PLYMOUTH Argaum ended a tough season on a high with a 29-5 victory over Tavistock II in the final of the RNEC Cup at a rain-soaked Keyham on Wednesday night.
The first 40 minutes were tight and the strong Tavistock II team had plenty of territory and chances, but it was Argaum who took a 12-5 lead into the break with a try in first half injury-time.
The Counties Two Devon side then pulled away in the second period with two tries from Harry Hart, who was one of two doctors scoring for them on the evening after Tom Mann had touched down in the first half.
Afterwards Argaum head coach Dean Avery said: “I am really, really delighted as it has been tough for the coaching staff and players that have committed over the last three or four weeks. But it’s nice to finish the season like that. The second half performance was brilliant.
“In the first half, I think our penalty count was 16 and so we needed to look at that.”
He added: “Our 10 Luke McCreath and our seven Harry Hart are new guys who joined us in the middle of season and they were outstanding.
“That’s the future and we do have a lot of young guys coming through, which is positive.
“It’s nice to win some silverware, but I think we are all looking forward to a break now.”
Tavistock head coach Joel Caddy said: “If we had taken one or two of those chances in the first half then it might have been a little bit of a different story second half.
“But Credit to Argaum they came out well for the second half and I don’t think we had the ball for 10 minutes. They had a few chances and they took them and that was pretty much the game.
“But the lads probably put in as good a performance as they have all season.
“I know it is a loss but the performance itself was pretty good. We did ask a few questions of them.
“It was probably summed up at the end when we were on the verge of scoring, but it was just the final pass. It probably would have been a bit of justice for the lads if they had managed to score that.
“But as I said to them, they can walk away from the game with their heads held high.”
Tavistock really started well and pressed Argaum’s line in the opening couple of minutes. However, they were unable to score and their opponents did so on their first real attack with centre Jake Turfrey scoring a great try through the middle.
Tavistock were held up over the line in the 21st minute before Argaum had Dave Clack and Tom Holliday sin-binned within the space of 11 minutes while under pressure.
Eventually Tavistock did turn their territory into points when scrum-half Jack Glover scored after Tom Charlesworth had done well.
But with the last play of the half, Argaum scored a second try when front-rower Mann went over following a quick-tap penalty.
The Roborough-based club extended their lead right at the start of the second period with a penalty from McCreath before they were held up over the line.
However, they did get a third try three minutes later when flanker Hart went over from a maul and McCreath converted.
JJ Vom Hagen nearly scored in the 70th minute, but Argaum did claim a fourth try four minutes later with Hart bagging his second.
Tavistock looked certain to finish the night with a touch down at the death but they somehow knocked the wet ball on right on the line.
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