Barnstaple 21 – 27 Lymm

Defence lays the foundation

Lymm made their way to North Devon this weekend to play Barnstaple, a side who had prevailed in both previous encounters between the clubs in the 2025-26 season. The Lymm squad showed two changes from the previous week with Josh Maskery returning to the starting XV and Alex Muckherjee taking a place on the bench. It was especially pleasing for the Lymm supporters to see Lymm fielding an unchanged back line for the 4th consecutive match – as were the weather and playing conditions which were in a stark contrast to the gale force winds and horizontal rain which blighted the fixture last December.

Barnstaple kicked off and for the next 20 minutes play never left Lymm territory. Helped by a string of penalties conceded by their visitors, Barum were able to throw all they had at the Lymm defence from a range of driving mauls, attacking scrums and short tap penalties. But, in true “Churchillian” fashion the Lymm defence held firm, winning turnovers, holding the ball up over the line and forcing errors from the increasingly frustrated home team. During this period, given the string of “red zone” penalties that Lymm had conceded, it seemed inevitable that the referee, Mr Parsons, would brandish a yellow card for team transgression and, 15 minutes in, it was Jack Stride who paid the price. Notwithstanding their numerical advantage, Barnstaple were still unable to breach the Lymm line.

Then when Lymm were finally able to break into Barnstaple territory, they did start to look threatening and on 22 minutes were awarded a kickable penalty opportunity, which skipper Tom Shard gratefully accepted. 0-3 after 22 minutes.

From the restart, Lymm made steady progress into the Barnstaple half and from another penalty award, set up an attacking line-out of their own. Fin Williams secured the ball at the back of the line-out. Tom Manaton then moved the ball to James Pitcher on the blindside whose deft inside pass to Rhys Lilly, found the Lymm No 8 in acres of space to run in unopposed and score under the posts. Shard easily converted to make the score 0-10 after 26 minutes.

Lymm were now restored to a full complement, and on 29 minutes added to their tally with a second, quite bizarre, try. From a scrum on the Barnstaple 10m line, Lymm moved the ball towards the left wing. However, the pass to, man of the match, Andy Williams, who had joined the line from the right wing, went behind the Lymm player. Cleverly (or maybe fortuitously (?)) Williams back-healed the bouncing ball over his head and into space behind the advancing Barum defensive line. Muckherjee, who had replaced Alfie Simpson, was the quickest to react; put a toe to the ball; and won the foot race to touchdown in the corner just ahead of the covering defender. With Shard’s conversion attempt missing the mark, the score was now 0-15 after 29 minutes.

Unfortunately, the Lymm defence was breached on the stroke of halftime when home No 8 Brandon Moore scored from a well-constructed driving maul. Winger Cameron Johnson added the extras. 7-15.

Half Time: Barnstaple 7 – 15 Lymm

The chatter on the sideline was whether that Barnstaple score would lead to a change of momentum in the second period. Clearly, it was agreed, that the next score would be crucial.

There was no need to worry on that score though as Lymm returned to the fray, full of purpose, scoring an excellent converted try within 2 minutes of the restart. Starting with a scrum 10m inside the Barnstaple half, Lymm secured the ball and went through a couple of phases with the forwards, before moving the ball to the right where Shard floated a lovely, long pass to winger Willimas who ran onto the ball at pace. After beating the first defender, he sped down the touchline, before passing inside to the supporting Jack Reynolds who scooted in to score under the posts. Shard’s conversion brought the score to 7-22 after 43 minutes.

Following a strong burst by Lilly into the Barum half, Lymm were awarded a scrum near the right touch-line. Slick execution by the backs of a training ground move had Williams joining the line off the blindside wing, splitting open the Barnstaple defence, creating sufficient space for the Lymm winger to cut a diagonal line and score near the left touchline. Whilst Shard’s conversion attempt failed, the score was 7-27 after 47 minutes and the try bonus point secured.

From a missed penalty kick to touch, Lymm were harshly adjudged to have knocked-on, presenting Barnstaple with a 5m attacking scrum, from which Moore forced his way over in the corner for his and Barnstaple’s second try. Johnson’s excellent touchline conversion brought the score to 14-27 after 59 minutes.

Barnstaple now had their tails up and set up camp in the Lymm 22. Similarly to the first 20 minutes, the penalty count against, repeated attacking line-outs and scrums ramped up the pressure on Lymm. Inevitably, on 68 minutes another team card followed, this time with Lewis Stewart the unlucky recipient. Shortly afterwards, Barum scored their third try through Johnson who came off his wing to exploit a defensive lapse by Lymm. The winger then added the simple conversion to bring the Devonians within one score at 21-27 after 74 minutes.

In the final knockings Lymm did almost add a 5th try. First Williams ran onto a kick to the corner behind the Barnstaple defenders, but this time a Devonian hand was first to touchdown. Then a Shard kick-pass to the unmarked Joe Heaton, was just a fraction too strong for the left wing to collect when he had an open run-in to the line.

Whilst the final moments were a little nervy, the match was largely played out in the middle of the pitch where a couple of excellent turnovers, firstly by Sam Dickenson and then Stride, served to halt what momentum Barum had built.

Full Time: Barnstaple 21 – 27 Lymm

This was an excellent win for Lymm on one of their longest journeys of the season which would, undoubtedly, have made the trip back to Beechwood seem a lot more bearable.

After the match, a happy Director of Rugby, Andy Davies, commented:

“Fantastic to get the first away win of the season. It felt like we hardly had the ball all game, so the win was mainly due to some of the defensive efforts, particularly in the opening 15 minutes.”

“It was great to be able to reward the many travelling fans who certainly made their voices heard and show the Lymm colours all the way down in Devon.”

Team: Ben Lilley (47); James Pitcher*(c) (117); Matty Hand* (141); Josh Maskery (14); Harry Wadsdell (5); Fin Williams* (7); Jack Stride* (44); Rhys Lilly* (99); Tom Manaton (53); Tom Shard* (170); Joe Heaton* (24); Jack Reynolds (56); James Hampson (4); Andy Williams* (34); Alfie Simpson* (59).

Bench: Logan Byrne (5); Dalitso Ngoma (22); Sam Dickenson* (19); Lewis Stewart (11); Alex Muckherjee* (5).

( ) = number of Lymm First XV League appearances

* Former Lymm Academy/M&J player

Man of the Match: Andy Williams

Referee: Ollie Parsons

Match Report: Andy Leach

Lymm’s next fixture is on Saturday 3rd October 2026 when they host Exeter University at Crouchley Lane, KO 2:15