DEVONPORT Services head coach Ben Russell felt there were plenty of positives to take from Thursday night’s run-out against Launceston at the Parkway, despite a late penalty try giving the Cornish All Blacks a narrow 14-12 victory.
Services looked like they were going to claim their first pre-season win when Mark Friend scored a brilliant individual try down the left wing with nine minutes to go in front of a decent-sized crowd at Tamar Saracens’ ground.
But with just three minutes to go in the shortened 60-minute match, Launceston were awarded a penalty try when the touch-judge intervened after the referee initially ruled Services had held their opponents up over the line.
“The performance was better,” said Russell, who had seen his side lose to Albion and Barnstaple away in their other two pre-season fixtures.
“If you look at the first half, we just lacked a bit of composure as we could have been three or four tries up.
“Second half, to be fair to them, they came out all firing and I think we defended for pretty much most of the half.
“But the performance was much better than Barnstaple and Albion so we are heading in the right direction and now we have two weeks of training before our first game.”
Services, who have not been able to play at home during pre-season due to floodlight work at the Rectory, started Thursday’s game well and within five minutes Launceston were down to 14 men for 10 minutes after an incident in a maul that led to a brief scuffle.
When the Cornish club did return to 15 men they did come close to opening the scoring, but Services managed to hold them out, and in the 27th minute James McFarlane, who was once on loan at Launceston, gave Devonport the lead with a try from close range, which Richard West converted.
Launceston nearly scored an interception try just before half-time but Services did brilliantly to get back and stop them.
The Polson Bridge side started the second half better and eventually Services were reduced to 14 men for 10 minutes and instantly number eight Brandon Rowley scored a try for Launceston, which James Tucker converted to level the match.
But back-row forward Friend then showed his pace to storm down the left wing and scored a fine unconverted try to put Services 12-7 in front with time running out.
However, Launceston got back up the other end and after it looked like Devonport had kept them out, the intervention of the touch-judge saw the Cornish club awarded a penalty try to win the warm-up fixture.
Before Services played Launceston, Tamar Saracens took on the Cornish All Blacks’ second team and won 12-0 in a 40-minute contest.
Number eight Joey Pook gave Tamar Saracens the lead in the 11th minute with a try from the back of a scrum – an area where the home side dominated.
Launceston’s second team should have hit back straight away but could not take advantage of good possession in Sarries’ 22.
Home captain Frazer Tatchell was just denied in the left corner on 24 minutes before the visitors wasted a glorious chance with a forward pass.
And Saracens sealed the win with the last play of the match when scrum-half Lew Harris scored a try from a tap penalty on the left and Rob Hall added the conversion.
“I think we did really well for our first run-out of the season,” said Tamar Saracens head coach Mike Lewis.
“We were a little bit rusty and there were a few dropped balls here and there, but that comes with practice.
“We did really well at scrum-time and tried to play the ball a bit.
“I think it was a really good work-out and a good spectacle.
“I think there were a few hundred people down at the club watching rugby and putting a bit of money behind the bar, which was good.”
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