Western Counties

Tavistock 15

Truro 17

FOR the second week in a row, Tavistock 1st XV, sponsored by Tavistock Tyre and Exhaust, lost the game to a score in the final five minutes of the game and unlike the previous week's defeat by Penryn, this was a game that Tavistock felt they should have won.

As in previous weeks Tavistock started slowly and were ten points down inside the first quarter then the forwards, in particular, started to win some good possession and Tavistock were then able to get back into the game and to take the lead early in the second half.

Truro's first try came after a drive up the left. The Tavistock defence was sucked into defending the breakdown and space was created for winger Martin Lee to score wide out on the right. Truro then doubled their advantage when their second row Justin Irons crashed over the line from close range. Tavistock then started to play and after the forwards had driven deep into Truro territory the visitors were penalised at the breakdown and Tavistock fly half Richard West converted the penalty to reduce the deficit to 10 – 3, the score staying that way until half time.

After the re-start Tavistock continued to apply the pressure with number eight Ben Williams making some great yardage and openside flanker Luke Clements having a great game, providing the link between forwards and backs and winning loose ball on the ground. Eventually the pressure told and centre Duncan Law scoreed under the posts, Richard West converted to tie the scores.

Tavistock then took the lead with the try of the match. Centre Danny Luffman collected the ball deep in his own half and ran eighty metres to score a great individual try. Unfortunately Richard West missed the conversion.

With less than five minutes remaining Tavistock were reduced to 14 men, with Ben Williams sent to the sin bin and Truro made their numerical supremacy count when they grabbed their third try via Will Martin, Kyle Martin's conversion taking Truro two points in front. Just like the previous week Tavistock did have a chance to win at the death when Truro were penalised inside their twenty two. Instead of kicking for goal the team mysteriously decided to go for the try but after a number of phases of play an error in contact saw the ball knocked on and at that point the referee blew the whistle.