North Tawton 20

Exeter Saracens II 16

NORTH Tawton introduced a few changes to their league team of last week for this friendly against Exeter Saracens, including moving Graham Sage into the hooker spot.

Tawton were pushed back and then conceded a penalty from a scrum when they got the push on too soon. Saracens centre James Brookes opened the scoring with his first kick.

A penalty to Tawton gained them ground and from the subsequent lineout a good palm down by Rob McBain was taken by Mike Young on a looping run round the front to keep up the attack.

A Saracens scrum about five metres out was disrupted by the strong Tawton pack and when the ball came loose scrum half David Fewings broke through for a try which he converted.

The Tawton pack drove a loose maul about 15 metres to pressurise the Sarries line again. They managed to clear their lines then came back through two penalties which took them within range of the Tawton posts.

This gave Brookes his second penalty chance and a good kick using the following wind notched up three more points for the visitors.

A powerful run off the back of a lineout by Saracens' second row Matt Rowe and a kick through took Sarries back up to the Tawton try line.

Tawton came back well with a brilliant try from second row Mike Young who followed up a Clint Brown break off the back of a scrum to dummy his way through to the line. Although the conversion was missed the half-time whistle went with North Tawton 12-6 ahead.

The first score of the second period came from a penalty kick by Fewings, following a player from each side being yellow-carded in quick succession.

A Sarries penalty was awarded about 30 metres out. This was missed but they showed determination and good handling to put their full back Paul Webber through for a try. This was converted by Brookes and the score-line narrowed to 15-13 in favour of North Tawton.

The Tawton pack were again dominating and a good drive at a set piece well inside their 22 metre area drove Sarries off their ball and turned over the scrum to the home side.

The pressure told and Sarries were penalised close to their line. A quick tap penalty by David Fewings was fed out to Keith Jones on the wing and he crossed for another Tawton try.

Saracens came back into contention following a good penalty by James Brookes from almost 40 metres out into the wind.

The ball bounced off the cross bar to take them within four points. In the final stages Tawton No 8 Clint Brown came up with two vital pieces of good play.

First he broke from the scrum and took the ball on into the Saracens half. Then, following a penalty to Saracens which they decided to run he put in a crunching tackle on a charging player to break up the play. This closed out the match with a win for North Tawton.

This week North Tawton are back in league action with an away fixture against Buckfastleigh.