PLYMOUTH Argaum and Old Techs began their pre-season preparations with a competitive and physical encounter at Bickleigh Down on Saturday.
Counties Two Devon side Argaum triumphed 21-10 after out-scoring Counties Three opponents Old Techs three tries to two.
There was little between the sides on the day and both clubs were able to take positives from the contest, that no-one watching or playing would probably have described as a ‘friendly’.
It was definitely a full-blooded encounter with neither side prepared to give an inch on a sunny but windy day at Roborough.
“You don’t expect anything else when Old Techs come to us or we go to Old Techs,” said Argaum head coach Dean Avery.
“That was the reason we wanted the game as we wanted a nice, contested runaround and we certainly got that. It was good.
“I’m sure they were probably similar to us, but we had an awful lot of people on holiday and didn’t really have any backs so we are looking forward to having some of them back next week.
“We have got a lot of new faces and some 18 year-olds coming into the side – it’s nice to see youth coming through – and we managed to get a win against Old Techs.
“All-in-all, it was a good run-out. We have got Plym Vic next week and we’re looking forward to that before heading into our league fixtures.”
He added: “We think we left a lot of points out there. I think we were quite slow coming off the line and organising our D so we have plenty to work on, but it was nice to blow out the cobwebs and get a win on the board.
“They (Techs) are a really good side. They are very strong up front and they carried well. They looked after the ball well and it’s nice to see that they are growing as a club.”
Techs, who are set to launch a second team this season, have signed Sam Matts from OPMs and Dale Partington from Saltash to bolster their backline and they probably had the better of the opening 20 minutes, which ended scoreless.
However, they picked up a yellow card on 21 minutes and before they were back to 15 they had conceded a try against the run of play when they dropped the ball attacking and Argaum booted it up field and eventually former Techs player Dave Clack scored for Argaum. The experienced Eddie McGinley, playing at fly-half for the home side, added the conversion.
And six minutes later Clack scored again after a Techs clearing kick was pushed back in the wind and fell into the hands of JJ vom Hagen, who unselfishly off-loaded to Clack.
But Techs, with Ollie Davey impressing in the pack, did hit back with a great try from full-back Lewis Tunnicliffe, which went unconverted.
And the visitors scored again after half-time when Will Booth went over on the left to cut the gap to four points.
However Tom Holliday bagged a third try for Argaum mid-way through the second half after taking a tap penalty and McGinley again converted.
Techs did finish strongly but could not get a third try and the match did end with a bit of a scuffle – the second of the afternoon.
OPMs had an afternoon to forget as they travelled with just 15 players to Moorlands Lane to take on Saltash due to holidays and the cricket season.
The Ashes, who had beaten higher league Plymstock Oaks last weekend, ended up winning 74-7, having gone 43-0 up in the first half.
OPMs were without many of their key players, including the Smale brothers, but still wanted to fulfil the fixture.
With Saltash playing down the slope first half, it was pretty much one-way traffic and they ran in seven unanswered tries courtesy of Danny Snook, Rob Walsh, James Moriarty (2), Ollie Crawford, Charlie Knight and Ryan Rayner.
The Ashes did give many of the youngsters a run-out in the second half and OPMs did pull a try back early on with a fine effort from Alex Jewell, which Pete Regan converted.
But Saltash soon found their rhythm again and Freddie Dover (2), Simon Nance, Ethan Stone and Alfie Libby added further tries.
Saltash’s director of rugby Steve Down said it was another good run-out and a good chance to rotate their squad ahead of the start of the season. They conclude their pre-season programme next weekend with a match against Tavistock.
Plymstock Oaks were happy with their final pre-season run-out against higher league Okehampton.
The teams played three 30 minutes periods and overall Okehampton out-scored Plymstock six tries to four.
“We played our strongest available side for the first two 30s and we came out on top of that,” said Plymstock head coach Lewis Paterson.
“We chucked everyone on in the last 30 and they just scored a couple more tries.
“But it was great and we have taken loads from it. We really looked like a well-drilled outfit.
“The first 30 minutes we were all over them and so it was really positive to see us with some players back in and put in a performance like that. And we were still missing quite a few.
“That was our last pre-season game. We are going to have a week off and a bit of a social/team bonding ahead of the first league game.”
Oaks had previously lost to Crediton and Saltash away in their other pre-season contests.
“The idea of pre-season is just to build,” said Paterson.
“We went to Crediton as we didn’t want to cancel the fixture and it was what it was. We played and tried to use it as fitness and defensive training, but we took some stuff from it.
“We then went to Saltash and shuffled a few things around and we dominated three of the 20-minute sections but just didn’t wake up a little bit.
“This time we were consistent. The big positive is we played three second-year colts and they were outstanding. That is what it is all about and what we have been trying to do and have that transition.
“There was just loads of really good things to take away from it and it’s given us loads of confidence going into the season.”
Devonport Services III overcame New Cross 42-7 at Stonehouse Creek on Saturday thanks to tries by Toby Moss (2), Ron Duffield (2), Oli Knapman and Josh Martin, with Matty Anstis kicking four conversions and Moss two.
Ivybridge held an inter-club match between ‘Probables’ and ‘Possibles’ which the ‘Probables’ narrowly won 20-15.
Gallery of pictures below from the games between Argaum and Old Techs and Saltash against OPMs.
All pictures are low resolution and are protected by copyright so should not be used without permission.