On a day when Hurricane Dave wreaked havoc on most fixtures, the Chew Valley faithful braved the elements to witness a clash of two teams seeking to escape the wrong end of the league table. The return of club stalwart Tom Waddington added an extra layer of intrigue to a match that delivered drama, excitement, and, most importantly, Chew’s first league win of the season.

Chew Valley faced a selection headache, with Jack Monk (knee), George Chapman and Alex Monk (brain), and Dean Brooker (toothache) unavailable. The absentees were offset by the additions of Fraser Barker at hooker, Will Trick in the second row, and the returning Tom Waddington in the back row. Meanwhile, Tom Bryan became the team’s sixth player to try his hand at full-back this season.

Sidmouth, arriving in festive green kits to match Chew’s own, boasted a recent win over high-flying Launceston and were in no mood to gift points.

Chew kicked off into a blustery wind, attacking the clubhouse end, and it wasn’t long before full-back debutant Tom Bryan stamped his chaotic authority on proceedings. A missed touch finder, a conceded penalty, and an additional ten metres for backchat had the crowd grinning wryly at familiar woes. But moments later he redeemed himself with a superb solo try from halfway and converted it for a 7-0 lead.

Sidmouth hit back on 11 minutes, capitalizing on loose handling in midfield to close the gap to 7-5. Chew's response came swiftly, with Marcus Brooker delivering a trademark barnstorming run to cross the whitewash. Bryan added the extras for a 14-5 lead.

The half then shifted in Sidmouth’s favour, with Chew’s indiscipline allowing the visitors to use the wind effectively. Three unanswered tries, including one during a yellow card for Waddington, gave Sidmouth a 26-14 lead. A penalty from Bryan on the stroke of halftime reduced the deficit to 17-26

Chew’s forwards began to exert control early in the second half, and a dominant scrum in the 47th minute set the platform for Scott Parsons to score. Bryan’s reliable boot brought the score to 24-26.

But the sin-bin carousel continued as Ali Russell saw yellow for a contentious neck-roll on 55 minutes. Despite being down a man, Bryan kept his nerve to slot a 63rd-minute penalty and edge Chew ahead at 27-26.

As the tension mounted, Chew’s captain Reg was also sent to the bin, testing the referee’s patience with an ill-timed infringement. Sidmouth continued to press, but a resolute Chew defence held firm.

In the dying moments, Sidmouth were handed a golden opportunity to snatch the win. A penalty from in front of the posts seemed a formality, but as Tropical Storm Dan howled through the Valley, the kick sailed wide, allowing Chew to breathe a sigh of relief

Even with time ticking deep into injury time, Chew summoned a herculean defensive effort, culminating in a turnover that sealed their first league win of the season.

Chew now face a challenging away trip to Launceston next week, but this hard-fought result provides a valuable morale boost for the team and their supporters.