Devon 1
Honiton 45
Tavistock 5
Honiton, who had suffered their only league defeat this season at the hands of Teignmouth, are always tough opposition at their home ground. This heavy defeat was a rude awakening for the visiting Tavistock side therefore, who, having beaten Teignmouth, arrived with every belief that the could beat the home side.
Playing downhill in the first half, Tavistock managed to hold their own with full back Martin Credicott and fly half Paul Allen kicking deep into Honiton territory.
Honiton were first to score, though, when their well-drilled forwards drove through Tavistock's defence with an effective maul. The kicker converted and Tavistock had to reply quickly. They did so, when the forwards replied in kind from a scrum a few yards from the Honiton line. Captain Matt Cole picked up from Number 8 and dived over the line.
The conversion was missed, however, and another Honiton score from an effective overlap in the backs left the half-time score at 12-5 to the home side.
But things went drastically wrong for the visitors in the second half. Throughout the game Honiton had been dominant in the forwards. Tavistock were being driven off their own ball in the scrums, lost many of their own lineout balls, and were slow to combat Honiton's mauling and supported runs in the forwards.
Honiton were a fit and well drilled side who took the chances available to them. Despite the score difference, Tavistock have already displayed the skills required to defeat this side, and are perfectly capable of doing so on the return fixture.