THERE was Devon cup final disappointment for Old Techs and Devonport Services II on Saturday, but Saltash have kept their hopes of reaching Twickenham alive with victory over Gordon League in the Papa Johns Community Cup.
The Ashes overcame the Counties Two Gloucestershire North champions, who had been on a seven-month winning run, 30-25 at Moorlands Lane.
It means Saltash are through to the quarter-finals of the Counties Two Championship competition, where they will face a tough trip to Old Patesians, who finished runners-up in Gloucestershire North and who are the only other team to have beaten Gordon League this season.
However, before that trip up the M5, Saltash have a Lockie Cup final against Devonport Services II to look forward to on Wednesday evening.
Saturday’s match against Gordon League was a close-fought and entertaining game which was played in excellent conditions at Moorlands Lane.
The early stages were even with the visiting side’s pack looking a strong unit, but it was the Ashes that took the lead after 14 minutes when in-form Will Morton got on the end of a flowing move to touch down on the right wing.
Gordon League hit back five minutes later through a breakaway try through Ashley Kockerhan, with Gavin Rea adding the extra points.
A long-range penalty from Rea increased the visitors lead after 28 minutes to 10-5.
A big effort by the Ashes forwards enabled them to get a push over try by Tom Rixson to bring them level on 33 minutes.
More home pressure just before the interval resulted in skipper Jay Moriarty squeezing in on the left wing to put the Ashes 15-10 in front.
But the last action of the half came from Gordon League’s Ben Gamston, who touched down to end an absorbing first 40 minutes of action.
Ten minutes into the second period, home full-back Ryan Cruickshanks kick the Ashes back into the lead with a penalty.
The game continued to be evenly balanced but a yellow card for Saltash and the following penalty gave Rae the opportunity to bring the scores level.
However, a yellow card for the visitors gave Saltash an immediate chance to take advantage, which they did with Rob Walsh scoring to put his side 23-18 ahead.
Gordon League kept battling and were close to getting on the scoresheet again several times but the resolute home defence resisted.
And Saltash then mounted another series of attacks and were rewarded after 75 minutes when Cruickshanks finished a good move with a try which he converted.
A touch-down by the visitors at the death reduced the deficit to five points but it was too late to prevent Saltash going into the next round.
Old Techs just were not clinical enough in their Devon Junior Bowl final against New Cross at Weston Mill on Saturday.
New Cross, who had finished as runners-up in Counties Three Devon North and East, claimed a 21-7 victory to lift the cup.
The visitors defended brilliantly and they were more clinical and made less mistakes than Techs on the day.
The hosts had plenty possession and territory towards the end of the first half and in the second period, but they could not turn it into points.
They were held up over the line and also stopped just short a few occasions by some good New Cross defence.
The game probably turned with New Cross scoring a controversial try right at the end of the first half when Old Techs thought they had advantage for a knock-on.
“It was a good final, but the lads are disappointed as they feel they should have done more with the possession we had,” said Old Techs’ Shaun Bedford-Smith.
“A few little things also didn’t go our way, but there’s no complaints about New Cross winning. They deserved it as they were the better team.
“We didn’t seem to turn up on the day and just made too many uncharacteristic errors that we haven’t been doing in other games. We were just a little bit flat. I’m not sure why. Maybe the pressure got to the players a little bit as so many had not played in a final before.
“We just weren’t clinical enough. We had our chances. I think second half we dominated possession, but you have to get over the line and we didn’t manage to do that.
“Fair play to New Cross, I thought they tackled and defended really well because we did put them under a lot of pressure.
“I think the scoreline probably flattered them a little bit, but they took their chances and we didn’t despite all the territory we had.
“We have to learn from it. We know there are lads in there who are new to rugby this season so for them to get into a cup final is good, but we have to learn quickly as we have another final on Wednesday.”
He added: “I think the killer for us was at the end of the first half when the referee had his arm up for advantage but the ball came backwards and they have ended up scoring. I am not really sure what happened there.
“I think they did give away a lot of penalties in the red zone and I think the referee probably should have spoken to them about that, but he didn’t.”
Techs were slow starting and New Cross took the lead in the 11th minute when the experienced Nick Halse scored a converted try following a tap penalty.
Towards the middle of the half, Techs started to get into the game and they came agonisingly close to scoring in the 27th minute. The visitors did have a man yellow carded but Techs were stopped just short a number of times before eventually prop Connor McQueen did get over the whitewash. Billy Evans added the conversion to level the final at 7-7.
It did look like that would be the half-time score but in the final minute of the period there was controversy when Julian Hull bagged a try for New Cross when Techs thought they had advantage after the visitors had knocked on. Techs and most of the crowd assumed the referee would go back for the scrum as there had not been any advantage but he instead awarded the try which gave New Cross a 14-7 half-time lead.
And straight after the interval they increased their advantage to 21-7 with another Halse try after two errors by Techs. They were attacking at the other end and got a penalty but they missed touch and New Cross booted the ball all the way down field and then Techs got turned over on their line allowing Halse to go over from close range.
The rest of the match was dominated by Techs, but they just could not score. They were held up over the line on 63 minutes and maybe should have had a penalty try 10 minutes later when a maul was illegally stopped right on the line, but they only got a penalty and could not make it tell.
There was also disappointment for Devonport Services II who were beaten 33-18 away by their Barnstaple counterparts in the final of the Devon 2nd XV Cup.
The first half was tight and Services II were only trailing 19-13 at the break, but the home club pulled away in the second period to add the cup to the league title they had also won.
Sam Fincham and Mike Rickard, continuing his comeback from a serious ankle injury, scored tries for Services II, with Brandon Bonser kicking the rest of their points.
But there was better news for Devonport Services III, who reached the David Butt Trophy final by overcoming Exeter Engineers 34-27 at the Rectory.
Services III, who won the Pedrick Cup on Wednesday, will now face Barnstaple III in the final.
The hosts, playing their third game in six days, did have to produce a good comeback on Saturday having gone 22-7 down to the Engineers.
They trailed 15-7 at the break with Exeter scoring three tries to Services III’s one, which came courtesy of Sean Harrison.
The Engineers increased their lead after the interval but then two tries by Joe Rider and another by Harrison put Services II 24-22 ahead.
However, the visitors were not done and they scored a fifth try to retake the lead, but Tom Mullen scored a winning touch-down for Services III, which Leighton Stark converted. He then kicked a late penalty to make the win safe.
Barnstaple III overcame Plymouth University 35-5 in the other David Butt Trophy semi-final.
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