Wadebridge 2XV 33 - Falmouth Eagles 1st XV 36

In their inaugural game in the Counties 2 Cornwall League, Falmouth Eagles held on for a narrow 33-36 victory over Wadebridge's second team alongside the River Camel, writes Jon Baglow.

The match began with dominance by the visiting team, especially at set-piece, and ended with a late comeback that earned both sides full bonus points.

The game kicked off with Falmouth taking an early lead through a penalty by Harvey Penhallurick, putting the Eagles up 0-3. Soon after, interim captain Ashley Searle's men extended their advantage when new signing Rohan Ewels crossed the try line, with Penhallurick adding the kick to make it 0-10.

Oscar Gay then powered over for another try, once again converted by Penhallurick, stretching the lead to 0-17. Onlookers may have expected a whitewash at this point, with Ewels looking especially dangerous when carrying into contact.

A crucial moment came before half-time when Penhallurick produced a try-saving tackle to preserve the lead. Wadebridge eventually broke through with a converted try just before the break, cutting Falmouth's lead to 7-17.

The second half began with a spirited comeback from the Camels, scoring an unconverted try to bring the score to 12-17. Falmouth responded with a crucial try from Ben Warwicker, converted again by Penhallurick to restore a 10-point cushion at 12-22.

Wadebridge began to grow in confidence, scoring again and closing the gap to 19-22, setting the crowd up for a thrilling league opener.

The Eagles' forwards, accustomed to facing down adversity from their time in the Western Counties West, responded to Wadebridge’s resurgence by applying pressure near the hosts’ try line. After repeated infringements by the Camels in the red zone, and repeated pleas from acting captain Searle for sanctions, Falmouth were awarded a penalty try, extending their lead to 19-29.

The final nail in the coffin – or so it seemed – came when Penhallurick made a brilliant steal, passing to Ben Warwicker, who fed prop forward Ewels for a sensational sprint to the corner. Penhallurick added the conversion to make it 19-36.

However, Wadebridge mounted a late surge, scoring two converted tries, the final one by Lewis, to pull within just three points. Despite this late rally, Falmouth managed to run out the clock and secure the win, with the final score standing at 33-36.

Falmouth may be disappointed to have let the hosts back into the game, allowing Wadebridge to gain two losing bonus points in what promises to be a competitive league. Conversely, they will be buoyed by an away bonus point win to open their campaign in their new league.

The Eagles now look ahead to next Saturday’s home clash against St Just, where they'll aim to remain undefeated.