THE Peninsula Medical School pulled off something of a surprise by winning the Plymouth Combination Rugby Sevens competition at a sunny King George V Playing Fields on Saturday.
Previous winners Plymouth Fijians, Devonport Services and Saltash were the teams that everyone was watching, but the Medics’ Squirrels A side came through to snatch victory with a 24-17 win over Services in the final.
The Squirrels A, Plymouth Fijians and Services had all topped their groups with unbeaten records.
Saltash were in the same group as the Fijians but reached the semi-finals courtesy of having the best record of all the runners-up.
The semi-final draw pitted holders Plymouth Fijians with Services and Saltash with the Squirrels.
The Fijians v Services clash proved to be a thriller with Services snatching a 17-14 victory with a try with the last play of the game deep in injury-time through Tom Richards.
The other semi-final was also tight, with the Medics edging out Saltash 26-24.
Services had produced an impressive display to pip the much-fancied Fijians in the semis but they could not quite reproduce that form in the final, with the student side taking a 12-0 half-time lead and never letting it slip.
Plymstock Albion Oaks won the plate competition by beating Tamar Saracens 38-14 in that final.
Oaks had only finished third in their group, behind Services and OPMs I, but progressed through to the final by beating Group C runners-up 29 Commando 33-21 in the semis.
Tamar Saracens, who had also finished third in their group behind the Fijians and Saltash, reached the final by edging out OPMs 33-28 in an exciting semi.
Twelve senior sides took part in the tournament, with St Columba & Torpoint, Saltash B, OPM Jesters and Squirrels B also competing.
Unfortunately, there were not enough colts sides to have a proper competition, but Saltash claimed that trophy.
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