DHSOB in action during April’s RNEC Cup final (picture by Mark Andrews)

DEVONPORT High School Old Boys’ director of rugby Mike Freeman is hoping the club can regroup after their crushing 105-15 defeat at the hands of local rivals Old Techs in the David Butt Memorial Trophy.

The Old Boys agreed to fulfil last Saturday’s fixture, even though they only had 10 players.

They borrowed one novice player for Old Techs but could not persuade anymore of their visitors’ bench to have a run out for them and make the game more competitive.

They were also not helped by having two players sin-binned during the match.

But Freeman says the club have to try and put it behind them.

They are hoping the bulk of their Fijian contingent, who were missing last Saturday, will be available this weekend when they travel to fellow strugglers St Columba and Torpoint in the second round of the group stages of the new David Butt Trophy, which is a League Cup played in the first two months of the season to give teams in Devon One and Two more matches.

“We were really short of players on Saturday,” said Freeman, who said it was a similar story at the start of September last year but then they weren’t playing competitive matches.

“We were without most of our Fijians and university boys. Hopefully, the Fijians should be back this week.

“At least we fulfilled the fixture, which was the only heart-warming thing.

“Ilfracombe cried off when they were supposed to be at home to North Tawton and Salcombe refused to travel to Dartmouth.

“But we entertained Old Techs, when we could have packed our bags, but we don’t do that.”

Freeman admitted it was his club’s fault they did not have enough players but he was disappointed Old Techs were not prepared to make the game, which is not regulated like league rugby, more competitive my either lending them more of their bench or reducing the team sizes.

But he hopes his club will be much stronger when the sidess meet again at Weston Mill on September 24.

“We are planning a get-together at the club on Thursday,” said Freeman.

“We played Old Techs three times last year are they were all really close games.

“And we play them again in three weeks’ time and we must try and target that game. We need to regroup and sort ourselves out.”