Crediton 5 Tavistock U15s 17 THE Tavistock rugby squad has changed significantly since April, with four departures and two arrivals ? Jason Ward and Josh Brown ? both of whom made impressive debuts, and this early fixture provided exactly the right start to the tough season that lies ahead. From the outset Tavistock were dominant and most of the match was played in the Crediton half. The front five of Ward, Smerdon, Barnes, Pluckrose, and Calvert provided a solid platform in both the scrums and lineouts. The back row of O?Neill, Robinson and Smith were formidable in both attack and defence with O?Neill?s contribution being outstanding, earning him the Man of the Match award. At halfback Thompson had a good all-round game and just failed to score a try when he charged down an opposition kick, while his partner Warlow scored a hat-trick and capped his performance with a conversion! At centre Lane and Morgan both put in good work, particularly in defence, but never really got any space in which to move ? partly as a result of the narrowness of the pitch. This factor also limited the opportunities for the back three of Brown, White and Cuthbert who all, nevertheless, put in some great defensive work. While there are areas that need improvement, there were excellent passages of play by both the backs and forwards throughout the game, and ? most importantly ? a very evident sense of teamship.
