DEVONPORT Services head coach Ben Russell has told his team that they need to start learning their lessons much faster than they are doing, if they want to stay in National Two West.
Injury-hit Services suffered a sixth consecutive defeat on Saturday when they were beaten 33-19 at home by Old Redcliffians.
It was another game of if, buts and maybes, with Services level at 19-19 with just over 10 minutes to go and only one score down with one minute to play.
But they ended up not even picking up a bonus point after a late converted try by Old Reds.
“I can shout about refereeing calls as long as I can shout about them, but if we don’t look after the ball and keep making mistakes, we will not win games,” said Russell afterwards.
“There is still belief as we know if we look after the ball and stop giving away high tackles, we win.
“Decisions do seem to be going against us
“But we just have to learn quickly. We are playing some lovely rugby and creating scoring opportunities, but we just keep dropping the ball or we are trying to force a pass.
“We have lots of injuries and unavailabilities, but we are just not learning from our mistakes.
“I know if we looked after the ball better, we would win.”
Services, who have brought in former player Harri Hayman on loan from Camborne with Mike Rickard and Liam Jarvis injured, found themselves 12-0 down after 20 minutes.
The visitors were awarded a penalty try and Devonport had fly-half Sam Brown yellow carded after Old Reds kicked the ball forward into the in-goal area which caused problems for the home side.
Services were unhappy with the decision, and it got worse for them when Ben Tothill dived over the line following a maul.
But the home side pulled a try back when Charlie Groves finished off a good move by holding off two defenders to score.
It looked like that was going to be the half-time score, but in first half injury-time, Old Reds scored a counter-attack try courtesy of Will Bowers.
However, after the interval Services pulled it back to 19-19 and momentum looked like it was with them.
Henry Clement got them going with their first try after the break before Fergus Wood levelled the match.
But Devonport were unable to stay on level terms for long. They gave away a penalty that allowed Old Reds to kick long and launch an attack which ended with Tom McLean scoring and Zac Tomlin converting.
Services went looking for the fourth try that would not only pull them level but secure them a bonus point, but five minutes from time they had Harry Pickett yellow carded and in the dying seconds Old Reds took advantage of the extra man with McLean adding his second to win the match and deny Devonport anything.
REGIONAL TWO SOUTH WEST
IVYBRIDGE made it two wins out of two at home with a comfortable 51-21 victory over struggling Teignmouth at Cross-in-Hand on Saturday.
The Bridgers scored seven tries and were 30-7 up at half-time, despite not playing anywhere near to their best.
They struggled all afternoon with their line-out and made some uncharacteristic mistakes, but when they did click, they were slick and had too much pace and power for Teignmouth.
Coach Connor Eastgate said afterwards: “It was a really great effort all round, both sides of the ball – attack and defence.
“First 10 minutes was slow, but once we got into the game, we proved what we can do with the ball in hand.
“If we perform like that against the majority of the teams in this league, then we’ll be somewhere near the top come the end of the year.”
Teignmouth, playing their third successive away game, had been beaten 62-7 by Penzance-Newlyn and 57-7 at Nailsea & Backwell, but they started well on Saturday.
With Pete Bilham impressing in the line-out, they took the lead with hooker Joe Brookfield scoring after just nine minutes following a set-play near the line.
But Ivybridge did not panic and were happy to try and build the points slowly.
Fly-half Harry Newman-Wild kicked a penalty before the home side scored their first try when Edward Foster went over in the left corner after some good play.
Newman-Wild added that conversion and also kicked another penalty on 20 minutes to make it 11-7.
Scrum-half James Cantin then scored two tries within five minutes, both coming from good off-loads by number eight Joe Owen.
Owen and lock Jack Skinner were constantly making good ground when they did get the ball.
Had Ivybridge been able to win their line-out then the score could have been much greater.
But they did finally win one just before half-time and it ended in a try with hooker Aaron Williams scoring from an impressive maul to make it 30-7 at the break.
After the interval, the home side went 51-7 up.
Skinner got the try he was threatening in the 20th minute and then he added a second 10 minutes later.
Prop Owen Garner then added one after the Bridgers finally started to get their line-out to work.
But Teignmouth kept going and they dominated the final 10 minutes and Finlay Pitman and Dayne Layton scored tries for them to give them hope of a bonus point.
However, they were unable to get a fourth try and at the death Cantin was just denied his hat-trick due to a forward pass.
COUNTIES ONE WESTERN WEST
SALTASH supporters must be having a feeling of déjà vu at the way their team have started the season in Western West.
The Ashes are still looking for their first win of the campaign after a heart-breaking 43-42 home loss against last season’s runners-up Paignton at Moorlands Lane.
They led 30-17 five minutes into the second half and had two penalty kicks that would have won them the game deep in injury-time.
But for the second week running they were just narrowly beaten.
They had lost 33-30 last Saturday to St Ives and last season lost 11 games by just one single score, including twice to Paignton.
It did eventually come right for them at the end of last year’s campaign, and they will be hoping that they can turn narrow defeats into wins again soon.
They have picked up two losing bonus points from their last two games and four points from matches against Camborne II, St Ives and Paignton is no disgrace, especially with a young side.
They have a tough trip to Torquay next weekend, but then have matches against Truro, Barnstaple II and Devonport Services II, who are all in the bottom five at the moment, which could be crucial fixtures.
Paignton will feel they got out of jail with their win at Moorlands Lane on Saturday.
The south Devon side did take the lead when Josh Gillard scored and Bradley McKee converted.
But Jack Pritchard quickly reduced the deficit with a penalty for the home team.
Saltash then went in front in the 12th minute with a well-taken try from fly-half Billy Dover, who gathered his own grubber kick to go over under the posts. Pritchard kicked the conversion to put his side 10-7 up.
However, their lead did not last long as Paignton hit back with tries by Nyakallo Makate and Dewald Stoop within four minutes to go 17-10 ahead.
Saltash were back in front on the half hour thanks to a Pritchard penalty and a conversion of a well-worked first try of the match for centre Andy Walsh
Then, with nothing on, young winger Henry Taylor gathered a ball in his own half, then went off on a mazey run to beat a number of tackles and go under the posts for a subline try, which was converted by Pritchard. That put Saltash 27-17 up at the break.
After the turnaround Pritchard extended their lead with a penalty, but then the Devon side scored an easy try to close the gap courtesy of Gillard.
But back came Saltash with flanker Charlie Knight charging down a kick to score and put his side 35-22 up.
The visitors upped a gear and scored a converted try through Tom Osborn and a penalty try to nudge themselves in front at 36-35.
They extended their lead with a further converted try from Tom Benson before the home side, who lost number eight Steve Hillman to a head injury in his 250th game, gave themselves a chance with a sublime try from Walsh. Pritchard converted to get the home side within a point.
Saltash had chances to take the win with some tough penalty attempts, but they just could not get over the line in a physical encounter.
Devonport Services II are also still waiting for their first win of the season after they lost 27-10 away at previously winless Truro.
Services II’s team have been badly hit by injuries and unavailabilities in the first team, especially in the forwards.
“I’m told we just didn’t look after the ball,” said Services head coach Ben Russell. “They (Truro) scored three of their tries from us kicking the ball to them.”
Frustratingly Services II did not even pick up a bonus point, with hooker Stuart Giles, a summer arrival from Plymouth Argaum, scoring both their tries down in Cornwall.
In the Devon Merit Table, Devonport Services III went down 40-31 away at Exeter Engineers.
COUNTIES TWO DEVON
PLYMSTOCK Oaks continued their impressive start to the season by beating much-fancied Honiton 55-10 at Horsham Fields on Saturday.
That eye-catching victory followed on from a 76-28 success over South Molton and a 52-20 win over Brixham II.
They have scored an incredible 183 points in their opening three matches and are living up to their billing as favourites for the title after coming down from Western West last season.
“It was really good,” said coach Mike Lewis on Saturday’s performance. “It was really enjoyable.
“Our backline was just brilliant, but the forwards did a lot of hard work.
“I think Honiton were missing three or four players and it gave us a real big advantage at scrum-time.”
Oaks scored nine tries in total, with six coming in the first period.
Winger Toby Moss bagged four in the first half as Oaks’ backs created opportunity after opportunity.
Fellow back Duncan Bibby also touch-down in the opening 40 minutes, as did back-rower Aiden Taylor.
After the interval, backs Matt Neyle, Bibby and Alex Chapman scored further tries for the hosts, who will meet the only other unbeaten team in the league next weekend, Exmouth II.
Tavistock finally got their first win of the season as they beat previously undefeated Exeter Saracens 39-34 at Moorlands Lane on Saturday.
The home side scored with about five minutes to go to take the lead and then survived some intense pressure on their line to dig out an eye-catching victory.
“We showed some true grit,” said head coach Leigh Puttock.
“We scored to go in front but they then pounded our 22 for about five minutes, however, we managed to hold them out.”
He added: “They (Exeter) pulled away due to some frailties from us in defence, but nowhere near as bad as last week.
“We were keeping up the energy in attack and it literally was tit-for-tat at the end and we just did enough to win it.
“Vaughan Glover at eight was outstanding, as was Tom Charlesworth in the line-out, while everyone else did their bit.
“Our attacks were pretty swift.
“It is one better than last year against Exeter Saracens and we got the try bonus point as well, so we are pleased.”
Puttock is hoping his team can push on now after getting their first victory.
“Hopefully,” he said. “We do have a lot of youngsters and many that haven’t played a lot at all, so we have to be pleased.”
Tavistock again impressed in the set-piece and hooker Hammy Kerswill managed to bag two tries, with Glover, Richard Cann and Harry Ball also touching down. Freddie Fuller, playing his 50th league game for the club, added the rest of their points.
OPMs had to make do with just a try-scoring bonus point as they were beaten 62-41 in a try-fest at Brixham II on Saturday.
The Old Boys, who had beaten Tavistock last week, paid for a really slow first half where they only managed three points.
But they turned it around in the second period, with Fred Smale leading the charge with a hat-trick of tries, but it was just too little, too late.
“It was a great game to watch, but not to be a part of,” said OPMs head coach Davy McGregor.
“In the first half our defence was non-existent.
“For about 10-15 minutes we were playing really well, but then we just decided not to defend.
“Brixham at home are a very tough side. It is an amazing club and I had a great time when I was there. They do take great pride when playing at home.
“We were up against a side that came firing out of the blocks and we didn’t. We were so passive and within ourselves.
“But what was really great, and something the boys should be proud of, was that they just did not give in.
“We came off really excited by the way we can play in attack.
“We scored 38 points in the second half.
“I was more disappointed for the boys than anything as if you score 38 points in most games you are going to be there or there abouts.
“But you are not going to win games when you are 40-odd points down.
“A special mention must go to George Fletcher and Greg Kies who were exceptional for us.”
Scrum-half Fletcher and hooker Chris Wilson made their debuts for OPMs.
“It was great to have a couple more debutants and we are getting great numbers at training,” said McGregor.
COUNTIES THREE
OLD Techs and Ivybridge II are the only teams left with 100 per cent records in Counties Three Devon South & West after they both recorded big away wins on Saturday.
Techs crushed Kingsbridge II 94-0, in a game that the referee ended 10 minutes early, while Ivybridge II overcame previously unbeaten Plymouth Argaum 64-0 at Bickleigh Down.
Ivybridge II were able to name a strong side to face their South Hams rivals, with Hamish and Angus Harris, Owen Alps, Michael Jenson, Cam Wallace, Tristan Lark, Matt Gilbury and Luke Martell in their starting line-up.
Argaum were still without the injured Ryan McKibbin and they also lost Jake Turfrey with an injury.
Ivybridge did the damage in the first half and were 40-0 up at the change of ends.
Argaum did manage to slow down their visitors’ scoring rate in the second half, but they were not able to get a try themselves.
Winger Alp proved a constant danger for Ivybridge and he finished the afternoon with four tries.
Fellow back Angus Harris bagged two touch-downs, while there were also tries for Lance Davies, Gilbury, Hamish Harris and Ryan Currie, with Martell kicking seven conversions.
“There’s no excuses,” said Argaum head coach Martyn Hendy. “It was a great result for Ivybridge; fair play to them.
“We just need to go back to the drawing board and be better.
“They (Ivybridge II) have had three fantastic results and they have got great strength with their two teams.”
Old Techs gained revenge on Kingsbridge II for a shock defeat at High House last season by running in 15 tries in their 94-0 away win.
Kieran Hurrell bagged four of their touch-downs, with Lewis Tunnicliffe bagging a hat-trick. Frazer Tatchell, Charlie Young and Brett Tunnicliffe all got two apiece, while Eddie Ramanzini and Billy Evans also crossed. Sam Matts kicked eight conversions and Evans one.
“We played some good running rugby,” said Techs secretary Colin Bodenham.
And it was a bit of revenge for losing up here last time.
“We’ve won three out of three so you can’t ask for a better start.”
Tamar Saracens made it two wins out of two at home by overcoming Torquay Athletic II 28-11 on Saturday.
Their only defeat so far came on their travels last weekend when they narrowly lost 22-19 to Salcombe.
Sarries led 18-5 at half-time on Saturday with Rob Hall and Robbie Fowler scoring tries and Hall adding a conversion and two penalties.
Torquay pulled it back to 18-11 after the interval, but another penalty by Hall and then a first try in Sarries colours for home debutant Lewis Stuart sealed the win.
“It was all right,” said Saracens’ Pete Lethbridge. “We played quite well in spells.
“It could have been better, but it was a good result in the end.
“We started off really well, unlike last week against Salcombe.
“The story of the first half, was we were good for the first 25, but then we became a bit slow and cumbersome to ruck and mauls
“In the second half they scored two consecutive penalties to make it 18-11.
“But all of a sudden in the last 20 minutes we woke up and started playing really good rugby again.
“There was a lot of positives. There’s still a lot to work on, but it was good.
“It was a pleasing win. Torquay, fair play to them, they were very organised and they had this young 17-year-old number nine, who was very impressive and looks like he might go far.”
Plymstock Oaks II finally got their first win of the season as they won 57-33 away at Totnes.
The returning Ben Hadfield topped scored for Oaks II with a hat-trick of tries.
Jerome Davies, Murphy Dobson, Harvey Searle, Jacob Chapman, Connor Thomson and Dan Jewell also touch-down for Plymstock.
In Counties Three Cornwall, Saltash II followed their first team by suffering an agonising one-point home defeat as they were edged out 33-32 by unbeaten Penzance-Newlyn.
Saltash II, who were leading 19-12 at half-time, did score a try and the death but were unable to add the conversion to claim the win.
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