Cinderford produced a thrilling and well-deserved victory over third-placed Barnstaple at the Bell Sports & Rugby Park, prevailing 41–24 in a match that had fans on the edge of their seats from the first whistle.
The visitors struck early, with Cameron Johnson crossing for the opening try. But Sam Smith made an instant impact, charging down the conversion attempt to deny Jacob Murphy his first points off the tee. Barnstaple quickly doubled their lead as Henry Sellick went over in the corner, with Murphy adding the extras to put the score at 0–12 after just seven minutes.
Cinderford responded with flair. Jack Condliffe’s perfectly timed chip put Sonny Greenman over the line, and Condliffe converted to get the hosts on the board. The match continued at a frantic pace, with Sam Smith producing an incredible solo try to level the scores, before second-row Reeve Brighty powered over to give Cinderford the lead, again converted by Condliffe.
Barnstaple fought back through scrum-half Jordan Petherbridge, whose chip-and-chase saw him dot down in the 24th minute, with Murphy adding the extras to make it 19–19 at half-time — a fitting reflection of a pulsating opening 40 minutes.
Half-time: 19–19
The second half began perfectly for Cinderford as Smith scored his second, with Condliffe adding the conversion. Barnstaple’s Ben Parsons then narrowed the gap with a well-taken try, making it 26–24 after 50 minutes.
From there, Cinderford began to assert control. Nathan Taylor’s try from a well-worked lineout move put the hosts further ahead, followed by another superb team effort as Josh Horrobin crossed for an outstanding score. The day was rounded off in style when Brighty touched down for his second, cementing a memorable 41–24 triumph.
It was a performance that highlighted Cinderford’s resilience, teamwork, and attacking flair, with key contributions up and down the squad. Against a tough Barnstaple side, the Forest team showed why they are a force to be reckoned with at home.
Scoring Sequence:
Cinderford: Tries – Greenman (10), Smith (12, 44), Brighty (15, 75), Taylor (53), Horrobin (65); Conversions – Condliffe (11, 16, 42)
Barnstaple: Tries – Johnson (1), Sellick (6), Petherbridge (24), Parsons (49); Conversions – Murphy (7, 25)