PROP Dan Pullinger says Plymouth Albion go into their Christmas break ‘buzzing’ after beating high-flying Hartpury College away on Saturday.
Albion became the first team to win at Hartpury this season when they deservedly triumphed 22-17 in National One.
That was Plymouth’s fourth straight league win and their seventh in nine games.
They have been rewarded with a week off before returning after Christmas to begin the second half of the season.
“We are absolutely buzzing,” said 21-year-old Plymouth-born prop Pullinger. “To go into Christmas with a big win over second in the league has put us in a very good place. That’s four wins in a row.
“We’ll stay positive into Christmas. We’ve got a nice week off and then we’ll get back into the grind.”
Pullinger was handed only his third league start of the season – and only fourth ever – for Albion against Hartpury.
He came in for the injured Ollie Dawe, who like James Penman, Dan Collier, Jake Murphy and Tom Putt all missed the game through injury.
“Although it took Ollie’s injury to get my place, it is nice to get an opportunity,” said Pullinger. “I think I stuck at it and I played the full 80 minutes.
“As soon as you get an opportunity you want to keep the shirt.
“Obviously, it is a shame for the boys that have got injured, but it shows they are going to have to work twice as hard to come back and get their shirts back.”
Pullinger has had to be patient as Albion’s front-row have been playing well over the last couple of months.
“It is good to have competition,” said Pullinger. “It makes you a better player. If you are training with people who are gunning for your shirt, then it does make you train and play better.”
Albion’s organisation, tactics and desire really stood out at Hartpury.
“We stuck to our game-plan,” said Pullinger. “We said we just had to play our game, not worry about what they’ve got, dominate our set-piece and keep possession, which we did.
“We tried to get four tries for the bonus point as well, but it was just good to get the win.”
Albion will be back in action on January 2 when they travel to last season’s runners-up Rosslyn Park.