DEVONPORT Services ended 2023 in style by claiming their biggest win of the season to move to the top of the South West Premier table.
Services ran in nine tries to beat St Austell 60-5 away, with winger Harrison Coonick bagging a hat-trick at Tregorrick Park.
That result followed on from 48-7 victory over Okehampton the previous week.
And, with Barnstaple edging out Chew Valley 20-19 on Saturday, Services will start 2024 at the summit of the league.
“We were good,” admitted Services head coach Ben Russell on his team’s performance in Cornwall.
“St Austell threw the kitchen sink at us in the first half, but our defence was outstanding
“Then we were just really clinical in the second half. We moved the ball well and pretty much tore them apart. We could have had more as well – we did leave some points out there.
“It was even better than last week.”
Russell admits his side could do without having a three-week break now.
“We are just starting to click and we have played some exceptional rugby in the last two weeks and have been scoring from every part of the pitch – from scrums, line-outs, team plays,” he said.
“Ideally, we would like to play all the games now while we are on form, but it is what it is.
“We have to come back after Christmas and dig in and front up as we have got a big January coming up.”
Although Services have been running in tries for fun the last couple of weeks, it is their defence that has pleased Russell the most. They are now the meanest team in the league.
“In the first five games we conceded 134 points, but in the next seven games we have only conceded 83,” said Russell.
Matt Neyle, stepping in to play fly-half on Saturday, got Services underway with a fine try in the first minute.
Tom Davies scored Devonport’s second in the 28th minute before Neyle kicked a penalty four minutes before half-time.
But in the second half Services really turned on the style with the dangerous Coonick going over for three tries, with Tom Davies adding another, to go with one from Freddie Davies, Rikki Benthem and Aiden Taylor. Neyle kicked six conversions and a penalty.
Ivybridge missed out a vital win away at relegation rivals Matson on Saturday.
The Bridgers, who had narrowly beaten Weston-super-Mare and Lydney in their previous two games to move out of the bottom two, agonisingly went down 17-14 in Gloucestershire.
It means that second-from-bottom Matson are now just one point behind them with two games in hand.
Head coach Davy McGregor felt his team definitely did not get the rub of the green on Saturday.
“When you are away from home you want to get a bit of the rub of the green, but it was ridiculous,” said McGregor. “I think we had two or three tries disallowed, but it is what it is.
“We stayed in the fight and at least got a bonus point.”
He added: “The pitch was a mess and we just didn’t play it or the conditions better than they did.
“After Christmas we have a home game, which is where we play better.”
Charlie Teague scored Ivybridge’s only try at Matson in the 63rd minute, with Matt Grieveson kicking the rest of their points.
COUNTIES ONE WESTERN WEST
COREY JAMIESON scored four tries as Plymstock Albion Oaks beat Pirates Amateurs 42-27 at Horsham Fields to end the year at the top of Western West.
With second-placed Tiverton missing out on a bonus point in a 19-5 victory over third-placed Kingsbridge, it means Oaks will start 2024 six points clear at the top.
Oaks scored six tries in total on Saturday, with Miti Caqara and Lewis Paterson also crossing the whitewash. Paterson kicked the rest of their points.
“It was a good game of rugby and the boys played well,” said Oaks’ Mark Lenthell.
“The Pirates had a good side out and they played well as well.
“We were always pretty comfortable to be fair. We allowed them to come back into the game a little bit, but they did score some good tries.
“Considering it was drizzly conditions it was a really good game of rugby.”
Tavistock have stayed in fourth place, despite a 25-14 home defeat to Paignton, who are now just a point behind them with a game in hand.
“It was disappointing to lose, but we have no complaints,” said Tavistock head coach Joel Caddy.
“We were the second best team on the day. The only grumble is that we didn’t not play to our potential and we were our own worst enemies at times.
“Beforehand I said to the players that the game would be decide on who made the fewest mistakes and unfortunately it was us that made too many mistakes and you can’t afford to do that against a decent side.
“But I’m not going to complain too much as I think we are probably achieving more than some people expected us to do.”
Tavistock, without captain and top scorer George Hillson, were only 8-7 behind at the break, but Paignton opened up a gap second half.
Tavistock were awarded a penalty try in the first half before Andrew Schuttkacker scored a second try in the second period.
COUNTIES TWO DEVON
DEVONPORT Services II have matched their first team by ending 2023 at the top of their league.
Services II scored four late tries to see off city rivals OPMs 48-17 at Keyham on Saturday.
The final score probably gives the impression that it was a one-side game, but midway through the second half it was only 22-17 and OPMs thought they had pulled level when Billy Garratt forced his way over the whitewash only for the referee to rule he had been held up.
Within three minutes of that moment Services II scored a stunning length-of-the-field effort to open up a two-score lead before scoring three tries in injury-time.
OPMs head coach Andy Williams was very frustrated afterwards.
“I don’t want to say too much but I have been in rugby a long time and the rules that I think are the rules are not the ones I see applied on Saturdays. We have such varied referees,” he said.
“But fair play to them (Services II). In the first five minutes they were trying to run it from behind their own posts so they were really intentional in what they wanted to do.
“And the pitch definitely suited them and didn’t suit us, but credit where credit is due.
“They are a South West Premier team and about half of their boys have been involved in their first team this year and it’s a good standard of rugby, but, as always, we didn’t stop running.”
OPMs did dominate the scrums on Saturday, but Services backs always looked dangerous on the artificial pitch at Keyham, where the game had been moved by Devonport.
“We have a dominant scrum and we have worked really hard to get that but there’s just other areas of our game we just need to keep working on,” said Williams.
Services II opened the scoring in the sixth minute when winger Sam Fincham scored a fine try down the right.
Two minutes later Matt Smale missed a penalty to cut the gap and three minutes later Callum Morgan had a try ruled out in the right corner. However, OPMs did get a penalty and opted for a five-metre scrum. From the set-piece they went wide to Morgan on the right again. He was stopped right on the try line, but the referee decided he had been stopped illegally and awarded a penalty try and yellow carded former OPMs player Ethan Millard.
However, despite being a man down, Services II went back in front with a catch-and-drive try courtesy of prop Yianni Costas, which Tom West converted.
Both teams were making mistakes and there was plenty of turnovers in the wet conditions.
The Old Boys regained the lead on 25 minutes when number eight Matt Gigg scored from the back of a five-metre scrum after some good kicking had caused Services to knock-on right on their try line. Matt Smale added the conversion to put his side 14-12 ahead.
But right on the stroke of half-time there was a crucial decision that went against OPMs when Services II were awarded a penalty try and the visitors were reduced to 14 men for 10 minutes.
Everyone was confused about what had happened as Services II appeared to have knocked on before the loose ball was kicked forward. Most of the players were expecting the referee to blow up and give OPMs a scrum, but he didn’t and Fincham chased the ball but was stopped just short. However, the referee felt they had been some foul player on the floor after Fincham was stopped and ran under the posts to give the penalty try.
The OPMs players certainly were not happy, but they cut the gap to two points 14 minutes into the second half when Matt Smale kicked a penalty.
However, that was almost instantly cancelled out by one by West at the other end.
Then in the 63rd minute Garratt was ruled to have been held up and then the game turned when Charlie Groves finished off a stunning length-of-the-field effort that was started by Tyler Busfield in his own half before Billy Sutton got the ball out wide and Toby Lean did well before the ball found its way to Groves, who powered down the left before running in under the posts. West converted to make it 29-17.
And that was how it stayed until the 80th minute when Isaiah Akinworo went over for another try near the posts.
Most people thought that was going to be the last play, but the referee decided there was plenty of injury-time and Services II added two more converted tries in the space of two minutes courtesy of their dangerous backs.
First, Sutton went over before Fincham bagged his second with another great backs move featuring Groves.
OPMs, who did struggle a bit with their line-out on Saturday, stay in ninth place and did not lose any ground as all the teams around them also lost.
Plymouth Argaum, who are one place and one point behind OPMs, were beaten 55-0 away at fourth-placed Withycombe.
Argaum had travelled to Exmouth with lots of players missing and although they battled hard in the first half, eventually Withycombe’s strength told in the second period.
“It was a very tough afternoon,” said Argaum head coach Dean Avery.
“We took up a scratch side. I was really proud of the guys that stepped up. They did a good job.
“We managed to hold them to 19-0 at half-time, but unfortunately in the second half the floodgates opened a bit. We ended up with about four forwards in the backline.
“But I am so grateful that we managed to get a side to go up.
“To be honest, we weren’t expecting to get anything out of the game, but I was disappointed we didn’t get a score.
“However, it’s done now and we are just looking forward to 2024.
“For us now it is all about regrouping in the new year. We are still getting good numbers at training and everyone is positive.”
New backs coach Eddie McGinley was on the sidelines on Saturday and there is a chance he might also pull on his boots in the new year.
George Doughty and Max Rickards both bagged hat-tricks for Withycombe, with Luke Pattison, Liam Daniels and Joe Blyth also crossing.
Basement side Ivybridge II did manage to get a team out this week, but they were beaten 32-19 at home to Exeter Saracens.
In Counties Two Cornwall, Saltash’s away game with Veor was postponed due to an unplayable pitch.
COUNTIES THREE DEVON SOUTH & WEST
TAMAR Saracens’ hopes of catching Dartmouth took a major blow as they were beaten 3-0 at home by Salcombe.
In a far from classic encounter, the South Hams club scored the winning penalty in the final 20 minutes.
Sarries’ Pete Lethbridge said: “It was a dire game.
“We had a few pull-outs on the morning and Joey Pook had to play hooker so we didn’t have a proper thrower and no dedicated goalkicker.
“Fair play to Salcombe they probably just out-fought us. We had pressure and played well in spells, but it was not enough.
“Since the Dartmouth game I think we have lost a bit of confidence.
“It was another frustrating game, but we’ll take this break and hopefully we can refresh our batteries and just go out there and enjoy it and play with some freedom in the new year.”
Sarries had hoped that maybe Old Techs could do them a favour away at Dartmouth.
But Techs, who had pushed fellow top four sides Sarries, Brixham II and Paignton II right to the wire in their last three games, travelled to Dartmouth with a real makeshift team and were beaten 51-5.
“We were understrength and so going away from home to Dartmouth was always going to be tough,” said Techs’ Shaun Bedford-Smith.
“But we managed to get 17 players to fulfil the fixture. It was just one of those weeks.
“And we can’t say enough about the players that did go.”
He added: “We’ve had a tough run of games – we’ve played the top four in the last four weeks – but we’ll regroup and hopefully get players back and be ready to go in the new year.”
Plympton Victoria also returned empty handed from a trip to the South Hams as they lost 29-5 to Kingsbridge II.
Plym Vic had lost 50-5 at home to them so it was an improvement, but chairman Chris Hunt felt they could have done better.
“They were the better side and had some strong runners as you would expect when they have a first team at the level they do,” he said.
“I don’t think we acquitted ourselves as well as we could defensively.
“It was okay, but we probably should have done better – and we probably would have done if we had played the first half like we played the second.”
He added: “We were 22-5 down at half-time but they only scored one try second half.
“I don’t think we played badly. You would say it was okay and all right, but not quite as good as we can play.
“However, the lads are still feeling pretty chipper and they are seeing improvement, but they also see where more improvements could be made.”
Jordan Blair was given Plym Vic’s score just ahead of Brad Hennicker, who thought he had scored his first try.
Plymstock Albion Oaks II did get a win to end the year with as they beat bottom side Totnes 51-12 away. Chris Dunstan scored four tries for Oaks II, with Owen Koehler getting two and Jon Baldwin-Nygaard, Luke Austin and Sam Luke also on the try-scoring sheet. Joe Spencer kicked the rest of the points.
COUNTIES THREE CORNWALL AND ARMADA LEAGUE
In Counties Three Cornwall, 10th-placed Saltash II secured a crucial 29-16 home win over Roseland.
The wet and muddy conditions led to many errors for both sides especially for the home team and Roseland had the slight edge in the pack during the first half.
Saltash took the lead after only five minutes when Charlie Knight scored a well-worked try, but their lead was short lived as Roseland soon came back with their own converted try.
Play was even and at times scrappy until Steve Hillman went through the visiting defence from halfway to touch down with a great individual try and edge Saltash 10-7 in front.
However, a penalty for Roseland on 32 minutes levelled the scores at the interval.
Ollie Crawford got the second period off to a good start for the Ashes after two minutes when he converted his own try.
Their lead was quickly increased by Kieran Hurrell, who broke through the Roseland rear-guard to earn his side the bonus point and make it 22-10.
Two quick penalties for the visitors brought them back to within one score, but the home victory was made safe when Crawford again went over and converted his own try five minutes from time.
The win means Saltash II are now only two points behind eighth-placed Roseland.
In the Devon Armada Merit Table, Devonport Services III beat OPM Jesters 62-0 away.
Cieran Poat (4), Harry Row, Danny Ronald, Paddy Hutchings, Bryan Milford, Dan Cooper and Connor Yeoman scored tries for Services III, with Cooper kicking five conversions and Poat one.
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