Western Counties West
Tavistock 23
Torquay 23
TAVISTOCK coach Lee Webber said after the game that he was happy with the three points his side had earned in their draw with fourth placed Torquay on Saturday – two points for the draw plus a bonus point earned for scoring four tries.
Neither side was ever more than a score in front in this nip and tuck encounter with Torquay securing the draw with their last attack of the game. Tavistock started well and immediately put pressure on their opponents with some fast direct running from the backs. The home side knew they had to keep the ball moving as the Torquay were much bigger than the home side.
Tavistock opened the scoring Lee Greatrex went on the narrow side from a ruck and Danny Luffman was worked over for a try.
Torquay hit back with a penalty from fly half James Wood after Tavistock had been penalised at the breakdown. They then took the lead with a try from Russ Morris after some driving play from the forwards with Wood converting. Just before half time Tavistock were back level at 10-10 when new signing, winger Callum Harding, squeezed in at the corner.
Tavistock then went ahead early in the second half when the backs created an overlap for winger David Goodspeed to exploit. Torquay turned the screw in the forward line and after Tavistock had been penalised on a couple of occasions at the breakdown for killing the ball skipper Adrian Baker was sent to the sin bin for the same offence. It meant that Tavistock had to hold out with 14 men for ten minutes and the forwards responded magnificently with Will Brown at flanker setting a superb example and debutant hooker Nathan Peck doing a sound job at scrum and lineout.
Torquay did get back on terms before Tavistock returned to 15 men when a catch and drive at the lineout provided a score for Stephen Ward. Tavistock went ahead when fly half Richard West's cross-field kick was snapped up by winger James Kaminski for a try to put the home side 20-15 ahead going into the last quarter.
Torquay hit back with a penalty from James Wood which was answered with a penalty for Tavistock from Richard West to keep the home side five points in front.
With the game going into stoppage time Torquay were again camped deep in Tavistock territory and the home side were again reduced to 14 men with a sin binning. Torquay made the additional man count and with their last attack winger Quinten Asher-Wood rounded the Tavistock defence to score. Fortunately for Tavistock James Wood's conversion attempt went wide. This result means that Tavistock are fourth from bottom in the league.