Tribute Devon 2 League

Devonport High School

Old Boys 6

North Tawton 58

WITH what is thought to be probably the youngest squad of players for several seasons, North Tawton pulled off an important away win. This consolidates their second position in the league.

The early stages were indecisive as both teams probed for advantage.

The first score went to Old Boys from a penalty close to the posts and the fly half put his side three points up. North Tawton mounted a good attack and from a scrum about ten metres from the Old Boys' try line the ball broke loose and was cleaned up by Tawton's flanker Steve King. He showed good strength to drive over for the try, converted by fly half Rob North.

Good threequarter play took Tawton back into the Old Boys' 22-metre area. An attempted clearance was taken well by right wing Tom Davis who maintained the momentum by taking the ball back up. He was in the right place when a well-flighted pass from centre Simon Quick arrived and Davis squeezed over by the corner flag for a try. The long conversion was missed but Tawton led 12-3.

King and Alfie May set up good drives and Tawton were edging ahead in the territorial stakes with impressive back moves. Somewhat against the run of play Old Boys scored with a penalty for a technical infringement to leave the scoreline at 12-6 in favour of the visitors.

In the second period the Tawton pack started to get the measure of the opposition. David Fewings fed the ball to wing Graham Sage. He passed inside to the supporting forwards who drove over the line. The touchdown was made by King, his second of the match, but the conversion drifted wide.

Tawton came close to two more tries then the defence was breached by a neat spin out of a tackle by centre Mike Symons who fed the ball out to Grayling. He produced a neat step of his own to go over between two defenders.

Another sweeping attack by Tawton gave full back Lawrence McKone a gap and he sped round the back of the defence to touch down under the posts. Fewings converted.

The next try came from another kick caught by McKone, who passed out to Quick. He put the ball back inside to Keith Jones and he touched down. The conversion by Fewings took Tawton 39-6 ahead.

Fewings was also in at the start of the next score, with a quickly taken tap penalty and a pass out to Quick. Sage was the recipient of another good pass from Quick and went over for the try.

A quick tap penalty by captain Jones followed by an outrageous side-step set the threes off again. Simon Quick went over for the try, having been the provider of much good ball all afternoon. A break off the back of a scrum by No 8 Clint Jones let left wing Grayling loose from a neat back-handed flick by Brown.

Grayling's try was converted well by Fewings, and, in the final minute, Brown charged through the ragged defence for the last try of the ten scored by North Tawton.

North Tawton have a crucial game this week, at home against top-of-the-league New Cross.

LEFT: North Tawton's Keith Jones challenges for a Devonport High School Old Boys' ball at the lineout.

Picture by Pete Hoggins