Tavistock U15s 10

Barnstaple U15s 5

DEVON champions Barnstaple suffered their first defeat for 30 months.

They came with a big reputation - and some pretty big players. The opening run of play did not bode well for Tavistock. They were penned in their own half, their own 22 and after 12 minutes conceded a try.

This setback galvanised the side and bar the final five minutes Barnstaple never again posed a real threat to the Tavistock line.

The players tackled like demons and outplayed the opposition at set-pieces and breakdowns. The newly formed front row of Jenns, Vella and Walker were solid as a rock, with great support from Jeffrey and Edwards. But it was the back row of Shutler, Frost and the influential Friend that dominated in both defence and attack.

Shortly into the second half, after a series of strikes in the Barnstaple 22, Lee managed to cut back in to just squeeze the ball onto the line. Ten minutes later Ewing made an interception on his own 22 and raced the length of the pitch to touch down.

Barnstaple threw everything into attack, but the defence was resolute with superb tackles and clearance kicks from Thompson, Campbell, Lawson, Burton and Stewart.

In the final minute a tackle by Friend prevented the result from slipping away and the final whistle was greeted with joy and relief.

Tavistock U14s 12

Barnstaple U14s 31

BOTH Tavistock and Barnstaple did plenty of kicking over the heads of the opposition, fly hacking loose ball upfield and kicking across field into the path of a winger on the run. The latter resulted in a well worked try for Barnstaple.

Tavistock scored twice, once from Hammy?s charge from a quickly taken penalty running through most of the Barnstaple defence to score a great opportunist try. The other, Tom Hancock breaking free from a driving maul to score next to the posts to allow Andrew Smerdon to pick up points from the conversion.

Tavistock?s attacking play was direct with Jimmy Hubbard and Jack Hodges combining well in the centres. The best came from quick accurate passing along the backs with Ewan McCall cleverly looping around outside centre to create an overlap that almost resulted in a try for Tavistock.

Barnstaple took hold of the match in the second half, with the wind and the slope in their favour to convert a try at the interval into a 19-point margin at the finish.

Man of the match: Ewan McCall.

Training this week is at Bull Point at 7.15pm on Thursday at Devonport Services? astroturf ground. Sunday?s game at home has been confirmed against Okehampton at the usual kick-off time of 11am.

Tavistock U13s 32

Barnstaple U13s 0

TAVISTOCK, fresh from last week?s cup win, continued with their brand of flowing and expansive rugby to defeat the north Devon team.

With a reorganised set of backs due to injury, the half-back pairing of Lane and Lilligan worked well together, running the ball and making exciting breaks. From an early lineout James went through on a loose ball and crashed over for the first try.

The pressure was continued by the strong performance of the forwards with back row players Robinson and Jon Smith showing how to provide support play in the loose.

A lineout thrown in with deadly accuracy from Roberts produced a drive by the forwards after being won by Leeson, which eventually ended with Matt Roberts being driven over for the second score.

By now the pack of forwards had started to dominate and after poor tackling by defenders O?Neill scored the team?s third try. With half-time approaching Tavistock scored a fourth try through Smith again, diving over after a 25-metre forward drive.

In the second half straight from the kick-off Tavistock?s confidence grew again. Barnes, taking an awkward ball from the restart, drove deep into the opponents? half. It was recycled along the line with Cuthbert and Evans brought into play. At full back Perkins used his pace to weave through defenders and started another attack that reached the five-metre line from where Lashbrook stretched over for his first try.

With their opponents in disarray Tavistock were rampant and close to the final whistle Hall made the perfect break, chipped through a gap and was brought down off the ball to be awarded a penalty try.

Man of the match: Matt Smith.