Tavistock Colts 0
Exeter Saracens Colts 40
SARACENS made the best of wet and windy conditions to run out clear winners.
Skipper Wheatley showed good leadership skills and enjoyed his usual robust game against the biggest pack encountered this season. Rob Finch, on leave from the RAF, gave his opposite prop a hard time in the scrums and displayed all his old rucking skills.
Branfield showed off his match fitness and ran flat out for the whole game. Stand-off Rowe ran at the opposition but had to take several big hits from the impenetrable defence.
Full back Derges pulled off several typically hard tackles but the visiting threequarters crossed the line four times in the first half.
With the wind and slope with Tavistock in the second half, Saracens were restricted to two tries and had to defend hard.
Bond came on for the second half and added bite to the pack. Centres Rooke and Vanstone looked good until Rooke had to leave the field with an aggravated hand injury.
Vanstone saved a certain seven points when he dispossesed his opposite number after crossing the try-line.
Tavistock Colts 3
Launceston Colts 53
WITH five players failing to turn up, Tavistock played this game with 14 men. Launceston took advantage of this and caught the defence short several times during the first half to score five tries to a Tavistock penalty from Mike Rowe.
The second half saw Tavistock concede two further tries and put enough pressure on the visiting defence to score, but it was not to be.
Stribley, Lobban and Braithewaite enjoyed good runs in the backs and winger Jed Bolt pulled off a fistful of hard tackles to keep his opposite number quiet.
Branfield, Wheatley and Gorman were the pick of the forwards, close behind Vince who took the game to Launceston in the second half with some bullocking runs.
Mike Rowe, playing full back, took a blow to the nose in the first half and during a tackle in the second half but showed his commitment by staying on. Tom Vanstone took on the role of scrum half for the first time and acquitted himself well.