DEVONPORT Services made a winning start to life back in Regional One South West on Saturday.
Services, back at level five after a season in National Two West, beat Sidmouth 37-26 at the Rectory.
The game saw Mike Rickard and Toby Knowles mark their return from long-term injuries with tries, while Tom Davies, Dan Lilley and Aiden Taylor were also on the scoresheet.
Head coach Ben Russell was glad his side picked up a bonus-point win in their opening match, but he did not feel his team played to their best.
“I was happy we got five points,” he said.
“Some of the stuff we did was very good. When we moved the ball well and hit our lines, we created space and scored some lovely tries. But we probably only played for 30 minutes in the whole game.
“We sat off a bit and the intensity and physicality wasn’t what we expect now as a club.
“But Sidmouth were good and kept at it. They scored from some mauls and pick-and-goes and a missed tackle.
“As games go, it was a win and we got five points, but the lads know we were nowhere near where we could be – and where we need to be.”
Services did make a good start and went 12-0 up early on with tries by Davies and Rickard and a conversion by Richard West.
Sidmouth did pull one back through Dan Armstrog, but they then had winger Tom Price yellow carded and before he returned Services added to their tally to go 17-5 up with a try by Knowles after some good passing following a line-out.
However, the visitors responded with two converted tries through George Locke and Shaun Molton to go 21-17 ahead.
But their lead did not last long as centre Lilley scored for Devonport to give them a 22-21 half-time advantage.
After the interval, Sidmouth had Molton sin-binned and Rickard added his second try of the afternoon on his first competitive appearance since suffering a serious shoulder injury playing for Devon in 2024.
Sidmouth picked up another yellow card and West kicked a penalty to put his side 30-21 in front.
However, the visitors refused to give up and they pulled back to within four points with a touch-down from replacement Martin Keywood.
Services, though, sealed the win with a converted try by hooker Taylor.
REGIONAL TWO SOUTH WEST
A last-gasp penalty by youngster Harry Newman-Wild secured Ivybridge a 35-34 home win over Winscombe in Regional Two South West.
In a nip-and-tuck entertaining game at Cross-in-Hand the lead changed hands four times in the final six minutes.
Having trailed 29-24, Winscombe went 31-29 in front with a converted try in the 74th minute.
Teenage fly-half Newman-Wild then kicked his team back in front with a penalty before Sam Dearsley did the same for the visitors a minute later.
But with the final play, Ivybridge were awarded another penalty and Newman-Wild kept his nerve to put it over and win the game for his side.
“Everyone is buzzing, but we’ve got lots of work-ons,” said new head coach Steve Atkinson afterwards.
“I didn’t feel like we were fully firing, which is good. I think we definitely have more to come.”
The last couple of seasons, as Ivybridge struggled in the league above, they kept losing games late on, so Atkinson was delighted to win one at the death.
“Since I have been involved with the seniors we have probably only had one or two like that where we have come out on the right side,” he said.
“I’m really happy with it and I’m really happy for the young lads. That was probably one of the toughest games of the season for them. Now they know what it is about.”
Ivybridge started life in Regional Two South West with five teenagers, who have just come up from their colts, in their starting line-up – Newman-Wild, Joe Owen, Angus Harris, Jack Guyver and Jamie Campbell.
“I was really happy with them all,” said Atkinson. “They all fronted up.
“Winscombe were well-drilled, to be fair, and they had some big, old boys, but I think we were probably just a little bit fitter.
“But I don’t think we made a kick-off exit all game, so there’s lots to work on.
“It was certainly a good game for the neutral.”
Owen Garner scored two tries, while Joe Owen also crossed the whitewash to go with a penalty try and three penalties and two conversions from Newman-Wild.
COUNTIES ONE WESTERN WEST
SALTASH were cruelly denied a memorable away win on their long-awaited return to Western West after Newton Abbot scored a try deep in injury-time to beat them 20-15.
The Ashes, who were unbeaten in Counties Two Cornwall last season, looked like they were going to stun Newton Abbot, who were playing in Regional One South West last term, after taking a 15-3 lead at Rackerhayes.
But in the closing stages, Saltash had two players sin-binned and Newton Abbot were awarded a penalty try before the hosts snatched the win with basically the last play of the game.
Despite the agonising defeat, the Ashes will have taken plenty of positives from the match against a new-look Newton Abbot side coached by former Exmouth and Barnstaple coach Steve Perry.
The Ashes were missing a host of players at the weekend, including Danny Snook, Billy Dover, Greg Eatwell, Ryan Rayer, Simon Nance, Ryan Simmons, Devon Bennett-Murray, Tom Rixson and Axel Nicks.
They had also had limited preparation with just one brief run out at a four-team tournament four weeks earlier.
Their biggest problem at the weekend was a lack of front-row cover with Nance, Simmons, Rayner and Nicks unavailable and hooker Rob Walsh having joined Devonport Services in the summer.
It meant a debut at hooker for normal back-rower Fin Jones, while Ewan McClean also came in at prop for a rare first team appearance.
Newton Abbot, having been two divisions higher last season, did dominate the scrums, but Saltash so nearly hung on for four points.
In the end, they did pick up a bonus point and they will have gained confidence from their display at Rackerhayes.
They went in front in the eighth minute when impressive prop Liall Honey forced his way over the whitewash.
The home side did respond with a penalty, but the Ashes took a 12-3 half-time lead with a converted try by man-of-the-match Jones, who was making his debut appearance at hooker for the first team.
The Devon All Whites did have some lively players, but Saltash were covering their attacks well.
And after the interval, the visitors increased their lead to 15-3 with a penalty by Jack Pritchard in the 52nd minute.
But Newton Abbot rallied and a try on the left wing closed the Saltash advantage to seven points.
This seemed to encourage the home team and they increased the pressure and produced a tense finish to the game which resulted in them drawing level after being awarded a penalty try in the closing stages.
A missed penalty kick near to the posts could have won them the game but with the clock well into the red a try in the corner gave Newton Abbot the victory.
Number eight Jack Mills impressed in the pack for Saltash and Ryan Cruickshanks put in some excellent clearing kicks, while the returning Todd Crofts linked well with scrum-half Pritchard to motivate the backs.
Plymstock Oaks gained revenge for their Devon Intermediate Cup defeat at the hands of Torquay Athletic last season by beating them 55-41 at home in another thrilling contest.
The Tics had won the county cup final 55-50 at Horsham Fields back in March and the sides produced another classic – only this time it went Oaks way.
Plymstock went 33-5 up after just 30 minutes, but Torquay pulled it back slightly before half-time to trail 38-19.
Oaks went 50-29 ahead in the first period of the second half, but Torquay finished strongly to cause a bit of worry in the home ranks.
“I have never been so nervous about scoring 50 points; it was incredible,” said coach Mike Lewis, who has joined Lewis Paterson at Horsham Fields this summer.
“We came out of the blocks really well. It was a dry track, and we had some big runners and produced some good offloads. It was a great start to the game.
“We scored a few tries and we looked like we were cruising.
“We have been working hard on our defensive shape this year, however, it didn’t quite come to fruition and every time we got it slightly wrong Torquay managed to find the gap or the space on the outside we left.
“We looked fantastic in attack, however, in defence we just weren’t quite good enough to make the scoreline suggest that we were dominant in the game.”
He added: “I watched the video of the cup final a couple of times and we made the same mistakes in defence as we did that day. However, we were a lot more dynamic in our attacking approach.
“I think they probably thought we would be tighter, but we played a lot more rugby and we had a few players that really stood out.”
Oaks managed to score six tries in the first half alone, with winger Jack Tweedie scoring two to go with efforts from lock Kieran Jamieson, hooker Robbie Hall, fly-half Paterson and winger Corey Jamieson.
And they added three more after the interval with Corey Jamieson crossing the whitewash again, with centre Charlie Watson and replacement front-rower Joe Donnelly also touching down. Lewie Riley kicked four conversions and Paterson one.
COUNTIES TWO DEVON
HARRISON Coonick marked his return from a year-long injury with two tries as Devonport Services II edged out Tavistock 26-20 in a tough battle at a windy Sandy Park on Saturday.
Services II are one of the favourites for the title after pushing at the top for the last couple of seasons, but they were given a real test by the home side, who deservedly picked up a losing bonus point with a late try.
Devonport had selected a strong side for their season opener against Tavistock, who were relegated from Western West last term. The visiting squad included nine players who had featured at some point in National Two West last year. Coonick, Andy Pond and Mark Friend, who have all been first team regulars, were among those named in their side.
But Tavistock, under new head coach Leigh Puttock, gave them a real tough challenge and could easily have scored a couple more tries.
For long periods of the game, the home side probably looked the better team, certainly in terms of togetherness and desire, but Services just had enough X-factor individuals in their back line to secure them the five points.
Coonick and full-back Toby Moss were particularly sharp and they linked up brilliantly in the build up for their three first half tries and then the highly-rated Coonick, who badly broke his arm last September in National Two West, scored a stunning individual effort for their final one.
But Tavistock coach Puttock was thrilled with his side’s performance, especially considering they were missing a number of players.
“Everything that we have been working on is coming off on the field,” said Puttock. “And I couldn’t have been prouder of the boys.”
He added: “We had a lot of players have to pull out with little niggles, but the one thing I didn’t bring to this club was the heart that it has got.
“They proved that last season and they pulled it together again this season.
“This club has got a great heart, and we can build on that.”
Most of the crowd watching at Sandy Park thought the bonus point they snatched at the end was deserved for their efforts.
“It was hard-earned,” said Puttock. “They (Services) had quality, I’m not going to deny that, but we had heart and we have been working on the quality.”
Puttock is hoping his side’s performance might encourage even more players to either return to the club or join.
“What I want to do as a coach is build a big base,” he said. “On Saturday we had colts out, seconds out and a first team out and we want people thinking this is a club to be part of.”
Tavistock, who handed debuts to Australian-born winger Charlie Deane, who followed in his father’s footsteps by playing for the club, and lock George McDowell, had the strong wind in their favour first half and they took an early lead with a penalty by scrum-half Freddie Fuller.
McDowell’s debut did not last long as he picked up an injury in the opening five minutes and had to be replaced.
But, despite the early re-shuffle, Tavistock continued to press, and the dangerous Liam Watts came so close to scoring the game’s opening try in the 12th minute, but he was just stopped short and then the hosts were unable to make a five-metre scrum tell.
And Services II took the lead in the 20th minute with a try out of nothing. They had a scrum in their own half and from it Moss and Coonick linked up brilliantly before the ball was kicked through and the latter scored under the posts. Leighton Stark added the simple conversion.
But Tavistock hit back and full-back Solly Hunter scored in the left corner as he pounced on a chip over the top that caught Services II out.
That made it 8-7 to Tavistock and it looked like they were going to increase that lead when Liam Watts intercepted a Services II attack and broke, but somehow visiting centre Jon Weerakoon managed to get an ankle tap in and it was just enough to make the Tavistock player trip and save a certain try.
Fuller missed a penalty attempt in the 34th minute and Services then scored from another scrum move involving Moss and Coonick, with the former touching down this time. Stark added the conversion to make it 14-8.
And on the stroke of half-time and another break down the left wing by Coonick eventually ended with new hooker Rob Walsh, a summer signing from Saltash, scoring in the other corner to give Services a 19-8 half-time lead.
Despite playing into the wind second half, Tavistock reduced the gap quickly to 19-13 with a catch-and-drive try by hooker Hammy Kerswill.
Services, who took off Coonick at half-time, were really having to defend a lot and on 60 minutes they re-introduced their star winger who took just seven minutes to score a brilliant long-range effort down the left after breaking through a couple of tackles in his own half.
But Tavistock did not give up and they pressed and pressed for a bonus. Services II had winger Owen Kerswell yellow carded in injury-time and eventually the home side’s pressure told when number eight Vaughan Glover scored near the posts and Fuller added the conversion.
There was another close game at King George V Playing Fields, where OPMs opened their season with a hard-earned 32-28 home victory over newly-promoted Crediton II.
The Old Boys sealed the win with a try by Matt Smale after Crediton II had gone 28-27 in front.
In a tight match, the lead changed hands six times and the biggest gap at any point in the contest was just eight points.
But OPMs did out-score Crediton six tries to four so they felt they deserved the win, with backs Alex Jewell, Fred Smale and Matt Smale all scoring two apiece.
“It was a good, close game, but we made hard work of it,” said new OPMs head coach James Digweed. “However, it was a good result in the end.
“We didn’t look like we were going to lose, but in the last five or six minutes there was a lot of pressure on us.
“They (Crediton) were quite a young and fit side. I thought they would have been more physical, but they tried to run us around a lot.”
He added: “This is our third year in this league and it’s the first time we have won our opening game of the season, so we are happy.
“There’s lots to work on, but there were also lots of positives.”
Ivybridge II could not get off to a winning start on their return to the league. They were beaten 33-21 by Topsham II at Cross-in-Hand on Saturday in an open game.
COUNTIES THREE DEVON SOUTH & WEST
PLYMOUTH Argaum were the only city side able to open their season with a win in Counties Three Devon South & West.
Argaum, who were relegated from Counties Two last year, beat fellow Combination side Plympton Victoria 44-5 at a very windy Bickleigh Down.
The home club did the damage in the first half when they were actually playing against the elements. They went 38-0 up in the opening 40 minutes, but they lost their way a bit second half as Plym Vic upped their performance.
“We had the wind second half, but we didn’t really capitalise on it and lost our way a bit,” said Argaum head coach Dean Avery.
“We did pick up quite a lot of injuries second half, including Adam Walker, who looks like he has broken a bone in his hand, and Tom Worboys pulled a muscle in his leg.
“I was a bit disappointed they got a try, but fair play to them. They were really good up front and put pressure on our scrum, but overall, it was good.”
Adam Walker did manage to score a hat-trick of tries before he had to go off, with Rory McCarthy and Jerry Vakalatu scoring twice and Usaia Masuwale and Worboys also touching down for Argaum.
Plym Vic’s try came from scrum-half Chris Barrett.
Plym Vic chairman Chris Hunt said: “In the first half we didn’t quite have our game together and we let them dictate the pace by not really competing enough.
“But come the second half we started to get it together. We competed more and slowed the scoreboard down and got our own try.
“If we had played the first half like we did the second then it would have been a closer margin, but I don’t think it would have changed the result, to be honest.
“But I think they knew they had been in a game. We played tough and hard.
“It’s the beginning of the season, it’s still very early days and we have a few new players in the squad that we are still bedding in.
“I think what stood Argaum in a massive amount of stead is that they have just come down from the league above and even just going up one league at our level there is a massive difference of standard and pace and they brought that with them. A couple of the tries they scored were brilliant – running forward and just popping it off.”
There was disappointment for last season’s third-placed finishers Old Techs, who were beaten 29-17 at home by Paignton II.
Techs led 17-5 at half-time and were dominating the scrums, but a number of decisions on the day did not go their way, including having a try disallowed that would have moved them 22-5 ahead.
“We were 17-5 up at half-time, despite playing against the wind,” said chairman David Evans.
“Second half we had everything in our favour, but we didn’t play the conditions properly.
“There’s no excuse really. It was a little bit disappointing.
“They (Paignton) had a decent enough side out with a good set of backs, but it was a bit frustrating for us as you want to get your season off to a good start.”
Kieran Hurrell and centre Lewis Harvey scored tries for Techs, who had Sam Matts converting both and adding a penalty.
There was also disappointment for the new-look Tamar Saracens side, who were beaten 29-19 away at Totnes.
They were another team to have a crucial try disallowed on the opening day of the season.
“I think that is the first time they (Totnes) have beaten us in a fair few years,” said Sarries captain Adam Corbett. “I can’t remember losing to them before since I’ve been playing for Tamar Saracens.
“We are transitioning with players retiring and others not around and new players coming in, but it wasn’t all bad.
“They (Totnes) played well. I talked to their captain and they’d had a pre-season friendly, whereas all we’d had was a training match against Ivybridge. We hadn’t actually had a proper pre-season friendly.
“And it took us half a game to get into it. I think we were 22-0 down at half-time.
“We came back, but they got a penalty try.”
Corbett did think he had scored when the game was in the balance.
“The ball was over the line, but the ref said it was held up, but he was just on the wrong side,” said Corbett. “The ball was actually over the line under my arm, but we wouldn’t have had a game without the ref and it was his first game, so it is what it is.
“We can take a lot of positives from it, but we also know what we need to work on for upcoming fixtures.”
There were tries for debutants Isaac Blasdale and Harvey Tucker, while Jacob Blasdale scored their other touchdown.
In the same division, Plymstock Oaks II were beaten 67-15 away at Torquay Athletic II.
“I think until about the 55th minute, we were only 29-15 down,” said Oaks coach Mike Lewis.
“The first 40-50 the team were well in the game, but second half it just didn’t click. Yet I don’t think the scoreline reflects how the team played.”
He added: “We had about 10 players across our first and second teams this weekend who were colts last season and in three or four years they are probably going to be the backbone of the first team, which is brilliant for the club.”
Elsewhere, Devonport Services III beat a combined Tavistock and OPMs second team 56-0 at Sandy Park.
Services III just had too many strong runners like Arron Duffield, Ben Charlton, Fin White and James Thorpe for their makeshift opponents to handle, especially in the second half.
It was only 19-0 at the break, with Charlton scoring twice and Duffield touching down, but second half the visitors ran away with it. Thorpe bagged a hat-trick after the interval, while Charlton also got another to end the day with three. There were also scores for Ross Taylor, White and Sam Rhodes.
Meanwhile, Ocean City Rugby have re-started their non-contact tag rugby session for special needs and neurodivergent youngsters aged five year-olds and upwards.
The session take place at Weston Mill on Sunday mornings between 10-11am. For more information email oceancityrugbyinclusive@yahoo.com or ring Julia on 07887 244472.
GALLERY FROM TAVISTOCK V DEVONPORT SERVICES II – COUNTIES THREE DEVON
GALLERY FROM TAVISTOCK/OPMS II V DEVONPORT SERVICES III – FRIENDLY
GALLERY FROM TAVISTOCK COLTS V BRIXHAM COLTS
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