IT is often said in sporting circles that winning and losing is habit forming and that was certainly the case at Bencoolen Meadow last Saturday. In dreadful conditions of steady rain which turned the overnight frosted ground into a quagmire, Bude, flushed with the confidence of two successive league wins under their belts, had the nerve to close out a tense nail biter of the game against Ivybridge, whose season appears to be going from bad to worse, after a promising start and now without a win of any kind since the end of October, writes Paul Cottle.

The game was anything but the high tempo points bonanza of seven days previous against Exeter Saracens, with much of the match involving a slog in the mud between the two sets of forwards, but it was certainly gripping fare for the hardy supporters of both sides and for the Seasiders another valuable four points, as they continue their steady rise up the league table.

For the visitors, at least they had the consolation of a losing bonus point, but it was scant consolation for their endeavours and they could so easily have claimed the lion's share of the spoils, with a touch more composure on the ball and if Bude's defence hadn't been so rock solid.

See this week's edition of the 'Post' for the full report, and a round up of the area news and sport.