DEVONPORT Services are now just one win away from playing National League rugby after they claimed a 26-6 away victory at Launceston on Saturday.
It was Services’ first league triumph at Polson Bridge and they also scored four tries to secure the all-important bonus point.
It means with just two games to go in the Regional One South West season, they remain seven points ahead of second-placed Barnstaple.
Impressively their victory in muddy conditions in Cornwall came without key forwards Rikki Bentham, Mark Friend and Mike Rickard.
“The pitch wasn’t great at the start of the game and by the end it was atrocious,” said Services head coach Ben Russell.
“It did not allow us to play how we wanted to play and we ended up playing their game rather than our own game, but we did a job. It wasn’t the best, but we ground out a five-point win with tenacity, work-rate and desire.
“They (Launceston) defended non-stop and they were physical, but we were just more clinical when we got near the line.”
He added: “It was cracking that we won, which was the main thing, and we also got five points.
“We can now go to Lydney knowing if we win, we have done it. We don’t need a bonus point win – we just need a win.”
Services went in front with a Richard West penalty, but that was soon cancelled out by one from Launceston’s James Tucker.
The visitors went back in front when flanker James Hocking scored from a catch-and-drive move in the corner to make it 8-3.
Just before half-time, the Cornish All Blacks had lock Dan Goldsmith yellow carded and from the penalty the visitors went for the corner and drove, with fly-half West the unlikely man to get the ball down to make it 13-3.
Eight minutes into the second half, and with Goldsmith just set to return, the hosts had flanker George Bone sin-binned.
However, numbers were soon evened out when Services prop James McFarlane, a former Launceston player, was yellow carded for a high tackle.
Tucker took the chance to reduce the deficit to 13-6 with the penalty but within minutes Devonport had scored their third try when Tom Davies went over in the corner after West had done well to get the ball to him.
West kicked a penalty on 75 minutes to make it 21-6 and Services scored their fourth and final try with the last play of the game. After clearing from their own line, Services turned Launceston over on halfway and Harrison Coonick got the ball before feeding Davies to claim his second of the match.
Ivybridge guaranteed their safety in Regional One South West by producing an impressive 80-minute performance to beat Exmouth 20-11 at Cross-in-Hand on Saturday and move up to ninth in the table.
The Bridgers’ defence was outstanding all afternoon in their final home league game and Exmouth did not look like they were going to score until they capitalised on a rare home mistake to touch-down in the 80th minute.
“We worked hard all week on how to defend,” said Ivybridge head coach Davy McGregor. “Defending is a mind-set and if you are all on separate pages, it doesn’t work.”
McGregor was just delighted with the victory. It was their fifth win in six home games and was the perfect way to bounce back from their heavy defeat away at Services in their last outing.
“The big thing for me was backing up the last home performance (against Chew Valley), but also having a reaction to two weeks ago.
“But again right up to 11pm the night before we were having to make changes to the team.
“The big thing is, unless something drastically goes wrong, we know where we are going to be playing next year.
“This win has secured us a little bit of breathing space.
“But we have to build on it. We can’t just think now that our season is all over.”
Veteran second-rowers Jamie Tripcony and George Wilson came into the team on Saturday and had big games, helping Ivybridge dominate the line-out.
“We are a young team,” said McGregor. “But having Trips and George come back did make a difference. Having that experience in key positions just gives that extra confidence.
“Also, on the bench we had the likes of Ben Watts. We are sticking with the young lads but having that type of bench to come on is really nice.”
Ivybridge came out fired up and had the chance to take the lead in the opening three minutes, only for Giles Clarke to hit the post with a penalty.
They then suffered a blow, losing flanker Tom Hancocks with injury, but within five minutes they had opened the scoring when Clarke did kick a penalty.
Exmouth fly-half Gareth Roebuck, a late replacement for George Meadows, pulled his team level with a kick of his own on 15 minutes, but it was not long before Ivybridge restored their lead when fly-half Adam Lilley scored in the right corner after some good passing across the line. Clarke added the conversion to make it 10-3.
Roebuck reduced the gap again with another three-pointer before Ivybridge lost full-back Tom Scoles with a nasty-looking knee injury on 30 minutes after he was caught with a high tackle.
However, Ivybridge did not lose focus while the game was held up for Scoles to be treated and within minutes of the restart their scored a tremendous try. Captain Sam Furse made a storming run through the middle. He beat a number of tackles before he was stopped just short. But Ivybridge recycled well and went left where prop Henry Trudgill was there to go over. Clarke converted to make it 15-6.
And the game was probably won for Ivybridge in first-half injury-time. They defended their line outstandingly for nearly five minutes before then going up the other end and scoring with the last play of the half through Charlie Teague to make it 20-6.
The second half was not quite as entertaining. Clarke missed an early penalty for Ivybridge, but chances were few and far between after that.
Ivybridge, who were forcing Exmouth into mistakes, did have George Montgomery sin-binned in the 54th minute but they really defended well with 14 men.
Not long after he returned, the hosts then had Hayden Coles yellow carded, but again, Exmouth could not break them down.
It did look like Ivybridge might keep their try-line intact for the first time this season, but in the 80th minute Exmouth did finally score. Ivybridge had done well to turn the visitors over on the line but then the ball came out of a ruck and Exmouth number eight Lee Loveridge just pounced on it for a consolation try.
COUNTIES ONE WESTERN WEST
PLYMSTOCK Oaks ended their home campaign on a high with a 59-17 victory over bottom side Falmouth in tough conditions at Horsham Fields.
Second-placed Oaks, who were keen to bounce back after last week’s defeat away at Penryn, were 28-0 up at half-time.
The hosts scored nine tries in total with player-coach Lewis Paterson and Ollie Whitfield both bagging two apiece, with Tom Richards, Jack Tompkins, Andy Porter, Corey Jamieson and Owen Koehler also touching down. Paterson added seven conversions as Oaks stay just one point behind leaders Tiverton with two games to go.
“We were always comfortable,” said Oaks’ Mark Lenthall. “It was a wet, boggy day, but we weren’t in any problems.”
Tavistock could not build on their win over Bude last week as they were beaten 18-16 at home by Bideford, who had started the day third-from-bottom.
Tavistock did score a last-gasp try in the corner to give themselves a chance of snatching a draw, but in tough conditions George Hillson’s conversion attempted from the touchline just missed.
“The kick was just a yard short,” said Tavistock head coach Joel Caddy. “But it was into the wind and rain and the footing wasn’t great.
“If we had just scored further inside it might have been different, but it was not to be.
“I can’t fault the lads as they dug deep, but it is what it is and we just have to move on to Penryn.”
Tavistock again had to make changes to their team but in poor conditions they made a good start with Hillson scoring a try after a quick tap penalty to put them 5-0 up.
But Bideford took a 7-5 lead into half-time after they scored a converted try from a pick-and-go.
Hillson put Tavistock 11-7 ahead after the interval with two penalty kicks, but Bideford cut the gap to one point with one of their own.
The visitors, battling hard for the points to pull away from the relegation zone, then scored a catch-and-drive try and kicked a penalty to go 18-11 up.
However, Tavistock did not give up and after a good scrum Ed Tait scored in the corner, but in the conditions it was just too far out for Hillson to add the conversion.
COUNTIES TWO
SALTASH maintained their challenge for the Counties Two Cornwall title with a resounding 62-7 away victory at Newquay Hornets on Saturday.
The game saw prop Simon Nance make his 300th first team appearance for the Ashes, who also welcomed back skipper James Moriarty to the squad.
It was Nance who stood out as he managed two long-range tries – one in each half.
The Ashes took some time to settle into the game having had a couple of weeks off, but eventually they took the lead through a try from right winger Will Morton followed shortly afterwards by one from hooker Rob Walsh.
Left wing Lewis Stuart then crossed the whitewash before Nance scored from 40-yards out. Two conversions from Jack Pritchard and one from Ryan Cruikshanks meant Saltash led 26-0 at the break.
Newquay cut the gap six minutes into the second half, but then Saltash upped their game and scored through number eight Ryan Rayner (2) and Moriarty, who had come off the bench.
Nance then scored a lung-buster from 45 yards before further tries came from Morton (2) and Walsh. Cruikshanks added two conversions and Snook the last.
Unlucky not to score was replacement flanker Fin Jones and prop Liall Honey.
In Counties Two Devon, the big derby match between Plymouth Argaum and OPMs was postponed just an hour before kick-off due to a waterlogged pitch at Bickleigh Down.
Heavy rain on Dartmoor at lunchtime left lots of standing water on the field and although both captains had said they were willing to play, the referee did not think the pitch was playable and both sides accepted the decision.
Devonport Services II look like they will have to settle for third place in the league after they were just edged out 11-10 by second-placed Torquay Athletic at home on Saturday.
There was no scoring in the first half of a tight match, but after the interval Services II did score an interception try courtesy of Jack Connor, which Lewie Riley converted.
The Tics cut the gap with a Lewis Crocker penalty before prop Craig Withers popped up on the wing to edge the visitors 8-7 ahead.
However, Services went back in front with a Riley penalty, only for Crocker to win the match with a penalty of his own.
Bottom side Ivybridge II handed Exmouth II a home walkover.
COUNTIES THREE
TAMAR Saracens guaranteed themselves a top-two finish for the second year running in Counties Three Devon South & West with a 26-10 home victory over in-form Plymstock Oaks II at a muddy Parkway.
Sarries got on top in the first half and led 21-5 at the break.
Tom Hicklin gave them the lead with a catch-and-drive try, which Lew Harris converted.
But Oaks II did hit back with a try of their own through Matt Jackson after a knock-on was missed before Sarries used their forwards to good effect again with James Barlow touching down from another catch-and-drive move. Harris again converted to make it 14-5.
Jordan Maddocks then added a third try for Oaks to give them a 16-point lead at the break.
Oaks II did cut the gap after the interval with an unconverted try by Miti Caqara.
But Sarries did finally get a fourth try courtesy of full-back Frazer Tatchell.
Saracens’ director of rugby Pete Lethbridge said: “It was very muddy, but the boys did well.
“Oaks have got a really good structure there now and have come on leaps and bounds, but we managed the game quite well.
“It was good to get a bonus-point win in those conditions.”
Oaks captain Stu Collyer said: “An away game at Tamar Saracens is always a huge test, and in the clay-like mud it was a proper old school battle at times.
“They’re not second in the league by mistake; they’re a well-drilled and organised team led brilliant by Joey Pook and Mike Lewis.
“Saracens always bring aggression and fight and that was evident from the first minute to the 78th when the game was stopped for an unfortunate knee injury to Atu Kovula.”
He added: “We went into the game with way too many changes from our previous line-ups than I was comfortable with, but still managed to pull together a strong squad. Luke Doonan made his first appearance of the season at 10, and Ollie Dunn was exceptional at seven.
“Jon Baldwin-Nygaard was excellent again, Joel Moran carried hard and tackled everything that moved, and our Fijian quartet were constantly dangerous.”
Old Techs pulled off an impressive 8-5 win away at Brixham II, who had started the day in third place.
Techs were missing a host of players but their used their strong forwards well in heavy conditions at Astley Park.
“It was a tight game,” said Techs chairman David Evans. “They have a really young side, but our forwards were just stronger.
“We nullified their threat by keeping it tight and giving it to our big forwards.
“It was a good win. You have to be happy when you have a lot of players out and you go and win at Brixham.”
Techs led 5-0 at half-time with a try by Josh O’Hare. After the interval Billy Evans kicked a penalty before Brixham II scored an unconverted try at the death.
Plympton Victoria came up against a strong Salcombe side and were beaten 57-6 away on Saturday, with two Chris Barrett penalties accounting for the visiting team’s points.
The Salcombe side did include former Albion player Eoghan Grace and ex-Ivybridge players Jordan Anderton and Dom Loomes.
Tavistock II handed Torquay Athletic II a home walkover, while in Counties Three Cornwall, Saltash II were handed a walkover by St Austell III.
In the Devon Armada Merit Table, Devonport Services III beat the Medics Squirrels 38-12.
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