Torquay seconds 19

Okehampton seconds 30

EARLY exchanges were fairly even, with both teams showing their intention to throw the ball around whenever possible although both sides struggled to protect and retain the ball at the breakdown.

On 15 minutes a good piece of interplay between forwards and backs saw a good break by Oke full-back Callum Ausden. When he was brought to ground, Torquay were penalised and fly-half Barry Down slotted the kick from 30 metres out.

The Okes' lead was increased 10 minutes later with a copybook try. The ball was moved swiftly along the line to inside centre Peter Herod-Taylor who made the initial break before linking with his threequarters. The ball came out to Ausden who took the outside route from 40 metres to score by the posts. The conversion took the score to 10-0.

This was increased again on the stroke of half time when Herod-Taylor was used as a decoy to create space for centre partner Tom Robinson. He linked with Ausden, who beat three defenders on his way for try number two and give the Okes a 15-0 lead at the interval.

The second period began with the visitors making good use of the breeze through Down's probing kicks. Harry Bushin was imperious at the breakdown turning over possession regularly and when it was needed most, and at scrum time the front row of Martin, Griffiths and Richards were giving their opponents an uncomfortable afternoon.

After 10 minutes a scrum from eight metres out was driven over for number eight Simon Bennett to get the touchdown and the lead was stretched to 20 points. Five minutes later Oke scored the try of the game when Bushin took a short ball from the back of a maul and broke some 20 metres downfield. He linked perfectly with Peter Herod-Taylor who took play a further 40 metres until being tackled — the ball was recycled to Simon Griffiths who darted through a gap in the hosts defence and scamper under the posts to give Oke 27-0 lead.

With 20 minutes to play lets the visitors took their foot off the accelerator which resulted in three tries and two conversions for the hosts, sandwiched between a successful Okehampton penalty converted by Barry Down.

This performance was highly satisfactory and gets the Okes' seconds back into mid-table in the league.