ROBIN WEDLAKE was delighted to mark his return to the Plymouth Albion team with his first league try for the club.
The 21-year-old Cornwall winger scored Albion’s second try in their 27-8 home victory over Henley Hawks on Saturday.
Wedlake was making his first appearance of 2016 after a frustrating first season at Brickfields.
The former Redruth man started Albion’s opening three matches but then injured his ankle and only made two more starts prior to Saturday.
Wedlake is now hoping he can push on and finish the season well.
“I finally got my first try, which was really nice,” said the young winger. “It was a bit of a run-in, but it’s good to get it.
“It was nice to be back in the team. It had been a while since I had played – two months and one week for be exact. I had been counting it.
“But I’m back now and, hopefully, I’ve impressed and can get a bit more action.”
Wedlake admitted suffering an injury so early in his Albion career was frustrating.
“I have not really got injured much in my rugby career, so it was a bit of a shock really and a pain to be out for as long as I was,” he said. “But I’m back now and, hopefully, I can keep going until the end of the season.”
Wedlake knew there was pressure on him to perform on Saturday having waited so long for another chance and with so much competition for spots in Albion’s back line.
“There was big pressure,” he said. “I had not played in two months and everyone is expecting something, but once I got into the game and caught a few balls, I got my head down and felt all right.”
Albion had to play for 60 minutes on Saturday with 14 men after Marc Koteczky was red carded for foul play following a flare up on halfway, which also saw Henley’s Plymouth-born flanker Tom Hall yellow carded.
“It (Marc’s sending off) was a shame but I think the team dealt with being a man down well,” said Wedlake. “Everyone worked a bit harder.”
Albion are without a game this weekend. Their next match will be away at Darlington Mowden Park on March 5.
“It nice to have a week off having had a good win behind us,” said Wedlake.