Honiton denied action by A30 coach fire

Honiton RFC were left with no action on the second Saturday of March, writes Jerry Rice.

The first team’s scheduled game at Plymouth-based Old Public Oaks was abandoned with the A30 coach fire leading to traffic chaos that some of the Honiton vehicles – just 800 yards from the incident – were caught up in.

It all meant that, instead of journeying down the A38 Expressway to play the Tribute Cornwall and Devon game, many of the players spent almost three hours in traffic jams caused by the coach fire!

When the situation was eventually resolved, a combination of fading light and the fact that eight of the Honiton team were still an hour’s drive from the venue in Plymouth, the referee agreed to a match postponement and the game has now been rearranged for Saturday, March 31 (Easter Saturday).

Back at Allhallows, there was no scheduled action for the Lacemen 2nd XV, while all the junior games planned for the weekend fell to waterlogged pitches.

All the remaining matches were played in the Tribute Cornwall and Devon League. Table-topping Wellington won again, this time defeating visiting Withycombe.

Wellington played almost the whole game a man short following an early red card for Martin Walker. They went on to make four tries on their way to a 15th successive win and a 17th victory of the campaign.

Saltash are now sitting joint top of the table after they won twice over the weekend, following up Saturday’s 84-17 home mauling of Hayle with a super Sunday show against Torrington that saw them win 84-3.

Penryn sit third, just a point behind the top two – though they have played a game more than Saltash and Wellington – after a 50-7 win at Pirates

Honiton stay fourth despite not playing and they are back in league action on Saturday (March 17) with a trip to sixth placed Lanner, who were 18-13 winners at Plymouth Argaum last weekend.

When the Lacemen entertained Lanner at Allhallows back on October 7, it was the visitors who took the honours with a 20-13 success and that remains one of just five league defeats this season for Honiton.

That Lanner success in East Devon came on matchday five of the league campaign with the Lacemen having won each of their first four outings.

The only other games the Lacemen have lost this league season have been home and away to Penryn and also at Saltash and at Withycombe, the latter being their last defeat, 22-17 in January.

After Saturday’s trip to Lanner the Lacemen will have six games left to play in their league campaign. They host title-chasing Saltash at Allhallows on March 24 and then have that re-arranged trip to Plymstock Albion Oaks on March 31.

They play on each of the four Saturdays of April, visiting Tavistock (April 7), hosting Torrington (April 14) after which they visit Wellington (April 21) before ending their Tribute Cornwall and Devon campaign with an April 28 home meeting with Plymouth Argaum.