AN impressive first half display helped a Devonport Services XV to a 40-29 victory over the Royal Navy U23 side at the Rectory on Wednesday night.
Services totally dominated the first half and scored five first half converted tries to lead 35-0 at the break.
Both sides made a host of changes at the interval and the young Navy side had nearly all the territory and possession in the second period and scored five tries themselves, although Devonport did add a sixth late on to guarantee the win.
“I think in the first 10 minutes we came flying out of the blocks,” said Services second team coach Tom Richards. “I think we caught the navy a bit cold and it showed the depth we have right throughout the club.
“It was good to see not just one individual scoring, but scoring right across the board.
“We went into the second half and we made a lot of changes and brought a lot of new boys in and as I said to them afterwards they need to get training and get to know the systems as we have the talent.”
Services named a predominately second team, although Oli Symons and Dan Goldstone both started after missing last week’s first team game at Cinderford, while Richard West also got a run out, as did former Devonport back Billy Orchard, who is set to return to the club on loan from Plymouth Albion.
Services took just 90 seconds to take the lead when young flanker Oli Lane scored a fine try after collecting a good pass from West, who added the conversion.
And six minutes later, Devonport doubled their lead when scrum-half Billy Sutton scored after Goldstone had intercepted a pass and made 65 metres before getting tackled right on the try line.
West again converted and then he added a converted try from close range after Ethan Millard and Sutton had done well from a scrum.
The experienced West was finding a lot of space and he was involved in Services’ fourth try. Symons, who had a big game, made a great run before West broke through before feeding Sutton, who then fed Oli Whitfield to score on the right.
And just before half-time, the lively Sutton scored a second try when he took a quick free-kick from a line-out and ran in from 25 metres to score. West continued his 100 per cent kicking record by adding the conversion.
But the game totally changed at half-time as both sides made wholesale changes.
Winger Jack Cross took less than two minutes of the restart to pull a try back for the Navy.
Then hooker Jack Wright scored two tries from catch-and-drives moves within the space of six minutes to close the gap to 35-17.
It was all the Navy at this point, and they eventually added a fourth try when Cross went over for a second on the left.
But three minutes from time, Services made the game safe when Dylan Harbour scored a great try on the right before Jack Paterson finished off the scoring for the Navy with a touch-down on the left in injury-time.
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