Brixham fall agonisingly short in dramatic rugby loss at Launceston

It has already been a campaign of high drama for Brixham RFC, some nailbiting wins and also excruciating defeats, and Saturday’s trip to Launceston provided another gripping chapter to the story.

Playing the first half with a strong wind in their backs, the Fishermen exploded into the lead with a score from Kai Kidd. The solid boot of xxx Stead added the conversion and another penalty for a 10-0 advantage.

Brixham maintained their dominance with another score from the impressive Kidd, again converted by Stead, but Launceston sent out a warning of their future intentions with a try from the base of a ruck.

Back came the Fishermen and more excellent scrummaging laid the platform for Kidd to complete his hat-trick in the corner.

All was looking rosy in the Fishermen garden with a half-time score of 22-8 but the home sides immediately surged back into the game after the restart, punching a hole in the Brixham defence for 22-15.

The Fishermen were not helped by a serious of niggling injuries and having to shuffle positions on a few occasions, as Launceston piled on the pressure, eventually levelling the scores with a converted try.

The closing minutes were full of mistakes and infringements from two tiring teams. Stead had a penalty that fell just short before Launceston broke Brixham hearts with a try two minutes from the end.

Incredibly, the Fishermen worked their way back up the pitch and after a series of penalties, Jason Capaldi scored in the corner. It was a wickedly difficult kick for Stead to earn his team a draw and a great attempt, but the ball drifted narrowly wide to confirm a home win, 29-27.