Combe Down  38 - 7  Wiveliscombe

Sat 1st October 2008

Somerset 1

Combe Down cruised to victory at home on Saturday in a free-scoring game against Wiveliscombe. 

It only took the hosts two minutes to get off the mark, Zak Ellis touching down, although he was unable to make the conversion.

A missed penalty by Ellis could have furthered their lead but it was the visitors who scored next, opportunistically cashing in after confusion in the Combe Down defence.

The home side reacted impressively and increased the pressure before the interval scoring three more tries, Jason Maggs and Graham Chignell amongst the scorers, giving Combe Down a 26-7 half-time lead.

Despite controlling the second-half, it took the hosts fifteen minutes from time to get on the scoreboard again, James Lampe with the try.

The win was completed with a score from Dave Cobb, giving the home side a convincing win.

Somerset Vase first round

Tuesday 28th October 2008

Combe Down  18 - 3  Avonvale

Combe Down progressed through to the second round of the Somerset Vase on Tuesday night after beating Avonvale in testing conditions in front of their home support.

After and evenly-fought opening in which both sides had their share of possession, Avonvale made the breakthrough with a penalty kick. Combe Down responded through a Zak Ellis penalty, making things all square at the interval.

The home side turned the screw in the second-half and were quickest out of the blocks, scoring almost instantly through a try from Ellis who capitalised on a mistake by the opposition’s nervous back line.

A darting break from Sam Samson added to the hosts’ tally whilst a further penalty from Ellis rounded off the scoring for Combe Down.

Courtesy of the Bath Chronicle

EXPERT HELP BOOSTS DOWN

10:00 - 17 April 2008

Combe Down coach Steve Pratt says the club's recent links with Bath Rugby have paid huge dividends after seeing his men notch up a 15-0 win at Imperial in Tribute Somerset 1 last Saturday.Tries from wing Ryan Maggs and Graham Chignall and a conversion and a penalty from Zak Ellis saw the Downers triumph in Bristol.

Pratt said: "It was a typical old Bristol side, with a big pack, against the youngsters of Combe Down and we did very well.

"We kept the ball away from their pack, the three-quarters did well and there was some great defence.

"We've had sessions with Steve Meehan, Mark Bakewell, Brad Davis and Alex Crockett from Bath this season and it has been so beneficial," he added.

"The players have really responded and it has shown in their performances over the past few weeks."

The Downers host Keynsham 2nd in their last game of the season on Saturday, while city rivals Old Culverhaysians have a mid-table battle with Bristol Barbarians.

PAPPADAKIS LEADS DOWNERS TRY RAMPAGE

03 April 2008

Combe Down Combe Down chalked up their biggest Tribute Somerset 1 win of the season last weekend when they hammered bottom-of-the-table Martock 65-0 at Hollies Corner.The rampant Downers ran in 11 tries, with hat-trick hero George Pappadakis leading the way with a touchdown treble, Will Samler bagging a brace and Simon Travers, Jason Maggs, Elliott Bowler, Zac Ellis, Graham Chignell and Ryan Maggs scoring a try apiece.

Jason Maggs and Zac Ellis shared the goal-kicking duties and added five conversions between them during the rout.

"We played some great rugby in awful conditions and now we want to win our last two games at Imperial on Saturday week and against Keynsham 2nd at home the week after to finish the season on a high," said skipper Sam Hyden.

Combe Down 2nd, meanwhile, secured the second promotion spot in Dorset & Wilts 3 West with a 67-5 victory against Salisbury Exiles.

Defying the atrocious conditions, the Hollies Corner back line ran in eight tries at The Sulis Club and, with Frome 3rd losing away to North Dorset 4th, the anticipated showdown between the clubs in two weeks' time at Gypsy Lane, Frome, is now a mere formality.

6th March

 

Combe Down took the fight to Tribute Somerset 1 promotion hopefuls Wiveliscombe last Saturday before the Hollies Corner outfit eventually succumbed to a narrow 10-7 defeat.Safe from relegation after an encouraging recent run, the Downers have performed well against sides in the top half of the division in recent weeks.

But they trailed 10-0 to Winscombe at half-time after conceding unconverted tries from Rob Hill and Eamon Bingham playing into the strong wind.

The visitors then fought back hard in the second half to push Wivvy all the way, notching a touchdown from wing Elliott Johnson which got them back into the contest.

Zac Ellis kicked the conversion to cut Wiveliscombe's lead to just three points, but the away side held on to take the points which left them five points adrift of league leaders Burnham on Sea.

Combe Down, meanwhile, are ninth and six points clear of the second relegation slot ahead of another away date with a promotion-chasing side, second-placed North Petherton on Saturday.

Combe Down 2nd beat hosts Westbury 2nd 46-7 to stay on course for promotion from Dorset & Wilts 3 West as runners-up behind champions Avonvale.

The Downers' second string are tied on points with third-placed Frome 3rd but boast a vastly superior points difference with two games to play and the two sides still to meet on the final day of the season

DOWNERS ROMP PAST CREWKERNE AT HOME

10:00 - 14 February 2008

Combe Down Combe Down produced the best performance and the biggest win of their Tribute Somerset 1 campaign to date with a 42-0 rout of visiting Crewkerne last weekend.Now well clear of the relegation zone, the Downers travel to league leaders Burnham on Sea this weekend hoping to prove that their recent revival is no fluke.

"Burnham will be a tough test but we've won our last four on the bounce and we haven't lost in 2008, so the mood in our squad is excellent," said skipper Sam Hyden, who missed out last weekend with a knee injury.

"Jamie Knight skippered the team against Crewkerne and the lads did a great job for him.

"They are bottom of the table but they battled hard and we had to play some good rugby to stay on top of them all the way through the game."

Two tries from Simon Travers and one apiece from Elliott Bowler, Zac Ellis, Ryan Maggs and Elliott Johnson did the damage against Crewkerne with Ellis and Jason Maggs sharing two penalties and two conversions.

DOWN BUILD UP MOMENTUM

10:00 - 07 February 2008

Combe Down Skipper Sam Hyden wants Combe Down to step up their drive away from the Tribute Somerset 1 relegation zone by adding a home win over Crewkerne this weekend to last Saturday's deserved 15-12 away win over second-placed Nailsea & Backwell.Tries from lock Darren Bull and scrum-half Jamie Knight and a conversion and a penalty from Jason Maggs earned Combe Down their second win over a top-four side in recent weeks.

But Hyden insists his side must not get carried away going into this weekend's Hollies Corner date with second-from-bottom Crewkerne.

"We were in the bottom two not so long ago and we have shown that it's possible for sides under pressure to put together results and climb away from danger," said Hyden.

"We're as good as safe now and what we mustn't do now is throw Crewkerne a lifeline this weekend by being complacent.

"We beat Nailsea by playing good rugby down the slope at their place in the first half to lead 15-0 and then defending well in the second half.

"We've built some momentum and we've got to keep proving that results like that are not flukes."

HYDEN UP FOR NAILSEA TEST

10:00 - 31 January 2008

Combe Down Downers skipper Sam Hyden has called on his side to keep pushing hard for wins to make sure they cannot be dragged back into the Tribute Somerset 1 relegation zone.After making a slow start to the season, Combe Down put back-to- back wins together for the first time this season last Saturday with a 26-10 home win over Bristol Barbarians.

Their convincing win over another side lying above them in the table, courtesy of tries from Jamie Knight, Elliot Johnson, Ryan Maggs and Paul Naylor with Zack Ellis kicking three conversions, came hot on the heels of a victory over Old Culverhaysians.

This weekend, the Downers face a re-arranged trip to league leaders Nailsea & Backwell.

"Beating Nailsea on their own patch will be a tall order but we'll be giving it a real go," said Hyden.

"We're probably safe from relegation now, but we have to keep going until it's mathematically certain that we can't be dragged back.

"We're playing the kind of consistent rugby now which we've been trying to play all season and having a stronger squad and consistency on the selection front is making a big difference."

Combe Down 2nd, meanwhile, beat Dorset & Wilts 3 West hosts North Dorset 4th 46-5 to set up an away showdown with league leaders Avonvale on Saturday week.

Will Samler, 17, took on the kicking duties and he missed just one shot at goal in a man-of-the-match display.

RUGBY WINS DAY IN DERBY AT COMBE DOWN

Two tries from centre Billy Withers and one from Graham Chignell made sure Combe Down grabbed the early Tribute Somerset 1 bragging rights in last Saturday's derby clash with Old Culverhaysians.Zac Ellis kicked a conversion and a penalty and Jason Maggs kicked another conversion to see the Downers home 20-16 at the end of a game which winning coach Steve Pratt described as "a brilliant contest".

"The biggest winner was rugby because both teams played well, looked after the ball when they had it, defended well when they didn't and looked to get it wide," said the delighted Downers coach.

Combe Down's win hauled them further away from the relegation zone ahead of this weekend's Bath Combination Cup date with Stothert & Pitt at Adamsfield.

"That's got the potential to be another great game between two sides with a lot of history between them," said Pratt.

"As a country boy, I'm still learning about what these derby games mean to the clubs in Bath but, hopefully, rugby will be the winner again this weekend."