Exeter 12, Rosslyn Park 11

An excellent pre-season tour for Park featured a friendly game against Division 2 Exeter at the County ground on a bright sunny afternoon.

The match programme earnestly trumpeted the fact that Exeter was an amateur club, playing the game for love rather than money, somewhat incomprehensible when 17 Rover cars were paraded around the ground with players' names emblazoned on the cars. It transpires that the club does not pay players for playing, it pays them for training!

Exeter had the benefit of a strong wind in the first half and almost scored in the eighth minute, save for a man-and-a-ball tackle by the fullback, Ed Dickenson, on the tighthead prop which forced a knock-on.

Four minutes later, however, Exeter deservedly took the lead as Park's defence let in the prop, Alvis, for a well-deserved try.

On 20 minutes with Exeter still pressing, another thumping tackle by Park new boy, Jeremy Cooke, forced his opposite number into touch as the winger dived for the corner.

Park levelled the scores 10 minutes later as Exeter received a dose of their own medicine and were rolled back 15 yards into their own line, but Park then knocked on over the line.

However, from the scrum, a huge shove by the Park forwards, stole Exeter ball and No 8 Simon Smith, levelled the scores at 5-5.

Shortly before half time Nick Marval was taken to hospital with a knee to the chest and was replaced by Tom Ashworth. The unfortunate Marval will be out for a month.

As half-time approached, Exeter were camped in Park's half of the field but the visitors' defence was sound, Graham Boardman, at openside flanker being outstanding.

The second half saw Park totally dominate save for one moment of aberration after 20 minutes with captain Rob Baxter claiming the score to make it 12-5.

Park pressure up front was causing havoc in the Exeter front row and successive penalties by Andy Holder reduced the deficit to one point.

Park then spurned two easy penalty opportunities, going for position, and two late penalty shots from Holder, one from the touch line, the other from 56 metres saw the home side scrape home. But the smiles were on the faces of the visitors as the final whistle blew. The omens for Park this season are good, the addition of Tim Jensen, a double Oxford Blue, at fly half, Jeremy Cooke, a recruit from Newbury on the wing and Simon Wyatt at outside centre from Wasps have given extra pace and ingenuity in the backs which should make Park a force to be reckoned with this season.

Roll on Otley on Saturday!

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000.Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.