Powergen Junior Vase

Okehampton Chiefs 41

OPMs 31

PLAYING for the first time in the vase, the Chiefs powered to another home win in conditions more suited to a day on the beach.

As predicted, a high scoring game ensued with the first try coming after only eight minutes. Playing down the slope the home side won a good lineout in the opposing half. Arnie Searle at fly half took the ball at pace, and support at either shoulder provided the excellent foil to enable him to burst through the gap for a score under the posts. Lee Carey converted.

Three minutes later with the visitors' line under siege a quick tap penalty was taken five metres from the try line and Searle added to his total. Carey converted.

The visitors after a rare excursion into the Chiefs' half were awarded a penalty which was converted.

The Chiefs were soon back on top and after good work by the loose forwards young B J Chapman found himself with the ball with 25 metres to run. He beat off the challenge of three defenders and scored under the posts. Carey converted.

Probably the best try of the day followed with the Chiefs firmly camped in the opposition half. A lineout to the visitors was brilliantly stolen by Steve Alford and the ball spun wide to Searle who allowed the bullocking Ali Mason to take it at pace. He buried the defending fly half and continued to score an all power try with three defenders hanging on but unable to prevent the score. Carey converted.

The final try of the half came from a superb movement with interpassing throughout the team and overlaps appearing on both sides of the field. Initially the ball went left to a four-on-one overlap but the opportunity went begging. However, the position was not lost thanks to good recovery work from the ever-present Rob Philpott - the reporters' man of the match. He secured the ball for it to be moved to the other side of the field where Ritchie Camies delivered the final pass for Graham Sage to score in the corner unopposed. Half-time: 31-3.

Searle was replaced due to a slight hamstring pull and the backs reshuffled with Lee Carey at fly half and Lee Pengelly filling the hole. It proved unsettling as the visitors sensing their chance took the opportunity of a quick tap penalty only metres from their own line, going on to run the length of the field to score under the posts. This try was converted.

Minutes after the restart the visitors again were beginning to grow in confidence and through some woeful defending scored again under the posts. This was converted.

Alarm bells were beginning to ring, but Okehampton never looked like surrendering their lead. Old heads were called for and after good work scrum half Bickle, who applied all his experience when it was desperately needed, provided a turnover ball at the base of the scrum. After good pressure Sage again scored in the corner, converted by Carey.

But the visitors were not to be rolled over again and after gaining useful ground through a silly penalty from a late tackle they won their lineout and moved the ball well through their threequarter line to score a converted try.

The score now standing at 38-24 meant if the visitors scored two more tries they would tie, but after renewed pressure from the Chiefs, experience prevailed and Carey slotted over a penalty to make the game safe.