Sat 7 Mar 2026, 15:00
Regional 2 Tribute Ale South West
Ivybridge 17 Weston-super-Mare 71
Weston-super-Mare, fielding eleven players who had progressed through the Club’s junior ranks, secured maximum points from their trip to Ivybridge to remain unbeaten and 24 points clear at the top of the Regional 2 Tribute Ale South West table, writes Chris Heath.
The Devon side had gone into the match having only lost once at home this season, going down 41-38 to second-placed Tiverton in mid-January, but they were no match for a Weston side that outscored them 11 tries to three.
Weston played down the slight slope in the first half with a swirling wind mostly in their favour. The hosts kicked off and were immediately on the attack, but a superb turnover by Weston’s No.8 Nasili Ikahihifo gave the visitors a clearing penalty.
But the hosts kept up the pressure and were rewarded with an excellent try in the right-hand corner to open the scoring in the fifth minute through wing Alex Percival. The conversion from full back Charlie Teague was unsuccessful.
Weston hit back straight away when centres Marcus Nel and Alex Howman combined to put the latter away to stretch his legs and even up the scores. Fly-half George Nuttycombe was on target with the conversion to give Weston the lead.
Right-wing Keanu Ballard then competed tremendously for the ball, and from the resulting retrieve, Weston spun the ball wide to full-back Chris Young, who sped away for another try, converted by Nuttycombe.
Ikahihifo was then yellow-carded in the fifteenth minute for a no-arms tackle, but the Ivybridge penalty kick at goal from Teague was skewed left. Flanker Jacob Cox then scrambled a loose ball out to the Weston backs.
Young put left wing Hayden Main away for his thirty-fourth try of the season. Nuttycombe expertly converted. Weston were getting into the groove, although they were being frequently penalised by referee Neil Gill.
Ikahihifo was now back from his spell in the sin-bin, but Ivybridge eventually took advantage of Weston's poor discipline to reduce the arrears with Teague crossing for the hosts' second try, which he duly converted from the touchline.
Nuttycombe was then yellow-carded for persistent infringement by Weston in a wholly well-mannered game. The visitors then earned a rare penalty, which Young kicked into the twenty-two-metre area.
Weston attacked and were awarded another penalty, which was tapped, and the visitors laid siege to the home line, which led to a yellow card for the Ivybridge blindside flanker, Marcus Prout.
However, a knock on from the lineout ended the mistake-ridden first half with a whimper, with Weston taking a 21-12 advantage into the break but with both sides having a player in the sinbin.
From the restart, Weston went in search of a fourth try, and scrum half Jack Press moved the action down the blindside. After good work by second row replacement Callum Kingscott, the ball was spun right with Main crossing the whitewash in the corner.
A superb offload by Ikahihifo led to a brilliant second try for Howman, which was superbly converted by the now returned Nuttycombe. Weston scored another after a brilliant scrum by the visitors, and expert hands led to Main putting Howman away for his hat-trick under the sticks, making the conversion an easy one for Nuttycombe.
A cheeky move from a lineout then resulted in Ikahihifo scoring Weston’s next try and another well-judged conversion by Nuttycombe. Fantastic hands involving Nel, Howman, Young, and Main ended with the excellent ox going over for an unconverted try.
Ivybridge then hit back with an excellent try of their own through scrum half James Cantin, but Teague was off target with his conversion attempt. Another splendid try involving skipper Charlie Brabham, Nel, and Young ended with Main completing his hat trick.
Nuttycombe added the extras and, two minutes later, converted his own try having raced seventy metres after intercepting an Ivybridge pass. Another brilliant break-out try led to Howman’s fourth try, with Nuttycombe hitting the upright with the conversion attempt.
And that was that with Weston's second-half performance right up there with the best they have played this season. All eighteen members of the squad were fantastic, with Howman just edging the Man of the Match award.
Weston take a break from league action on Saturday [March 14] when they are scheduled to host the University of Bath in the Preliminary Round of the Webb Ellis Somerset Cup, with the winners progressing to a semi-final tie against Chew Valley at a neutral venue.
