Please see the excellent photos that come courtesy of Ian Thomas and Neil Goodwin via the 'GALLERY' tab on the website...
