DEVONPORT Services were given a taste of what they can expect in their debut season in National Two West on Saturday as they were beaten 40-22 away at Birmingham side Bournville.
Services were 33-12 down at half-time, but they did rally in the second period to at least return from the Midlands with a try-scoring bonus point.
“It was a nice welcome to National League rugby,” said Devonport team manager Kieran Leach.
“At least we got a try bonus point which is what we deserved for the second half. But in the first half we didn’t deserve much.
“They went around us a couple of times and also through us, which is unlike us. We missed a couple of tackles and they scored tries.
“But we camped in their half most of the second half. We played a lot of rugby in their half but just didn’t maybe have the execution.
“But that is what we are going to expect each week now. We’ve got Exeter University next week and it’s not going to get any easier.”
Services’ preparations for their opening match in National League rugby were not helped by not having a recognised scrum-half or hooker and with two of their key second-row forwards out.
Scrum-half players Dylan Daley and Dan Goldstone were both away, Mark Friend joined Mike Rickard on the sidelines with injury, while hooker Aiden Taylor was back for Saturday’s game but badly cut his finger in the morning and was unable to play.
“Aiden cut his finger in the morning making a cup of tea,” said Leach. “He came on the coach and our rehab team tried to stitch him up the best they could, but there was too much pain and swelling for him to play.”
On an artificial pitch, Services found themselves on the back foot straight from kick-off and spent the first seven minutes defending until Bournville centre Robert Knox scored out wide and Freddie Morgan converted.
However, 15 minutes later Devonport did get back into it with winger Harrison Coonick scoring their first National League try after the visitors created space with a line-out drive.
Bournville, though, responded with two tries courtesy of Adam Shaw and Morgan to make it 19-5.
Tom Davies, playing at full-back, pulled that back to 19-12 by beating a number of defenders with pure speed after Services went down the blindside from a scrum.
But just before half-time home winger Nathan Decalmer scored twice to give his side a comfortable 33-12 lead.
That was increased straight after the interval with a converted touch-down from Sam Grimshaw.
Yet Services then got on top and after the hosts picked up a yellow card, replacement prop Yianni Costas, making only his second league appearance for the Rectory club, scored a try from a line-out move.
He then added a second in the 70th minute to secure a bonus point for his side.
REGIONAL ONE SOUTH WEST
IVYBRIDGE suffered late agony as they were narrowly beaten 28-27 away at Matson on the opening day in Regional One South West.
The Bridgers looked to be on their way to victory when they led 27-14 with just 10 minutes to go.
They could have been three scores up, but the thickness of the woodwork denied them a conversion in the second half.
But it all went wrong for them in the closing stages as Hayden Coles and replacement Michael Jensen both picked up yellow cards and Matson scored two converted tries to snatch the win.
Ivybridge did pick up two bonus points, but they felt it should have been five.
“It was very frustrating as we were in the driving seat, but discipline let us down with two yellow cards,” said head coach Davy McGregor.
“There were huge positives we can take, but there is disappointment as we know we let it slip.”
He added: “Our set-piece dominated, and our general attack was very strong, but it was just our discipline that let us down.
“Our penalty count was under seven but two of those offences were yellow cards, so it is tough to take.”
Ivybridge, who gave debuts to six players including on-loan Albion lock Dan Collier, led 15-7 at the break thanks to two tries by centre Adam Lilley and a conversion and penalty by Giles Clarke.
Matson, who included former Albion prop George Porter in their side after his summer move from Cinderford, pulled it back to 15-14 after the interval.
However, with young scrum-half James Cantin impressing on his senior debut, Lilley completed his hat-trick to make it 20-14.
That was increased again when debutant forward Jack Lipscombe, who played a game for Saltash II’s last season after joining from Bude, scored Ivybridge’s fourth try.
But then it just went wrong for the South Hams side in the final 10 minutes.
“The players are gutted to lose in the last seconds, but there were lots of positives,” added Ivybridge team manager Neil Thomson
“I think we really did surprise Matson. We’ve gone up there having heard who they had signed and them having a massive pack with lots of experience in it, but we have really stood up to them.
“Even their supporters were very complimentary to our performance, and we did do some really good things.”
COUNTIES ONE WESTERN WEST
TAVISTOCK endured an opening day to forget as they were beaten 45-3 at home by nearest neighbours Plymstock Oaks at a rain-soaked Sandy Park on Saturday.
Oaks had finished third last season, having led the league for most of the campaign, and going on Saturday’s performance, they look like they could be a major force again this year.
They scored some impressive length-of-the-field tries and kept Tavistock from crossing their whitewash.
Backs Alex Chapman and Lewis Paterson were a constant threat to Tavistock all game and scored five of Oaks’ seven tries.
Chapman claimed a hat-trick, with Paterson scoring two and kicking five conversions, while fellow backs Corey Jamieson and Jack Tompkins also touched down.
Head coach Paterson was delighted with their opening day performance in miserable weather.
“It was really good,” said Paterson. “I thought we played some cracking rugby.
“Despite the weather we still threw the ball around, got through some good plays and were scoring full length tries. We did everything we wanted to do.
“We played in the right areas and the forwards were doing the things Richard (Edwards) has brought in place and I don’t think we took our foot of the gas. We didn’t switch off and let them score on their own paddock.
“To be fair to Tavvy, I know they have lost a few boys, but they were relentless to the end.”
He added: “There was a lot of background work that has gone on in pre-season. We didn’t care about results, we just wanted to work on our systems.
“I said during the week that I thought this was when we were going to put it all together and we did.
“We didn’t concede and put nearly 50 points on them at their place, which is always a tough place to go. That has kick-started our season pretty well.”
Tavistock had lost influential captain George Hillson and forward Seb Cox to Launceston in the summer, while head coach Joel Caddy stood down.
They were also missing a host of players at the weekend, which saw them have to pull-out of their second team fixture.
Hammy Kerswill, who along with Andy Yates, Martin Budden and Darren Chappell is part of the new coaching team, admitted Tavistock’s lack of pre-season preparations due to player availability did show.
“I can’t take anything away from Oaks,” said Kerswill. “You can tell they have had a good pre-season and they had boys there who are used to playing together and at this level.
“I think they noticed we were a back short when Ed (Tait) got injured and their kicks across field were hard to deal with and they really utilised it well. Harvey (Courtis) had some good carries in midfield which we slipped off and that gave them front-foot ball.
“They might say they weren’t clinical as they butchered a couple of chances, but nearly whenever they got into the 22 they scored.”
He added: “A few extra bodies in would have been good but would it have made that much of a difference? Probably not, as we just weren’t prepared enough.
“After their first try, I was quite happy with the next 20-25 minutes as we actually kept the ball for quite a while. I wouldn’t say we did a lot with it – their defence was pretty strong – but we sorted the breakdown out a little bit and actually enjoyed some phases, which was something that was really poor against Saltash last week. But when they did get turnover ball, the kicks they put in were good and then we were under the cosh.
“It’s difficult to point fingers as there was so much heart there but Oaks played well.
“But it is now a test of character for our boys. We have got a lot of talent, and there was a lot of boys not here, but it is how we bounce back from it.”
Oaks took the lead after just one minute when full-back Chapman linked up with Paterson before the latter put in a chip kick which Chapman gathered to score.
Tavistock did battle hard after that, but a second Plymstock try came on 19 minutes when Paterson scored from a scrum move.
The home side did reduce the gap with a Soco O’Connor penalty on 36 minutes, but Oaks finished the half strongly.
Chapman was denied a second try when the referee stopped the game for a nasty looking head injury to Tavistock’s Tait.
But within a few minutes Chapman did score again when he gathered a Paterson cross-field kick to make it 19-3.
In heavy rain, Oaks took total control of the match, with three tries within the space of five minutes after the interval.
After Jamieson was held up, he did score from the resultant drop-out, with Oaks running the kick back well.
Chapman then completed his hat-trick on 52 minutes before scrum-half Tompkins scored with a fine chip and chase over Tavistock’s defence.
The home side did finally have some pressure after that, but Plymstock defended well and Paterson added their final touch-down after everyone seemed to stop waiting for a forward pass that wasn’t given.
Oaks should have taken their tally over 50 points in the closing seconds but knocked on with a great length-of-the-field break.
COUNTIES TWO DEVON
PLYMOUTH Argaum scored with the last play of the game to claim a narrow 15-13 opening day victory over city rivals OPMs at a wet and misty Bickleigh Down.
Forward JJ Vom Hagen was the man to score the winning try and secure them four valuable points.
“It was great to get a win,” said Argaum head coach Dean Avery. “It was a very messy game with the conditions. It meant we couldn’t move the ball very well and didn’t really go through many phases.
“It was a really tough game and could have gone either way.
“But that is the first time I have beaten OPMs since I joined the club. It was great to be on the winning side of one of them.
“We won the first game of the season last year, but it (the league) ended up really close, so it just shows you that you never know how important that win might be.”
OPMs were unhappy with Argaum’s winning try as they felt the referee should have stopped play earlier for a head injury.
“There was a bit of controversy about it,” said OPMs captain Billy Garratt. “We had a pretty serious head injury and the physio came on the pitch but the ref decided not to stop the game.
“We did expect a tight game and it was pretty back and forth and was physical from the get-go.
“We did come away with a losing bonus point.”
However, Garratt felt his team should have won the game.
“One hundred per cent,” he said. “It was pretty even, but probably we had a few better chances and a couple of decisions didn’t go our way, but that’s rugby, isn’t it?”.
There was no scoring in the opening 30 minutes, but both sides claimed a try in the final 10 minutes of the first half.
Matt Smale scored a converted one for OPMs, with Dave Clack touching down out wide on the right for Argaum.
OPMs went 10-5 up after the interval with a Matt Smale penalty, but Argaum pulled level with a catch-and-drive try from new signing Ryan Neagle.
With time running out, Fred Smale kicked a penalty to put the Old Boys head, but right at the end Vom Hagen scored with a pick-and-go.
“The boys really dug in deep at the end and got the try to win,” added Argaum coach Avery.
Tamar Saracens made a winning debut in the league as they beat Exeter Saracens 9-3 in a tight affair at the Parkway.
Newly-promoted Sarries led 6-3 at the break with a Rob Hall penalty and then one from Lew Swatton.
Hall added another 10 minutes from time and the home club were able to hang on.
“It was a low scoring game in terrible conditions,” said Saracens director of rugby Pete Lethbridge.
“We were missing six or seven players, but the boys put in a hell of a shift.
“The backs played really well in the conditions that we had and I thought defence-wise we were just outstanding, especially considering we were missing so many.
“We were camped in our half for about 20 minutes in the second period, but, to be honest, they didn’t look like they were going to score because of our defence. Our pressure was really good and our scrum was really strong.”
He added: “It’s good to start with a win; we’ll definitely take that. Obviously being in a higher league the boys were ecstatic.
“We know it is going to be a hard season, but the boys put in a hell of shift, and I was so proud of them.”
Summer forward signing Robbie Fowler and Swatton picked up the player of the match awards for Sarries.
Devonport Services II, who finished third in the league last season, got off to a winning start with a 29-22 home success over much-fancied Honiton.
Services II got off to a great start and led 21-3 at the break.
Charlie Groves scored two tries in the opening period to go with three penalties and a conversion from Leighton Stark.
Honiton closed the gap to 21-17 after the interval but then Rhys Williams scored for Services.
The visitors came back again but Stark kicked a late penalty to make sure of the win.
COUNTIES TWO CORNWALL
SALTASH made a solid start to their Counties Two Cornwall campaign with a 67-0 away victory at St Just.
After a nervous start, the Ashes took the lead four minutes into the game with a penalty by Jack Pritchard from in front of the posts.
Their advantage was increased on 12 minutes when hooker Rob Walsh, making his 50th appearance for the club, touched down on the left wing and Pritchard added the extras.
Saltash were now in control and two more tries followed by Ryan Cruickshanks and Lewis Woolaway with Pritchard again kicking the conversions to make it 24-0.
The bonus point was gained as the elusive Greg Eatwell went through on the half hour for another converted try, and five minutes later skipper Jay Moriarty showed his pace with another touch-down.
Centre Eatwell rounded off the first period with the Ashes sixth converted try on 37 minutes to make it 45-0.
St Just tried hard to contain Saltash but even with changes the visitors lead was increased 10 minutes into the second half with a penalty by Pritchard.
The hard-working Ryan Rayner got on the scoresheet after 63 minutes with another converted try after some good pressure.
Then full-back Cruickshanks, who fielded the ball well and made many clearing kicks, scored another on 71 minutes.
Even though the Ashes eased off in the second half, Moriarty finished the scoring with a converted touchdown.
In the same division, Liskeard-Looe were narrowly beaten 3-0 at home by Helston in their opening fixture.
COUNTIES THREE
THE experienced Seb Musgrave scored a hat-trick of tries as Ivybridge II open life in Counties Three Devon South & West with a 43-3 home victory over Plympton Victoria.
The Bridgers’ second string were relegated from Counties Two last season after having to forfeit a number of games, but they were able to field a strong team in their opening fixture of the 2024-25 campaign.
Plym Vic actually scored the first points of the day with a Chris Barratt penalty, but then Ivybridge took control and as well as Musgrave bagging a hat-trick there were also tries for Ben Scott, Aaron Joynt, Callum Law and Simon Merryfield. Adam Sams kicked four conversions for the hosts.
“It was a tough day at the office,” admitted Plym Vic chairman Chris Hunt afterwards.
“We started off very brightly and scored the first points but after about 10 minutes they took control.
“The last 10 minutes we got back into it, but by that time it was sort of all over.
“When you looked at their team-sheet about 80 per cent were home-grown players and they obviously had a few that had come from the colts as they were rapid. The slightest gap they could exploit, which they did three or four times.
“But it wasn’t all bad and it gave us stuff to think about.”
Tavistock II handed Plymstock Oaks II a walkover and Old Techs were without a league match due to the odd number of teams in the divisions.
Techs did get a second team out to play Devonport Services III, who won 14-5 thanks to tries by Dan Cooper and Owen Kerswell and two conversions from Matty Anstis.
In Counties Three Cornwall, Saltash II’s home match with St Austell III was postponed.
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