OPMs mathematically guaranteed their safety in Counties Two Devon with their biggest win of the season on Saturday.
The Old Boys cruised to a 40-0 victory over Withycombe at Cross-in-Hand to leap-frog above their opponents and up to eighth in the table.
After a tough mid-January, with a 99-0 away defeat to Torquay and travelling to Barnstaple short-handed, OPMs have really found their form and are unbeaten in their last four games.
They now find themselves 27 points above the relegation zone and could yet finish in the top half of the table.
“It was very good,” said injured OPMs captain Billy Garratt on Saturday’s big win.
“There are still things on the pitch that we are doing wrong and we are still making mistakes here and there, but to win 40-0 means you must be doing something right.
“I just think our phase play worked really well this weekend – forwards and backs linked nicely – and our line-out worked well for the first time in a while this season. Everything just seemed to go our way. It was a good game from us.”
OPMs, having moved their match from King George V Playing Fields to Cross-in-Hand due to the weather, managed to score 20 points in both halves against out-of-form Withycombe, whose only win in 2024 has come against bottom side Ivybridge II.
Matt Smale gave the Old Boys the lead in the 10th minute on Saturday with a penalty before he scored a try that he also converted eight minutes later.
His brother Fred then scored a try before Kallan Malone crossed the whitewash just before the break to make it 20-0 at half-time.
Four minutes into the second half, Fred Smale claimed his second try of the afternoon and his brother then kicked a penalty five minutes later to increase the Old Boys’ lead to 28-0.
Pete Marr then claimed OPMs’ fifth touch-down in the 59th minute before Malone scored his second and his team’s sixth in the 71st minute.
But while OPMs are guaranteed to be in Counties Two Devon next season, Plymouth Argaum are still looking over their shoulder after frustratingly not picking up any points at home to South Molton on Saturday.
Argaum were leading 21-7 at half-time, but South Molton turned the game around after the break to win 36-21.
In the dying minutes it did look like Argaum might at least pick up two losing bonus points. They were 29-21 behind but had two great chances from penalties. The first one they went for the corner and the second one they tapped, but they could not make either tell and with the last play of the game, deep in injury-time, they gifted South Molton a converted try.
Tenth-placed Argaum stay 11 points ahead of North Tawton, who are in the final relegation place and who they play next week. North Tawton do now have a game in hand after their match with Torquay Athletic was postponed on Saturday.
Argaum head coach Dean Avery could not hide his disappointment and frustration that his side did not pick up any points against South Molton.
“I am really disappointed for the boys,” he said. “We have put ourselves in a position to win that – leading 21-7 at half-time – but I did say to them that the next score on the board is important, and that score didn’t come to us.
“We had plenty of opportunities, but we fumbled balls and kicked away possession – and that’s been a bit of the story of our season unfortunately.
“What I am really disappointed about is not at least getting a point or two. We are scoring points, but we are just conceding far too many.”
Argaum were not helped by picking up three injuries early in the game, including to scrum-half Chris Perkins.
“We also had two drop-outs on the morning, so we ended up with four forwards in the backs,” he said.
“We had a full backline out and more and that is frustrating.
“We also lost our scrum-half so we had to put another forward in the back-line and it looks like Tom Holliday might have picked something up 15 minutes from the end.”
Argaum, missing the likes of Dan Smith, Eddie McGinley, Billy Stockwell, Jake Turfrey, Al Percival, Dave Clack and Tom Shepherd, made a great start to the match with a try from Darren Ewers from a catch-and-drive move after less than four minutes. Cheyenne Edwards brilliantly added the conversion to make it 7-0.
South Molton, playing up the hill and into the wind, struggled to get out of their half but on 20 minutes they did pull level when captain Jack Routley scored a converted try after great play by full-back Tom Cumings.
Argaum had a lot of territory, but they struggled to turn it into points, but on 30 minutes they did get a second try when Al Sullivan broke from a line-out to the tail and he drew the last man before off-loading to JJ Vom Hagen, who ran in to score in the right corner. Edwards again added the conversion.
The hosts did waste a couple more great opportunities before they got a third try in first-half injury-time courtesy of Tom Holliday, who went over from another good line-out move. Edwards, having a fine day from the kicking tee, again added the extras to put Argaum 21-7 ahead.
But that lead was completely wiped out in the opening eight minutes of the second half when South Molton replacement Brendan Darley scored two converted tries from close range.
And the visitors went ahead for the first time in the 60th minute when experienced prop Ross Crang went over to make it 26-21.
Argaum then lost the influential Holliday with an injury and South Molton pulled two scores ahead with a penalty from Jake Cook.
The hosts really should have scored a fourth try in the closing minutes, but they could not take their chances and deep in injury-time, South Molton were held up over the line before Argaum totally messed up the drop-out trying to take it short and gifted the ball straight to South Molton’s Luke Sanders, who just dived over the line.
Devonport Services II eased into the Lockie Cup final after crushing Tavistock II 95-7 at Keyham on Saturday.
The semi-final tie should have been played at Sandy Park but with Tavistock’s pitches waterlogged they agreed to play it at Keyham.
Higher league Services II led 33-0 at the break with tries from Elliot Lupson, Paddy Hutchings, Ethan Millard and Mike Howell (2).
And in the second half, Services really pulled away and added 10 more tries.
Billy Sutton celebrated his call-up for the Devon under-20 squad with a second-half hat-trick, while there were also touch-downs for Yianni Costas, Josh Martin, Josh Cumberland (2), Matt Richards, Ethan Hilland and another for Lupson.
Tavistock’s only try came from regular first team winger Liam Watts, which James Lovering converted.
“Services were exceptional, especially counterattacking,” admitted Tavistock head coach Joel Caddy.
“Their support play was off the chart. It was a bit like us last season when we got promoted.
“I could not knock our lads. They battled away and across the board they all put a shift in, but at the end we just ran out of steam, and they ran in the tries.
“We were not helped by a few injuries as well.
“But the lads did not lose the game by not playing well. It was just a case of the opposition being bloody good.
“We always knew it was going to be a hard one, but the lads could walk off the pitch knowing they gave it their all.”
Devonport Services II will play either Saltash or OPMs in the final.
Pictures are low resolution and are protected by copyright so should not be used without permission.