Due to the hardness of the playing surface, the match had to be adapted and so full contact tackling was not allowed, in line with recent RFU guidance.
However, both clubs were happy with the run-out, which higher league Saltash won 19-7.
It was all square after the first two 20-minute periods, but Saltash, who had started with their second team but then brought on some first team players, pulled away in the final third.
Tom Knight, Charlie Knight and Scott Williams scored tries for Saltash, with Adam Corbett crossing the line for Tamar Saracens, who did create a lot of chances with new player-coach Hayden Coles pulling the strings at fly-half.
“It was a good run-out and as a coaching set-up we were really impressed,” said Tamar Saracens coach Pete Lethbridge, who had praise for the referee and Saltash as well.
“Although it wasn’t full contact, the boys played well.
“In the final third (of the game), I think we were just falling off our feet maybe a little bit as we didn’t have the replacements that they did, but all in all – scrummaging, line-outs and back play – it was really impressive.
“There are things to work on, which we will, but it was encouraging for the season, I think.
“We have a load of players to come back in who were away, but, overall, the boys did well for 60 minutes against a really good Saltash side.”
New Saltash head coach Craig Jones was also happy with the run-out and the decision to go-ahead with the fixture even though they had to modify the match.
“I think it was the right call,” said Jones. “And we were really keen to play.
“We started pre-season early, just because it had been all-change in terms of our coaching set-up. We’ve got new attack and defensive systems, so it was a really good opportunity to take the contact out of it and just focus on our shape.
“As we said to the boys, we are over the moon with it really.
“You could see the fitness has worked and probably most importantly the culture within the group was really, really good. There was no negativity when things were going wrong and we were staying positive and trying to work it out ourselves.”
Saltash finished last season really strongly and their first team managed to stay in Counties One Western West on the final day of the season, and Jones is keen to build on that.
“That was a credit to the coaching group of last year, where they put a huge effort in,” he said.
“It had been a while since we had been at that level. The seasons before we had been beating everyone so comfortably that we didn’t learn the lessons about tight games.
“But towards the end of the season, we started to learn what it was like to stay in the game and actually see it out when before we were losing right in the last five minutes.”
He added: “I came in with one clear idea and that’s to change the culture in the group. And what I mean by that, is I didn’t want first and seconds, I just wanted a senior squad that we can select from. If the buy product from that is success, then great, but I think over the last nine or 10 weeks we have already succeeded in that.
“The hope, in truth, this year is to stay up again. Yet I think if we can get things right, we can be in the top end of the table. That’s the hope.”
Saltash may have lost Lewis Woolaway to Devonport Services and top try scorer Will Morton has retired, but they do have more youngsters coming through their successful youth set-up.
“That is the life-blood of this club,” said Jones. “We’ve had a stalwart of players over the last few seasons, but we now have this young group of players who are challenging the old boys. As these young boys are coming up, these older boys are looking over their shoulder and thinking ‘hang-on’, but that’s great.
“Losing Wooly and Will Morton is challenging some of these guys who are new to the first team set-up and senior squad, to try and fill those shoes. It’s just going to be a matter of time.”
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