Sat 4 Oct 2025, 15:00
Regional 2 Tribute Ale South West
Teignmouth 18 Weston-super-Mare 57
Weston-super-Mare wing Hayden Main ran in five tries, making it 12 in four games this season, as his side outclassed hosts Teignmouth to remain three points clear at the top of the Regional 2 Tribute Ale South West table.
Teignmouth went into the game in second place, but their visitors outscored them nine tries to two to continue this season’s unbeaten run. Playing with a stiff breeze behind them, Weston took an early lead.
Centre Marcus Nel produced a superb offload to put full back Alex Howman away for a thirty-metre gallop under the sticks, which fly-half Archie Tilsley converted. Teignmouth hit back with a successful penalty.
Weston were looking dangerous though, and following another Nel half break, he offloaded an inside pass to scrum half Ryan Watterston, who put left wing Main away for his eighth try of the season. Tilsley expertly converted from out on the left.
A tremendous clearance kick by No.8 Jacob Simpson, following a bout of mishandling, stopped the hosts from cutting the lead, but shortly after lock Ash Russell was yellow carded for a perceived deliberate knock-on.
The hosts were now camped on the Weston line, and following being awarded yet another penalty, they decided to take three points. The game began to get attritional, but a fantastic break by Howman and an offload to Main led to a yellow card for the hosts and an attacking scrum for Weston.
From there, Watterston's offload to Tilsley led to the talented fly-half producing a well-timed inside pass to put Main, who had ventured across in under the posts. Tilsley again converted to put the visitors fifteen points clear after nearly half an hour.
Teignmouth were up for the fight, though, and kept coming at Weston. Well-organised defence, however, kept them at bay, but the penalty count, for a variety of reasons, was ten to one in favour of the home side.
With Weston not taking advantage of the width on offer on numerous occasions, and when Howman was held up over the line, it looked as though Weston had spurned one too many chances with the first half nearing a close.
But in the final minute of the half, Weston were awarded a penalty which they kicked to the corner. Russell athletically caught the lineout, and hooker Adam Fisher crossed the whitewash from the catch and drive.
Tilsley again converted, and Weston had the bonus point in the bag. Wing Keanu Ballard was then yellow-carded for an identical misdemeanour as Russell; a very long half came to an end.
Prop Maison Turner, on his debut since joining from Hornets, entered the fray at the beginning of the second half with tighthead Gary Carpenter moving to hooker in place of Fisher.
Weston scored first in the second period when, after great work by Nel, Tilsley put Main away for his third. Teignmouth then took advantage of Weston's 14th indiscretion, according to the referee, by kicking to the corner. Following superb defence, Weston were adjudged to have infringed again.
But Tilsley produced a blinder of a clearance kick after Russell had nicked the lineout. Ballard was kept off after his yellow card expired and Jack Press went on at scrum half with Watterston relocating to the wing.
Weston, although dominant, were still conceding penalties and, from one Teignmouth kicked to the corner, a catch and drive looked to have scored in the opposite corner. But luckily for the visitors, Watterston was on hand to put his opponent in touch just shy of the line.
But Weston's luck ran out when a concerted effort by the hosts ended with a converted try to cut the visitors’ lead to twenty points with twenty minutes remaining. Straight from the kick off Nasili Ikahihifo sniffed a chance from the breakdown and went through for his first try for the club.
Tilsley added the easy two points. Weston were now at their free-flowing best, and after the excellent Jacob Cox had gathered the restart, the ball was spun wide, and centre Cameron Maslen raced away for another Weston try.
Teignmouth hit back with another catch and drive following another penalty, which was not converted. With ten minutes to go and some more good play by both sides, another penalty went against the visitors, but a strong defence kept the hosts at bay.
After another barnstorming run by Nel, Russell was held up just short of the line, allowing Main to dive over for his fourth. The try-machine then galloped away for his fifth after more good work by Nel. Tilsley converted them both.
It was a tremendous eighteen-man effort, Cox and Ikahihifo were quite outstanding, as were Nel and Howman in the backs, but it was the prolific Main who earned the Man of the Match award with his five tries, adding up to his twelve for the season in just four games.
