Chiefs Set Standard

The Chiefs made the arduous cross county trip to Ilfracombe without a handful of regulars. Squad players stepped up and with a reshuffle meaning Mike Hunt selected in the centres, the team still had a good balance about it.

Argaum started slowly and Coombe, predictably played a forward orientated game. When the Chiefs got the ball out wide, they looked Dangerous.

A great strong running line from Daniel James saw him burst through to score from 40 meters. The second came courtesy of a great counter attack from winger Paul Ansell. Collecting a high ball at the back, Ansell scythed through the oncoming defence to eventually offload to Kal Bloomfield, who raced home in the corner. Ansell slotted the extras from the touchline.

On the brink of halftime, an Argaum penalty on Ilfracombe's 22 was taken quickly by Ellery Jones who snaked through to score under the posts. Ansell somehow missed the conversion in what was otherwise a superb performance with the boot.

The second period was a sluggish affair. The weather deteriorated and the referees whistle was working overtime. Every breakdown seemed to end up in a penalty, usually against the Chiefs, but Ilfracombe simply couldn't capitalise.

Mason Edwards scored midway through the second half, but it was the flurry of tries at the end which hiked up the score. Ilfracombe's discipline went and with two in the bin, Argaum turned the screw. Ansell, Jones and Mike Hunt finished the rout.

Good spirits after the game bode well for the second leg, in which Argaum will be hoping to welcome back some of thone missing today.