DEVONPORT Services’ wait for a first win in National League rugby goes on, but head coach Ben Russell was much happier with his team’s performance in a 39-21 home defeat to last season’s runners-up Luctonians.
Services gave their unbeaten visitors a real battle at the Rectory, but frustratingly for them they just could not get anything out of the match.
“We were the better side in the first half but just haven’t scored as many points as we should have,” said Russell.
“Second half, we have tried to play too much in our half and we have dropped the ball and they scored off that and then taken a penalty.
“It was 29-21 and we were doing really well and we were getting back into it when the referee has made a bad call at a scrum on our own line. He’s given them a penalty when it should have been a penalty to us and they’ve taken a quick tap and scored. And after that they took another penalty.
“We really battled and did we deserve a point? yeah, but we didn’t get one and it is what it is.
“But our performance was much better and there were massive positives. The boys were brilliant. It is just those little errors that are costing us massively at the moment.”
Services were without props Oli Symons and Yianni Costas on Saturday, while James Hocking, Mark Friend, Mike Rickard, Harrison Coonick, Toby Knowles, Matt Neyle and Charlie Groves were still on the sidelines with injuries.
But they took the lead early on with a try from fit-again hooker Aiden Taylor from a catch-and-drive move.
Jack Goodwin pulled unbeaten Luctonians level, but Richard West edged Services back in front with a penalty.
Visiting full-back Jamin Hodgkins levelled the contest again in the 34th minute before the Herefordshire side scored a converted try through Caleb Montgomery on the stroke of half-time to give them a 15-8 advantage.
After the interval, West cut the gap to three points with another penalty before tries by James Mears and Goodwin pulled Luctonians 29-11 ahead.
However, Services came back well, and West scored from the back of a maul and also added the conversion before he kicked a penalty after the visitors had Charlie Grimes yellow carded for foul play to make it 29-21
But Devonport’s hopes of getting something out of the match ended when the referee gave the visitors a penalty at a scrum and Mears went over for a second try of the match, which Hodgkins converted. The full-back then kicked a penalty in the final five minutes.
REGIONAL ONE SOUTH WEST
IVYBRIDGE suffered a second successive heavy defeat as they were beaten 49-15 at home by Launceston on Saturday.
The Bridgers were looking for a response after crashing 78-8 away at Royal Wootton Bassett the previous week.
But in the opening 40 minutes they were out-played by the Cornish All Blacks, who ran in five converted tries to lead 35-3 at the break.
It had looked like men against boys in the first half and probably a few Ivybridge supporters were worried about what the second period might bring.
But credit to Ivybridge’s young team, they did come out far better for the second half and scored twice in the opening 15 minutes and dominated territory before Launceston, with former Tavistock scrum-half George Hillson influential, scored two late converted tries.
“It was disappointing again,” said Ivybridge head coach Davy McGregor.
“When we are making so many changes to our squad week-in, week-out, there is just no cohesion.
“Two weeks ago, we had seven starters unavailable and five starters from last week, so in the last two weeks that is 12 players that we have chopped and changed and that does have an effect on the cohesion.
“We picked up another injury and another double yellow card in the first half, which was a killer.
“We just look like a squad that doesn’t have any belief at the moment.
“For long periods in the second half we were actually playing some nice rugby, but not converting and then we almost go back to type.
“Launceston were very direct and were able to just keep applying pressure.
“We are a young group and we are learning. Again, we had two debutants, which are very proud of.”
He added: “In the first 10 minutes we had two line-breaks that we just didn’t finish, so we knew we could play against them. We knew if we could get our line-out firing it would get us on the front-foot.
“The frustration for me and the lads is that it feels a bit of a similar situation to last year, that we were just nearly men for a long time until we got it right after Christmas, but we can’t be waiting that long. The league is getting better every year and if teams put 30-odd points on you at half-time, then you are not going to come back in too many games.
“I think as a group we just need to grow and learn and realise that we can break teams down and we can get around teams, but it is about having continuous pressure and having that bit of maturity as well.
“I’m just gutted for the lads again as we are not true to ourselves.”
Full-back Giles Clarke had been close to opening the scoring in the second minute, but he just went out of touch as he tried to get the ball down in the left corner.
However, he did put the Bridgers ahead two minutes later with a penalty kick.
But that was the only points the home side could manage in the first period as Launceston, looking to bounce back from defeat at the hands of Exmouth, took control.
Forward Tom Bottoms went over for their first try in the 13th minute with Hillson brilliantly converting from the touchline.
Then it all went wrong for Ivybridge. Prop Jack Lipscombe had to go off with what looked like a bad arm injury and hooker Henry Trudgill and then not long later fly-half Henry Burke picked up yellow cards.
And Launceston really turned up the pace in the final 20 minutes of the first half and scored four tries.
Prop Charles Short crossed in the 26th minute after Hillson had earlier been held up over the line.
Then former Bude winger Zerran Hammond used his pace and strength to score a great try under the posts from a well-worked line-out move, before full-back Ollie Bebbington scored twice on the left within the space of five minutes.
Straight after the interval, Cohen Larson thought he had scored on his Launceston debut, but it was ruled out and then Ivybridge began to get some territory and pressure.
They pulled a try back on 50 minutes when Chey Bryce went over from a catch-and-drive move before fellow front-rower Trudgill added a second try four minutes later also from close range.
Wes Vermigle was held up over the line and Ivybridge did have further chances but could not get another try.
And in the 80th minute Bebbington completed his hat-trick with another try on the left before Billy Martin scored from close range in injury-time.
Hillson converted all of Launceston’s seven tries in perfect conditions at Cross-in-Hand.
COUNTIES ONE WESTERN WEST
PLYMSTOCK Oaks’ stunning start to the season continued on Saturday with a 64-5 away win at Bude.
Oaks have scored a massive 247 points in their opening four games – three of which have come away from home.
They led 24-0 at the break at Bencoolen Meadow before well-and-truly pulling away in the final 20 minutes.
Oaks ended up running in 10 tries in north Cornwall.
Alex Chapman, Harvey Courtis, Joe Brearley and Duncan Bibby crossed the whitewash in the first half before Corey Jamieson, Mac Lewis (2), Suliasi Naulivou, Luke Austin and Chapman dotted down in the second period.
Bude’s only reply came in the 52nd minute when Joe Wilson bagged an unconverted touch-down.
Plymstock head coach Lewis Paterson said: “It was another good win, but Bude were a really good side and one of the most physical teams we have come across so far.
“They really gave us a good test at the breakdown, but again we didn’t take our foot of the gas and put 30 points on them in like the last 20 minutes.
“We were just electric in the backs. We were very clinical when we needed to be.
“Bude is a tough place to go, and a bit like Redruth last week, they were very good, but we just like ran away with it because we don’t tend to take our foot of the gas.
“Our pack was dominant, even though we had to shuffle it around again. But we had a pretty strong backline and that was evident.”
Tavistock battled hard but ended up coming away empty-handed from a tough trip to Wiveliscombe.
The Sandy Park club were beaten 37-14 in Somerset, despite having taken the lead with an early Ethan Lamerton try after a cross-field kick by Soco O’Connor and only trailing 10-7 at the interval.
Freddie Fuller added a second try after the break, but it wasn’t enough to return with any points.
“They played the slope really well at home,” said Tavistock captain and player-coach Hammy Kerswill. “They played it much better than us.
“We played some really good rugby and it was a cracking game, but it was just a 10-12 minute period in the second half when they utilised the slope well and scored a couple of good tries
“It was shame we didn’t get a bonus point, but they have started the season well. They won down at the Pirates and just lost to Barnstaple at home and beat Penryn at home. On a wet day, I think they can beat anyone at home.
“Our penalty count was also far too high, which is a shame as our discipline has been quite good this year and the penalties cost us.”
Kerswill was pleased with the way his team defended in the first half, but they were not helped by losing back-row forward Jamie Legg at the break with a badly broken finger.
COUNTIES TWO CORNWALL
SALTASH issued a massive statement on Saturday by beating Falmouth 65-7 away in Counties Two Cornwall.
Falmouth were unbeaten having come down from Western West, but the Ashes were far too strong for them, although the Eagles did become the first team to score against them this season.
Even though they had not played for two weeks, Saltash picked up where they left off against Bodmin and were on the board in the fourth minute with a try from flanker Phil Eatwell. Scrum-half Jack Pritchard then added a penalty to extend the lead to 8-0.
On 22 minutes, the ball fell to flanker Lewis Wells from a line-out and he charged hard from the halfway line only to be dragged down short of the try line. However, he was able to feed number eight Ryan Rayner to dot the ball down. Pritchard added the extras to put Saltash 15-0 up.
The Ashes added further tries in a purple patch through Rayner, winger Lewis Stuart, lock Lewis Woolaway, skipper James Moriarty and full-back Ryan Cruickshanks, coupled with four conversions from Pritchard for a 48-0 half-time lead.
At the turnaround, Falmouth jammed their stick in the wheels of the Saltash juggernaut to frustrate and stem the tide of onslaught.
But Ashes replacement Steve Hilllman rounded the defence out on the right to score a superb try for Pritchard again to convert.
The home side did not lie down and managed a consolation score through their scrum-half Cam Bullock which was converted for a 55-7 lead for the visitors.
But the Ashes closed the game out with a try from Hillman and a Cruickshanks conversion to round off a comfortable win.
They and Helston are now the only unbeaten teams left in the division after the opening month of the season.
COUNTIES TWO DEVON
TAMAR Saracens showed no mercy against a makeshift Plymouth Argaum side, crushing them 76-12 at Bickleigh Down.
Sarries ran in 11 tries as they claimed their third win of the season since their promotion from Counties Three.
The visitors were 34-10 up at the break, with Adam Coutts, Frazer Tatchell, Mark Rennie, Lew Harris and new winger Shayne ‘Canada’ Clarke crossing the whitewash, with Tom Mann replying for Argaum.
Dan Smith, one of only a few regular first team players in Argaum’s side, added a second try for the home team after the interval, but the hosts ran out of front-row players and had to go to uncontested scrums and go down to 14 players and Sarries ran riot.
Dane Waryck, Chad Smith, Harris and Reece Boase added further tries before Tatchell completed his hat-trick with two late scores, with Rob Hall kicking eight conversions and a penalty and Lew Swatton also adding a conversion.
“We were missing a few players ourselves, but we just seemed to click on the day,” said Saracens’ Pete Lethbridge. “It was a really good performance from us, but as always there’s a few things to work on. We gave away too many penalties for tackles, but the boys did play well.”
Argaum head coach Dean Avery said: “I was just glad that we managed to get a side out. We had a lot of players that had not played in the first team before and we really had to pull together to get a side out and I think that showed.
“But we need to view it as five points gained as in that we fulfilled the fixture with so many away on a stag-do and all our Royal Marines in Gibraltar.
“Due to injuries, the scrums were dangerous, so we ended up going to uncontested so had to go down to 14 and there was just too much space on the pitch for them (Sarries) to exploit.
“Credit to them, they can only play what is in front of them and they moved the ball very well and we didn’t have an answer.”
“I think we only had four out-and-out first team players and two of those, Tom Mann and Dan Smith went off with what looked like serious injuries. Ryan Tunnicliffe also went off injured at half-time.”
OPMs are finally off the mark in the division after they beat Exmouth II 24-17 at King George V Playing Fields on Saturday.
In a tight game a try eight minutes from time by Isaac Salt secured the Old Boys the full five points.
Exmouth II had gone ahead but Dave Broughton responded with a try, which Fred Smale converted.
The visitors went 12-7 in front with a converted touch-down, but Alex Jewell levelled the contest for OPMs.
Chris Jewell then put the Old Boys in front with a try, which Fred Smale converted.
Exmouth II closed the gap to two points, but Salts try proved enough to win the contest.
OPMs head coach Andy Williams was delighted with the win after agonising last-gasp defeats to Argaum and Tamar Saracens.
“As we said last week, a different bounce of the ball against Argaum and we would have won, and a different bounce of the ball against Saracens and we’d have won,” said Williams. “If that had happened, we’d be sitting with three wins from four games, but it didn’t happen.
“So, I’m really happy for the boys, although there’s still lots to do.
“But it felt like we just had a bit more zip in our step this week.
“We played really well in parts and I was really happy the performance in parts.”
Devonport Services II continued their unbeaten start to the season with a comprehensive 49-7 win over Withycombe at Keyham on Saturday.
Services II struggled in the first half and were only 5-0 up at half-time thanks to an Ethan Millard try.
Withycombe probably had more territory in the opening period and Services II just could not get their game going.
But that changed in the second period and the home side ran in six further tries.
Leighton Stark kicked a penalty immediately after the interval to make it 8-0 but Withycombe did hit back with a converted try by Ben Dawson.
However, the visitors then picked up a yellow card and some injuries and Services II ran away with it.
Sam Fincham (2), Mike Kelly, Ethan Hilland, Andy Pond and Cam Donkin went over for tries, with Stark kicking four conversions.
COUNTIES THREE
OLD Techs topped the 60-point mark for the third week running as they beat Totnes 67-10 away on Saturday in Counties Three Devon South & West.
Techs have managed to score 191 points from their opening three games against Plympton Victoria, Salcombe and Totnes.
The Weston Mill club, who had surprisingly lost at Totnes last season, were 43-10 up at the break on Saturday and they ended up with 11 tries in total.
Dan Pullen bagged four of those, with Ollie Davey getting two and Billy Evans, Kieran Hurrell, Will Booth, Brett Tunnicliffe and Dale Thompson also scoring and Sammie Matts kicking six conversions.
“I think we want the good weather to keep going because we have a 15-man rugby team right now,” said Techs chairman David Evans.
“We dominated again in the forwards and our backs can penetrate. We are playing really good rugby, but we are just taking it game by game.”
It was a good day for Techs as they also got a second team out, who beat New Cross II 46-10 at Weston Mill.
“It’s the first time in 12 years that two Techs teams have played at the same time,” said Evans.
Ivybridge II are also unbeaten in the division, and they also topped the 60-point mark with a 65-7 victory away at Paignton II.
Plympton Victoria were disappointed with their performance as they lost 55-7 away at Salcombe.
Lewis Jeffery scored their only try in the South Hams, with Chris Barratt adding the conversion.
“At least we didn’t get nilled and some of our tackling was pretty good,” said chairman Chris Hunt. “And, again, we also got a full team out with five subs.”
After their heavy defeat to Brixham II last weekend, Plymstock Oaks II bounced back in style with a 50-22 home victory over Torquay Athletic II.
In Counties Three Cornwall, Saltash II suffered their first defeat of the season as they were beaten 34-19 away at Illogan Park.
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