PLYMSTOCK Oaks just narrowly came up short in a mad Devon Intermediate Cup final at Horsham Fields on Saturday that saw 105 points scored in 80 minutes.
Western West side Oaks were edged out 55-50 by Counties Two Devon champions Torquay Athletic in a match that went down to the last play.
Oaks had been 38-7 behind after just 34 minutes but incredibly hit back and took the lead midway through the second period.
However, Torquay then responded, and they went 12 points up with time running out, only for Oaks to score a converted try in the 80th minute before having the chance to snatch the game in injury-time.
They got a penalty and Oaks head coach Lewis Paterson fired the ball right next to the corner flag from his own half to earn his side a five-metre line-out with the last play of the game. Yet, somehow Torquay managed to steal the ball at the set-piece and ground it down behind the line to win a memorable cup final.
“What better game do you want for a final?,” said Oaks’ Paterson afterwards.
“I think we took about 25 minutes to get into the game.
“When you go 38-7 down that quick then it is always going to be a battle.
“But it was a hell of a turnaround to get ourselves in front.
“Maybe at the end just a bit of game management and a couple of decisions – I think there were a few 50-50 calls where we didn’t get the rub of the green – cost us.
“But you can see they are a decent outfit. They are well-drilled and are definitely a side that will compete in our league (Western West).
“Fair play to them, they didn’t lose their heads. They were very smart.
“You have to give them credit after losing a lead like that. When we got in front they could have imploded, but they came back. They also brought a hell of a lot of supporters, which was good for both teams.”
He added: “We managed to play two colts and some players who have been committed to the second team.
“And I was really proud of them for the character they showed to come back against a really good Torquay side.”
Playing down the Horsham Fields slope first half, Torquay made an impressive start and took the lead with a try in the right corner by Ryan Hanauer, which Lewis Crocker brilliantly converted.
But Oaks did hit back straight away after winning the re-start ball. They really pressed Torquay’s line and after a couple of tap penalties, prop Harvey Courtis eventually forced his way over the whitewash to score. Lewie Riley added the conversion to draw his side level.
However, the Tics then really took hold of the game with five tries in the space of 15 minutes.
They got a penalty try in the 19th minute after Corey Jamieson stopped Josh Mackin scoring in the right corner with a high tackle, which the Oaks winger was yellow carded for.
And almost straight from the restart centre Andy Gormley scored a stunning team try in the left corner from a move that had been started on Torquay’s own line by winger Matt Butler.
Hanauer then scored a converted interception try before wingers Jonny Brown and Butler added further scores to make it 38-7.
Oaks’ defence had been all over the place in those 15 minutes and there did not look a way back for them against a team unbeaten all season.
But Plymstock gave themselves hope with two quick tries just before the break.
First, lock Joel Moran touched down from close range before Paterson scored under the posts to make the half-time score 38-19 to Torquay, who did have Gormley yellow carded just before the interval.
Oaks were held up over the line right at the start of the second half, but they kept the pressure on and Torquay then had Carl Turner yellow carded.
The home side finally did score a fourth try when replacement Andy Porter used his strength to get the ball down from close range.
Torquay missed a penalty attempt in the 48th minute before Oaks closed the gap to just seven points with a fine try down the right wing by Will Scantlebury.
They then drew level when Paterson scored his second try of the game after a tap penalty.
Oaks, playing down the slope, had all the momentum at this point and it was no surprise when they took the lead when Corey Jamieson scored after a great off-load by Scantlebury. That put Plymstock 43-38 in front.
However, there were more twists to come yet as five minutes later Torquay were awarded another penalty try after the referee deemed Duncan Bibby had deliberately knocked the ball on as the visitors tried to score in the left corner. He was yellow carded and the Tics took advantage of the extra man to score an eighth try courtesy of player-coach and former Plymouth Albion forward Dan Williams.
Crocker converted that and then kicked a penalty to put his side 55-43 up with time running out.
But Oaks refused to give up and Alex Chapman scored a fine try under the posts to set up a thrilling final couple of minutes.
Torquay’s supporters must have had their hands in their mouths when Oaks were awarded a penalty and Paterson found touch right in the corner. It was a do-or-die moment for Plymstock, but their line-out that had been good all game, just let them down when they needed it most.
There was also another thrilling cup final just down the road at King George V Playing Fields where OPMs kicked a last-gasp penalty to beat Salcombe 28-27 and lift the Devon Junior Bowl.
The Old Boys had gone 14-0 up and 17-5 up against their lower league opponents, but late on Salcombe scored a converted try and then a penalty to go 27-25 ahead with time running out.
OPMs did not look like they were going to break down Salcombe’s stubborn defence, but with the last play of the game the home side were awarded a penalty almost in front of the posts and Devon under-20 player Matt Smale kept his nerve to kick it and win the match for his side.
“It was an entertaining game to watch,” said OPMs team manager Shaun Grundy.
“But it was a bit unnerving going into the last 10.
“The last five minutes it was us repeatedly attacking in or around their 22, but they defended really well, but eventually they gave away a penalty in front of the sticks, which for them must have been killing.
“We have been on the other side of things like that in the league and so it was nice to be on the other side.
“It was also nice to get some silverware.”
He added: “They (Salcombe) did have a strong team out and they are not a bad outfit at all.
“After the first 20-30 minutes we had two converted tries to their single one so we were 14-5 up. I think we just got a bit complacent then and took our foot off the gas.
“And the second half was a bit tit-for-tat.”
Kallan Malone and Matt Smale scored early converted tries for OPMs, but Salcombe hit back with a touch-down from James Lake.
But OPMs increased their lead to 17-5 with a Matt Smale penalty before Salcombe cut the gap to 17-12 with a score by Matt Hurst.
Matt Smale kicked another penalty to edge his side eight points ahead. Salcombe’s Kieron Clarke and OPMs’ Tom Hughes exchanged tries to leave the score at 25-17 to the hosts.
But a try by Lee Clarke, which he also converted and a penalty by him, put the Crabs in front for the first time.
And it looked like they were going to cause a surprise until they gave away a crucial penalty in the dying seconds, which Matt Smale, who is in the Devon under-20 starting line-up for Sunday’s game against Somerset, kicked.
Devonport Services II were another team involved in a cup match that went down to the last play.
They were beaten 32-31 away at Topsham II in the semi-finals of the Devon 2nd XV Cup.
Services had the chance to win the game with a late penalty, but it just fell short.
However, from that penalty miss, Topsham II knocked on in their own 22 and Services II got a scrum to attack. It looked like they were going to score from the set-piece as they had a two on one overlap, but a Topsham player got a hand to the ball.
“Our eight has gone from the scrum and got a two on one with their winger, who slapped the ball down, but the ref said we knocked it on,” said Services II player-coach Tom Richards.
“It was a very questionable decision at the end.
“The result was a bit gutting. It was a shame as the boys have been doing well. We have some colts in there at the moment and it was nice to have a few people back.
“We do wish Topsham all the best.
“We are now just really looking forward to next week when we have Honiton away. Whoever wins that game gets second, so that’s one that we are really aiming for.”
Services II were 21-19 up at half-time thanks to two tries from Toby Moss and one from Jack Ryder with Leighton Stark converting all three.
After the interval, Stark kicked a penalty before Richard scored a converted try, but it just wasn’t enough to book them a final spot.
However, Old Techs have reached a cup final. They beat Exeter Athletic 56-35 away in the semi-finals of the Devon Junior Cup on Saturday.
They will now play higher league Withycombe away in the final.
“To reach a cup final is a good reward for our season,” said Techs’ Shaun Bedford-Smith.
“We didn’t want to go out at the semi-final stage.”
He added: “We went 14-0 up in the first five minutes and I think we took our foot of the gas a bit and they came back and went ahead at one point, but we didn’t panic
“It was a good open game as you can see from the scoreline. Both teams were trying to play rugby but maybe defensively neither side was brilliant, although I think it was more the attack was good from both teams. There were some really good tries.
“It was just a good open game. It definitely wasn’t a boring match.
“I suppose you have to be happy going away from home and scoring 56 points at Exeter, but we probably just need to tighten up a bit defensively.”
Ollie Davey 3, Ben Hockey 2, Sam Matts, Josh O’Hare and Tom Blythe scored tries for Techs, who had Sammie Matts converting them all.
In the Plymouth Combination Ellis Trophy, a strong Peninsula Medical School side beat Tamar Saracens II 71-0.
In league rugby, in-form Saltash II ended their Counties Three Cornwall season with a hard-earned 22-15 victory away at Camborne School of Mines.
The students did suffer a series of injuries throughout the game, but they kept playing and caused the more structured Ashes II side some issues throughout the match.
Saltash went behind in the 10th minute after Camborne went over for an unconverted try, but the visitors responded almost immediately with a touch-down through number eight Steve Hillman from a line-out out on the right.
School of Mines nudged themselves in front in the 25th minute with a further try after some tight phases for a 10-5 lead at the break.
Into the second half and the Ashes upped the gears and produced a fine try for veteran hooker Steve Kelly, who ran in from the 22. Full-back Ben Lawley converted to put his side 12-10 in front.
Lawley then added a try on the right to extend the lead to 17-10 with half an hour remaining.
The students lowered the arrears on 60 minutes with a score to set up a tense final quarter for the visitors.
The Ashes went through some tight moments with School of Mines having their share of territory and possession, only to be denied by some last-ditch defence.
However, eventually the Ashes broke out and it was an old head in converted wing Mike Capstack who scored the all-important try to seal the win at 22-15.
In a second team friendly, Plympton Victoria were just edged out 19-16 by Dartmouth, who scored a try at the death to win.
“It was a good game of rugby,” said Plym Vic chairman Chris Hunt. “It was a nice and even, hard match.
“Hopefully, we are going to look at getting a return fixture.”
Lewis Jeffery and Ethan Pringle scored tries for Plym Vic, who had Chris Barratt kicking two penalties.
On Friday evening, Devonport Services III beat the University of Plymouth III 48-45 in an entertaining game at the Rectory. The match did see Kieran Down make his long-awaited comeback from injury.
Saltash’s new women’s team, the Phoenixes, claimed the Cornwall Cup Shield on Saturday.
The Phoenixes are Cornwall’s newest women’s side and came up against some well-established teams.
They lost 10-0 to Penryn II, but beat Falmouth Eagles 7-0 and Wadebridge Camels 15-10 on the way to winning their first trophy.
Saltash’s try scorers across the event were Lauren Bates, Leah Bates and Hatti Shipp.
Pictures are low resolution and are protected by copyright so should not be used without permission.