DEVONPORT Services came back from a half-time deficit to beat Exmouth 26-18 away on Saturday and keep themselves in the driving seat for the Regional One South West title.
Leaders Services knew they could not afford to slip up at the Imperial Ground with second-placed Topsham breathing down their necks.
The two clubs now face a likely ‘winner-takes-all’ game at the Rectory next Saturday to decide who secures automatic promotion to the National League.
Services did have to dig deep four their bonus-point win at Exmouth.
They found themselves 11-0 down early on but pulled a try back just before half-time courtesy of prop Oli Symons, who went over from a catch-and-drive move.
And the visitors took the lead straight after the interval when Liam Jarvis scored out wide and Sam Brown added the conversion.
Tom Davies then scored an interception try before Shaun Crawford reacted quickly to a loose ball to pick it up and run in to score and make it 26-11.
Exmouth did score a late try, but Services head coach Ben Russell was delighted with the way his team defended in east Devon.
“We defended really well,” he said.
“We were 11-0 down just before half-time but scored a try just before half-time to make it 11-5.
“And we then played really well in the second half.”
He added: “We weathered the storm in the first 15 or 20 minutes. They (Exmouth) were just physical and hard.
“We could have been a bit more down at half-time, but the boys defended really well and caused knock-ons.”
Russell said his team always felt they could turn the game around in the second half.
“I think we just had that belief,” he said. “We had the wind with us second half and they started blowing a bit more.
“I think we just knew if we kept on plugging away, we would be all right.
“But our defence was the main thing.
“The boys did really well this weekend and we deserved to win in the end.
“We have Topsham next week and then three games after that. We know next week is the big one.”
REGIONAL TWO SOUTH WEST
IVYBRIDGE suffered another set-back to their play-off hopes as they were beaten 18-10 away at second-from-bottom Cullompton on Saturday.
It followed on from a 33-17 loss at Crediton the previous week.
However, they are still just two points off a play-off spot and do have a game in hand on fifth-placed Crediton, who are just above them. Ivybridge also know that two of their remaining five games are against winless bottom side Wellington.
“It was exactly the same game as last week really,” said Ivybridge head coach Steve Atkinson after Saturday’s loss at Cullompton.
“We couldn’t get on the right side of the ref first half and a few mistakes out wide for us cost us.
“We didn’t really have much of the ball to play with as, again, we were slowed down at the breakdown.
“Fair play to Cully, they knew how we like to play and disrupted us.
“We went into half-time, 18-0 down but still in high spirits.
“We made a few adjustments at half-time and managed to claw back a couple of tries.
“Then the last 10 minutes was all us, but Cully defended really well. But again a few decision cost us field position.”
He added: “We weren’t at our best again, but still played some good rugby in phases but just couldn’t get anything for it.”
Props Matt Finn and Wes Vermigle scored tries for Ivybridge, who thought they had scored another right at the end for a losing bonus point, but the referee ruled they had been held up.
COUNTIES ONE WESTERN WEST
SALTASH have suffered some cruel losses this season in Western West, but Saturday’s 29-27 derby defeat at Plymstock Oaks might just have been the cruellest yet.
They out-scored Oaks five tries to three and were 27-26 ahead with time up on the clock.
But with the last play of the game, deep in injury-time, Oaks were awarded a penalty by the referee and Plymstock player-coach Lewis Paterson stepped up and kept his nerve to slot the ball through the posts to win the game for his side and move them out of the bottom three.
The Oaks players were overjoyed and really celebrated their last-gasp win, which did not go down too well with the Saltash players, who felt they had done enough to secure victory in a thrilling contest.
However, that has been the story of Saltash’s season. They have lost nine league games this term by just one single score, which is far more than any team in the whole of the South West league pyramid.
It was almost as if their players and supporters knew what was going to happen on Saturday when Oaks attacked in the final minute, especially as Saltash felt they had not been getting the rub of the green with decisions.
Both Oaks and Saltash were desperate for the win to move out of trouble.
Plymstock have jumped up to ninth, while the Ashes, despite collecting two bonus points, remain bottom and are nine points off guaranteed safety, although the exact number of relegation spots will not be confirmed until after the season has finished.
Saltash do now need to beat third-from-bottom Torquay Athletic at home this coming week to give themselves hope.
They do still have 35 points to play for, and they will take heart from their performance on Saturday.
“We are certainly not giving up,” said Saltash player-coach Lewis Wells.
“Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to put out a consistent team week-in, week-out, but this week was one of the better teams we have been able to field recently.
“To lose by such a fine margin is a hard one to swallow.
“Unfortunately, we left too many points out there – a couple of kicks missed and a couple of penalties given make all the difference when it’s small margins.
“There were a lot of decisions missed and a lot played, but you just have to play the game in front of you.
“It just seems to be fine margins each week. It doesn’t matter if we are playing top of the table or bottom of the table, we just seem to miss out by fine margins.”
Oaks now have got themselves a bit of breathing space after ending a run of three defeats in a row with Saturday’s last-gasp victory.
“It was cruel on them (Saltash), however, it was brilliant for us,” said Oaks coach Mike Lewis afterwards.
“The scoreboard was wrong at one point, and we went for a penalty. We thought that would put us seven ahead, but we were only six in front and they scored to make it 27-26.
“We had an attack at the end and lost the ball, but we got another go and as soon as we knew we had another go, we just knew we were going to do it. There was just that feeling.
“We had a load of young lads in there who have played second team rugby for most of the season but who stepped up as we were missing a few and they were just brilliant.
“Jacob Chapman came in on the wing towards the end and he stepped and ran and he wasn’t afraid to have a go. Josh Waters is only 18 but played at hooker and held his own in the scrum and he just carried and tackled.
“These type of days mean a lot to the club and hopefully it means a lot to the young players to continue.”
Saturday’s match was a thriller and there were very few knock-ons.
Lewis said: “No-one wanted to make an error.
“In the first half, both teams really played, but in the second half it was a case of both teams did not want to lose.
“They carried maybe a bit too much into our big lads and we carried a bit too much into their big lads, instead of going just one or two passes wider. It was just that both teams didn’t want to lose the ball.
“We try and play a bit of rugby, and they try and play a bit of rugby and both teams are good enough to be in this league, but it is just a cruel division at the moment.
“Penryn play some great rugby, Torquay do as well. There are so many good teams near the bottom just because it is such a competitive league.”
He added: “I am so chuffed for the lads. Everyone was a bit emotional in the huddle afterwards as it hadn’t felt like we had won in ages.
“We have been putting in the performances to win, but we just haven’t been getting the rub of the green, a bit like Saltash.
“I know it is harsh on them, but we did really need that.”
With so much riding on the match, both teams came flying out of the blocks.
Saltash took the lead after just five minutes when Will Morton scored in the right corner after some good passing along the line.
But Oaks hit back just four minutes later when centre Duncan Bibby was ruled to have got the ball down under a couple of bodies from a tap penalty.
Saltash, playing up the slope first half, then took a bit of control of the contest with two quick tries scored by number eight Steve Hillman and young lock James Sutton.
Paterson kicked a penalty on 30 minutes to reduce the gap to seven points, but then Saltash scored a stunning fourth try to go 20-8 up.
Captain James Moriarty finished a length-of-the-field move off, which was started in his own half by Todd Crofts. Morton and Greg Eatwell did well before the ball came to Moriarty, who touched down on the left.
Unfortunately, for Saltash, their first four tries were all scored out-wide and so they were unable to convert them to give themselves more of a cushion.
And in the final few minutes of the half, Oaks cut their lead to just four points.
First winger Ed Coombs scored in the corner after a penalty had given Oaks the chance to attack from a line-out.
Saltash then paid for not kicking the ball out of touch to end the half. A clearing kick stayed in field and Oaks’ Paterson ran it back and Saltash were penalised. The visitors suffered a double-whammy, as not only did Oaks get a kickable penalty, which Paterson put over to reduce the deficit to 20-16, but Moriarty was yellow carded.
Saltash actually played well with 14 players and did not concede any points.
However, when they were back up to 15 players, Oaks did take the lead for the first time when Coombs scored his second and Paterson added the conversion.
Paterson then kicked a penalty to put his side 26-20 ahead.
Morton was denied a certain try in the 59th minute for a forward pass, but five minutes later he did get his second and this time Jack Pritchard was able to add the conversion to put his side back in front.
But Saltash’s line-out had started to let them down a bit in the second half and they lost some good ball and territory, but they were defending really well.
It did look like they were going to hold on when they did brilliantly to stop Bibby, who had made a great run, late on.
But with time up, Liall Honey went down with what looked like a serious knee injury as Oaks attacked and they were left defending with 14 men. Oaks kept the ball alive well and eventually Saltash were penalised by the referee and Paterson cruelly broke their hearts with his last-gasp kick.
COUNTIES TWO DEVON
TAVISTOCK boosted their hopes of staying up with a 38-12 away victory at Plymouth Combination rivals OPMs on Saturday.
It was Tavistock’s biggest away victory of the season and they completed the double over OPMs, having edged them out 19-15 at Sandy Park in November.
The win has lifted them out of the bottom three and up to eighth the table, although OPMs will move back above them when the five points they secured for beating Dartmouth in a match that was abandoned before the full 80 minutes had been played are added to their total.
But Tavistock coach Leigh Puttock, who used to be in charge at OPMs, was just delighted with their win on Saturday, especially as they were short of players.
“I am over the moon,” he said.
“We only had 15 players. We drafted in a couple of colts at half-time to give us some options, but the 15 lads were outstanding. Every one of the lads put in an immense shift.
“OPMs are a strong side and we didn’t really go there thinking we would get anywhere near that result as we knew we would be in a battle.
“As always, we dominated the scrum, our line-out ticked over perfectly all day and Freddie (Fuller) ran the game with ball in hand from 10, but everyone did exactly what I have asked of them. I couldn’t be happier.”
He added: “Fair play to OPMs, they are a strong team and they made us work in defence.
“I do love coming back as a previous coach to see how far the club have come as a whole. It is lovely seeing the facilities they have done up, watching their colts and seconds all playing as well. It is nice to see them so strong.”
Tavistock could pull further clear of the bottom two next weekend with a home match against Ivybridge II.
“A couple of lads said that it makes going into next week easier, but I said it makes it harder and more vital,” said Puttock.
“I have been saying these two weeks against OPMs and Ivybridge are going to be vital to where the club is playing next season.
“If we go into next week and do anything less than this, then it was all for nothing.
“We need to make it stick now and drive on.”
Tavistock did the damage in the first half as they led 29-5.
OPMs head coach James Digweed was frustrated at the number of penalties awarded in the game.
“To be honest, it is likely we would have lost regardless, but it definitely didn’t help,” he said.
“They turned up with a bare 15, but they stuck at it.
“I do think a lot of it had to do with momentum. It was frustrating.”
OPMs were also beaten in a cup game last weekend by Perranporth.
“We’ve had poor availability at training and our cohesion has been lacking,” said Digweed. “We know what we have to work on.
“But we are owed five points. The RFU have said we are getting them from the game against Dartmouth, so once they update that the table will look a bit more healthy for us.”
Hammy Kerswill scored two of Tavistock’s six tries, with their others coming from Charlie Charlton, Liam Watts, Freddie Fuller and Jack Rock. Fuller kicked the rest of the points.
OPMs’ tries were scored by Fraser Rudd and Fred Smale, who also added a conversion.
Tavistock’s hopes of staying up were helped by bottom club Dartmouth surprising Ivybridge II.
Dartmouth had not won a game all season in the league, but they have been boosted by a host of new players in the last couple of weeks and they triumphed 35-22 at Cross-in-Hand on Saturday.
The returning Tom Hancocks scored two tries for Ivybridge II, with Archie Mitchell getting their other. Craig Julian kicked a conversion and Tommy Newman a penalty.
Karl Caunter scored a hat-trick for Dartmouth, with Will Varney and Tino Munyurwa also scoring for the visitors.
“It sounds like the twos didn’t turn up for 70 minutes,” said Ivybridge head coach Steve Atkinson. “But Dartmouth came with a strong side by the looks of their team-sheet.”
At the other end of the table, Devonport Services II seem certain to win the title after they crushed Topsham II 82-12 at home.
Services were able to name one of their strongest squads of the season, with Tyler Busfield, Kyle Felton, Billy Sutton and Aiden Taylor among their starting line-up and fit-again Harrison Coonick making his comeback from the bench.
Coonick got a try after coming on. Sam Fincham managed to bag two, while Harry Gascoyne, Ethan Hilland, Ben Wadham, Ethan Millard, Ewan Piercy, James Thorpe and Charlie Over were also on the scoresheet.
The defeat has dropped Topsham II down to fourth, with Bideford moving second. Bideford are six points behind Services II, who do have a game in hand.
COUNTIES THREE DEVON SOUTH & WEST
IT was not a good day for the Plymouth Combination teams in Devon South & West as they were all beaten on Saturday.
Old Techs’ six-game winning run was ended by runaway leaders Brixham, who beat them 48-12 at Astley Park.
Brixham had a strong side out, including the returning JP Simonetti, but Techs did hold them to 24-12 in the first half, but the Fisherman pulled away in the second period.
Techs, who had David Thomas taken to hospital with what looked like a badly dislocated ankle that held the game up for 20 minutes, admitted they were just beaten by a better team.
“They were very good,” said Techs’ Shaun Bedford-Smith. “And there is no disgrace losing against a side of that standard.
“We gave it a really good go, but once they got the ball wide they just created overlaps.
“The lads gave everything, but we were just beaten by a better side.
“We did have plenty of ball, but they defended very well.
“We certainly didn’t disgrace ourselves.”
Jay Smith-Jones and Billy Evans scored tries for Techs.
Tamar Saracens were agonisingly beaten 27-26 at home to second-placed Paignton II.
Sarries looked like they were going to surprise Paignton as they took a 19-3 lead into half-time, but the visitors came back in the second period to snatch the win.
“We were gutted really,” said Tamar Saracens captain Adam Corbett. “It literally was a game of two halves.
“We dominated the first half, but our discipline and penalty count went against us in the second half.
“We just gave away too many penalty that gave them opportunities to come back into the game.
“We must have given 15-plus penalties away and you can’t do that.
“But there were so many positives. We played so much better than we did against Argaum. They played more on the back-foot than we did, so there were definitely more positives than negatives.”
Sarries did pick up two points as they did score four tries. Corbett got one himself, with Chad Smith scoring an interception effort and Rob Hall and Jacob Blasdale also crossing the whitewash.
There was also disappointment for strugglers Plymstock Oak II and Plympton Victoria.
A weakened Oaks II were beaten 29-0 at home by Kingsbridge II, who had not won until the weekend, while Plympton Victoria lost 66-7 away at Salcombe.
Plymouth Argaum were not in league action, but they did play in the Lockie Cup where they progressed to the semi-finals after snatching a 41-35 win over the Medics at Weston Mill thanks to a last-gasp penalty try.
Going into the final two minutes of the quarter-final, Argaum found themselves two scores down, but Tom Holliday scored his third of the game in the final minute to put them to within six points of the Medics.
And from the restart they managed to secured the ball and got a penalty. They went for the line-out and got a drive on and the students brought it down.
“Every player joined the driving maul and they were just diving at our feet and the referee gave a penalty try,” said Argaum head coach Dean Avery.
“It was a good way to end the game.
“It was a humdinger of a game.
“As we thought, they were very strong in the backs and created a lot every time they got the ball.
“We were very dominant in the forwards all day and they did give away a lot of penalties in the red zone.
“We were a lot older than them, but not as fit. We were a bit dead on our feet but somehow managed to get up after that scoring that try to get that result.”
As well has the returning Holliday bagging a hat-trick, there were also two tries for Dan Smith, while Jake Turfrey kicked the rest of their points.
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