A Blues squad with four enforced changes to the squad from the win at Hornets slip up against a streetwise Camborne squad who out smart them and get a valuable four-point win.
Blues defeat and other results means they have slipped back into the third relegation spot

Dylan Stewart leads the team out to celebrate his 50th cap

Camborne kick off on a grey damp Saturday afternoon, the pitch wet and sticky, Blues return the kick allowing Camborne to run the ball and win a penalty which is kicked into touch in Blues 22, Blues steal the lineout and kick upfield, Camborne run the ball getting back into Blues 22 before their forwards take control and a series of pick and drives gets them over the line and win a penalty when they are held up, Dave Mankee slots the penalty 0-3 3mins

Blues restart kick is gathered by Camborne but Blues manage to steal in the tackle when the loose ball is kicked through by Blues, Camborne kick high and get a scrum when Blues knock on, Camborne win the scrum and again kick high, Josh Bartlett puts up a high kick and chases Camborne knock on, Blues gather and play the advantage but play comes back for a Blues scrum, Blues win their reset scrum and attack across the pitch then back but a knock on halts their progress, Camborne win the scrum but they knock on giving Blues a scrum just in Camborne’s half, Blues win a penalty at the scrum and elect to kick at the posts the long shot is just wide.
Camborne take the 22 drop out long Blues gather and run back into Cambourne’s half with a good Josh Love run, Blues spread the ball wide but cough up possession Camborne kick up field, Blues again run back at Camborne Josh Bartlett then puts up a high kick and is taken out late, Blues have a penalty 10m in Camborne’s half and they again elect for the long shot at the posts which falls just short, Camborne gather and run out of defence but get tackled into touch. Blues win the lineout and run but lose the ball at the tackle allowing Camborne to kick to touch on Blues 22, several kicks later Camborne make the break through when they split the fragmented Blues defence to score wide out on their left John Drew touching down the long conversion just wide 0-8 23 mins

Blues take the restart kick and again both sides play the kicking game, Blues err first when their kick sails straight out giving Camborne a lineout just outside Blues 22, Camborne put pressure on Blues defence through several phases of play in Blues 22 winning a scrum, Camborne win a penalty at the scrum when Blues shove to early, they kick to touch, again they win the lineout and maul up to the line but cannot score, they keep up the pressure through several phases and are rewarded with a penalty which Dave Mankee kicked 0-11 29 mins

Again, both teams kick probing the defences this time Blues Richard West ends the pin pong with a good kick into touch in Camborne’s 22, Blues win a scrum at the lineout and after some good forwards driving the ball reaches Alex Millar to crash over wide out on the left the long conversion just sails wide, 5-11 34 mins

The half ends after another series of kicks ends with Camborne knocking on in Blues 22 and Blues winning the scrum and clearing into touch

Time for the coaches to do their work in the dry of the changing rooms

***********

Blues unchanged kick off the second half and a good chase holds Camborne in their own 22, they hold firm and clear to touch just in their own half, Blues attack from the lineout but again a knock on halts their progress, Camborne win a penalty at their scrum and clear to touch deep in Blues half, lineout won Camborne attack and look dangerous winning a penalty which is kicked, a slip means the penalty is wide.
Blues take the 22 drop out long and after a couple of kicks Camborne are soon back in Blues 22 putting the defence under extreme pressure, a last gasp tackle from Toby Pearce takes them into touch on Blues 5m line and an injury time out, Blues concede a scrum at their 5m lineout and get a penalty which is kicked to touch, lineout won their forwards put severe pressure on the Blues defence which concedes a penalty and a harsh yellow card, again Camborne kick to touch and their forwards maul towards the try line but concede a penalty scrum

Stephen Ansell on for his debut Toby Pearce off 53 mins

Blues win their scrum and clear to touch on their 22, Camborne win the lineout and again put the Blues defence under severe pressure before Blues manage to steal the ball and clear to touch, Camborne win the lineout and their forwards make ground and are rewarded when after several phases they trundle over to score wide out on the left the long conversion is missed 5-16 58 mins

Kris Ford and Joe Pigott on Dylan Stewart and Graham Stewart off

Blues restart kick is not 10m so back for a Camborne scrum which they win and attack the Blues again but concede a penalty which Blues kick to touch. Lineout won Blues run then put up a high kick and chase but spill the ball, Camborne gather and run before kicking to touch, Blues win the lineout and after a brief run kick to touch in Camborne’s half. Blues steal the lineout and run making good ground through the backs out to winger Jamie Futcher getting into Camborne’s 22 before being tackled, Blues keep the ball live and spread the ball wide, play is brought back for a Blues penalty scrum and Camborne get a yellow card, scrum won Blues forwards attack, Alex Millar gets the ball and breaks the tackles to score his second try the conversion is wide, 10-16 65 mins

Blues lose the ball from Camborne’s restart kick and this proves expensive as Camborne mount another attack and after several phases of play with their forwards the ball is spread quickly wide for their winger Ben Tyler Guy to race down the touch line and score wide on the right the conversion is missed 10-21 69 mins

Blues have the best of the last 10 minutes but although they have chances they cannot break the Camborne defence and even when they get over the line they are held up so their efforts don’t even get them a losing bonus point, the ref blows the final whistle and Camborne have got the double over Blues in two close fought games.
This loss means Blues slip into the 3rd relegation spot and with some tough games with teams at the top of the league to come they need to get back on the winning trail, only 5 points separate 7th to 12th place

MOM double try scorer Alex Millar

Newbury Squad
Graham Stewart, Rob Drysdale, James Macauley, Duncan Craigen, Adam Neal, Dylan Stewart,
Ollie Spanswick, Alex Millar, Anthony Hackett, Richard West, Jamie Futcher, Josh Love,
Dan Thorne, Toby Pearce, Josh Bartlett, Stephen Ansell, Kris Ford, Joe Pigott

Blues now have a week off before a really important trip to Berkshire rivals Maidenhead and a must win game

Thanks to the mixed ages from Newbury’s minis for being Blues mascots

Thanks to the big Blues crowd who turn out to cheer the Blues

Report from Camborne’s website
Newbury Blues 10 - 21 Camborne
By Jeff Nicholas

Town victorious in Berkshire
Camborne ran out worthy winners in this vital south west premier league game at Monks Lane in Newbury. The two teams were only separated by points difference before the game but the new found spirit and commitment brought in by new Director of Rugby Liam Chapple was enough to clinch the win in this “8 pointer” of a game. From the kick off Town were on the attack and had a penalty awarded 5 metre lineout along with the chance of a catch and drive. However the throw went astray. This though set the scene for the initial stages. Both sides used the early exchanges to probe for weaknesses in the opposition. However the early pressure brought on by another lineout close to the line brought about an offside penalty decision to Camborne which Dave Mankee had no trouble in slotting over. Newbury at times with the ball in hand looked sharp and dangerous on the occasional missed tackle but the Town defence held firm. The game took on a kicking duel with both sides looking to put the ball deep in the other`s half and it was from one of these kicks, where Dave Mankee was replying in kind to one of these in his 22, that Town scored their first try, The ball was touched in flight from an attempted charge down. The ball fell straight into the arms of John Drew fully some 30 metres ahead and his onward charge with players around him saw initially Declan Matthews just held up on the line but it was Drew who was on hand to recover the ball and score. The conversion was missed. This stung Newbury into the Town half but they missed with two important penalties. However some pressure on the Camborne scrummage allowed dangerous no 8 Alex Millar to go over for their first try. Again the conversion was missed. Town responded and were rewarded with another penalty by Dave Mankee to make the half time score Newbury 5 Camborne 11. The second half saw Town in complete control with the visitors parked in the opposition`s 22 for long periods of time. Declan Matthews and Harvey Bell both made great breaks and could have scored but for some resolute Newbury tackles. The forwards generally were in control and a series of 5 metre line outs and catch and drives saw them going close on several occasions. It was from one of these line outs in the 60th minute that the ball was recycled and went along the line and Matt Blee found himself with room on the wing which he duly accepted to score Town`s second try. The experience of Rhodri Mcatee was seen in some fine running lines which kept Town on the attack. Newbury weren`t going to lie down and after a yellow card awarded to Matt Blee for a technical offence and with the home side exerting some rare pressure pressure on Camborne`s line Alex Millar scored his second for Newbury. However the Cherry and Whites were not to be denied and went on the attack themselves. Some good interpassing between forwards and backs saw the ball eventually reach Harvey Bell coming into the line from full back and his final pass saw Ben Tyler Guy with enough space to scamper over the line. Again the conversion was missed. Now with time running out Newbury threw absolutely everything they had at Camborne in a last ditch effort to close the gap, but some superb tacking kept the visitors out and even with some 5 minutes of injury time the home side could not add to the score and it was a joyous Camborne who eventually ran out winners and the coach trip home was a much happier feeling.
The win moved Town up the table to 8th position. However with only 5 points separating 6 clubs and with clubs in 8th, 9th and 10th all on the same number of points the season is far from finished.

Malcolm Tonkin
Camborne RFC Secretary

Match details

Match date

Sat 03 Feb 2018

Kickoff

15:00

Location

Newbury RFC

Competition

South West Premier

League position

Camborne

Newbury Blues

Team overview

Blues lose to the Cherry & Whites