Okehampton U16s 16 Exeter Chiefs U16s 25 THIS was the first game in the home and away play off for the Landscape league final. Oke's prop Scott Simpson covered well, gained good yards with the ball and hit rucks and mauls with power; second row Luke Crocker also covered well and won good loose ball. Dan Braime, Will Heard, Stuart Bennie and Tom Richards all did their bit. Chiefs did kick a penalty, soon followed by a converted try, but Okehampton hit straight back with a penalty from Carl Poynton. Okehampton, now on top, missed a second penalty. From a line out just outside Chiefs' 22, Okehampton caught and drove over the 22, Will Heard forced the gap by the side of the maul, passed out of the tackle to Crocker who side-stepped one defender and five metres out slipped the ball to scrum-half Richard Friend, who drove over to score. Chiefs then had a good forward drive gaining 30 metres, then spun the ball wide to score in the corner, half-time 8-15. The second half started very even, with both sides playing high pressure rugby. At a line out Tom McGratton was throwing to Bennie, who gave good quick ball out to fly half Poynton; full back Jake Chisholm came into the line on a good angle to beat three tackles on a 30 metre run and was tackled just short of the line, but quick ruck ball enabled James Bird to power into the corner to score. Chiefs then had a good spell and eventually kicked a penalty. Okehampton soon hit back with Poynton kicking a penalty — 16-18 to Chiefs, and that is how it looked like finfishing, with Honeychurch and Chisholm both tackling superbly. But Chiefs got a last controversial converted try in injury time, leaving Okehampton a nine point deficit to try and pull back in next Sunday's second leg at Withycombe — 11am ko.
